[3] Satellite image of the South San Francisco Bay. The vibrant colors are due to the microorganisms living in the salt evaporation ponds.
Acquisition of Salt Ponds
[4] Map of the salt ponds for restoration. Click to enlarge
Cargill Salt announced in October of 2000 that they wanted to consolidate their land and sell some of their salt pond operations in the South San Francisco Bay [2]. WIth the help of Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired 16,500 acres of salt ponds – 15,100 acres in the South Bay and 1,400 in the North Bay. The California Wildlife Conservation Board, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many private foundations provided a total of $100 million to acquire the ponds from Cargill [6].
Another restoration project is simultaneously occurring in the North San Francisco Bay at the Napa Plant Site, which is managed separately from the South Bay ponds. Click here to learn more.
Another restoration project is simultaneously occurring in the North San Francisco Bay at the Napa Plant Site, which is managed separately from the South Bay ponds. Click here to learn more.
Planning and Implementation of Restoration
Upon acquisition, Cargill, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Fish and Game worked together to phase out the salt production in the ponds and transfer management under the Initial Stewardship Plan. The California Coastal Conservancy and the Packard Hewlett and Moore Foundations provided the main funding for the planning process. This process began in late 2003 and included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Game, a consultant team, a National Science Panel, a local science team, and a public forum [6]. By 2007, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project released a 30-year restoration plan [2].
