PubTalk — A Delicate Balance

Salt Ponds, Wetland Restoration, and Wildlife in San Francisco Bay

by A. Keith Miles and John Y. Takekawa, Wildlife Biologists 

• Nearly 15,000 acres of salt ponds were purchased in 2003 for restoration by a partners hip of Federal, State, and non-profit organizations
• How important are the salt ponds for migration and wintering of waterfowl and shorebir ds?
• Restoration of wetland in the Nation\x92s most urbanized estuary faces many challenges
• Will it be possible to manage concentrated salts, low dissolved oxygen, and toxicity o f sequestered mercury as pond levees are opened?
• Restoring wetlands while controlling invasive species, such as smooth cord grass, may prove very difficult