Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project facts for kids
The Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project is now known as the Hamilton/Bel Marin Keys Wetlands Restoration. It is a big project that helps bring back wetlands and natural habitats. This project is happening at an old military base called Hamilton Air Force Base (which was open from 1930 to 1988). It also includes the nearby Bel Marin Keys shoreline. Both places are in Marin County, California.
The project is located at Whiteside Marsh on the northwest side of San Pablo Bay. It is right next to the city of Novato in the North Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area.
What is the Hamilton Wetlands Project?
This restoration project is a team effort between different government groups. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the main federal agency in charge. The California Coastal Conservancy is the local partner helping out. Also, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission works with them.
The U.S. Congress approved the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project in 1999. Later, in 2007, they added the Bel Marin Keys area to the project. Together, these areas cover about 2,600 acres.
These three groups are working to bring back the Whiteside Marsh part of the old Hamilton Air Force Base. They want it to be a natural estuary and wetlands again. An estuary is where a river meets the sea. This project also creates important homes for endangered species in the busy San Francisco Bay Area.
The Hamilton Wetlands Restoration Project is a huge step in helping the San Francisco Bay. The Bay has lost more than 85% of its natural wetlands since the 1880s. This project helps bring some of that important natural land back.
