The Napa Sonoma Marsh is a wetland at the northern edge of San Pablo Bay, which is a northern arm of the San Francisco Bay in California, United States. This marsh has an area of , of which are abandoned salt evaporation ponds. The United States Government has designated in the Napa Sonoma Marsh as the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Overview The marsh is fed by Sonoma Creek (which drains the Sonoma Valley), Tolay Creek (originating in the Tolay Lake basin), and the Napa River (which drains the Napa Valley).Napa Sonoma Marsh Restoration Plan Although the marsh extends north as far as State Route 12, as a practical matter, most of the marsh is only accessible by boat.
The marsh is a productive estuarine ecosystem providing habitat for a wide diversity of flora and fauna, including numerous rare and endangered species such as the California clapper rail and California freshwater shrimp.Napa County Resource Conservation District, Napa RCD Newsletter, March, 2004 Because of its rich avafaunal content, the Napa Sonoma Marsh is one of only seven marshes selected for intensive study by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (based on a total of 50 discrete marshes appurtenant to the San Francisco Bay).Point Reyes Bird Observatory Priorities for Intensive Monitoring
Around 1860, the Napa Sonoma Marsh was one of the most productive wetlands of the Pacific Coast, providing habitat for millions of birds.U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge By the mid-1980s, the San Francisco Bay perimeter had lost over 91 percent of its wetlands. The Napa Sonoma Marsh represents one of the few sizeable expanses where restoration is feasible.California Coastal Conservancy: Napa Sonoma Marsh Restoration Project
During the Vietnam War, the Navy utilized the marsh as a training ground for crews of the Navy's new Swift boats and patrol boats, operating out of Mare Island Naval Shipyard at the marsh's southern terminus.
An extensive research literature base exists for the Napa Sonoma Marsh.A research bibliography for the Napa Sonoma Marsh
See also Hydrography of the San Francisco Bay Area Salt marsh harvest mouse Sears Point Suisun shrew
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