Wednesday January 15, 2025
ESRI —
A patchwork of salt evaporation ponds lines the South San Francisco Bay in vibrant greens, oranges, and blues, depending on the organisms that thrive at different salinity levels. The ponds, originally used for salt production, are now a focal point of the largest tidal wetland restoration on the West Coast.
The ambitious South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project will eventually transform 15,100 acres of industrial salt ponds back into tidal marshes and other wetlands, while adding recreation areas and providing flood risk management. A group of government agencies, municipalities, and researchers are partners in the effort, including the California State Coastal Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Coordination is important with so many experts involved and a project scope roughly the size of Manhattan. Geography serves as their common language.
Maps made with geographic information system (GIS) technology combine the data layers of Bay Area restoration projects into a visual resource. Meanwhile, project managers record milestones in a GIS portal. The technology also supports planning and analysis, as ideas and decisions can be vetted virtually to understand potential impacts on the ecosystem.