The Salt Marsh: A
Smelly Wasteland or the Essence of Life?
The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Fremont
"Birth, growth,
death, and decay. . .it's all here in this short walk around the tidelands
trail." From the Activities
newsletter, November 1997
Directions: East on the Dumbarton Bridge, past the toll station (free this
direction), exit at Thornton Avenue. South on Thornton Avenue for 0.8 miles to
the refuge entrance on the right. Turn into the refuge, and follow Marshlands
Road to the stop sign. Turn left into the parking lot.
Grade: Level.
Distance: 1.3 miles for Tidelands Trail, five miles for Newark Slough Trail.
Time: hours.
Special Conditions: Dogs on leash allowed on the Tidelands Trail, but not on the Newark
Slough Trail. Restroom and water available at the trail head. The trails will
be muddy after heavy rain, but they drain quickly. The park closes at sunset,
and the rangers close the gate on time, so don't be late. Administration by the
National Fish and Wildlife Service. For information call 510-792-0222.
There's
something inviting about the mud flats and salt marshes of San Francisco Bay.
It could be the 250 or so species of birds that use these waters. Or maybe it's
the endangered species--the California clapper rail and the salt marsh harvest
mouse that depend on the salt marshes for their survival. It could be the
thought that a double handful of bay mud may contain ten thousand tiny living
creatures. Then there is the refreshing salt-water breeze that typically greets
you from the north and west and the beautiful sunsets over the water.
But to
many, the marshes and mud flats are a vast wasteland that smells bad and are
plagued with clouds of insects. If you're of this mind, I encourage you to
spend some time on these trails to understand the real purpose and true value
of this "wasteland."
For
starters, consider that sunlight and fertile soil brought into the bay by
streams and rivers combine with nutrients and oxygen brought in by the tides to
produce a luxurious growth of marsh plants. Outgoing tides carry food and
nutrients from these marshes to the deep-water bay and into the ocean. Along
the way, the lower part of the food chain--clams, worms, and young fish--get
their share of food. These, in turn, are eaten by seals, birds, and other large
fish and animals, which in turn are lunch for others and eventually for us. So
we begin to understand that the marsh "wasteland" has a deeper
purpose in which we all share.
There are
two hiking trails from the Visitors Center parking area. The first is the short
and easy 1.3-mile Tidelands Trail, and the second is the longer 5-mile Newark
Slough Trail. For both trails, start at the signed trailhead leading down from
the asphalt service road below the Nature Center. (The Tidelands Trail has
other starting points leading from the Visitors Center, and all take the same
loop.) Soon you will pass by an area with several picnic tables and then on a
massive wood bridge over the Newark Slough. Ahead are several old fishing cabins
now used for instructional purposes such as school field trips. After crossing
the Newark Slough, the trail splits right or left. To the right is the Newark
Slough Trail. The short Tidelands Trail goes left past a hunters' cabin and
exhibits related to the history of waterfowl hunting in the South Bay. We hiked
along this portion of the Tidelands Trail studying each exhibit in our quest
for a better understanding of the slough and surrounding marshland. The exhibit
topics include hunting; pickleweed and dodder; animal species going (California
least tern, clapper rail, brown pelican), and long gone (tule elk and grizzly
bear); and how salt water gets converted to table salt. After one-half mile you
can turn left and continue on the Tidelands Trail or go straight on the Newark
Slough Trail. If you elect the Newark Slough Trail, plan about two hours and be
sure you have enough time to get back to your car by sunset. (We pushed the
limit and came close to receiving a citation and spending the night in the parking
lot behind a closed gate.) The Newark Slough Trail follows the waterway to near
its point of beginning at Thornton Avenue, then continues south on the salt
levee to a point near the large, partially buried Hetch-Hetchy water pipes that
carry water from Yosemite to the Crystal Springs Reservoir System on the
Peninsula. The trail parallels the water pipes for about 1.5 miles, then turns
north and follows the Newark Slough back to the trailhead.
Your comments and
hiking suggestions are always welcome.
Email tom@tomdavids.com and check out the Weekly
Walker Web site at www.weeklywalker.com.