Skaggs Island Naval Communication Station facts for kids
 Skaggs Island
Location in San Francisco Bay Area
Skaggs Island
Location in California
Skaggs Island
Location in the United States
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern California |
| Coordinates | 38°11′25″N 122°23′39″W / 38.1903615°N 122.39409°W |
| Adjacent bodies of water | San Pablo Bay |
| Administration | |
| State |  California |
Skaggs Island was once a secret United States Navy base. It was located in California, between the towns of Novato and Vallejo. This large area, about 3,310 acres (13.4 square kilometers), was bought by the Navy in 1941. It was a very secure and self-contained base. Its main job was to handle communications and gather important information for the Navy and other government groups. The base closed in 1993. Even after closing, its antennas were used for a while. By 2013, all the antennas and buildings were removed.
What is Skaggs Island?
Skaggs Island used to be a busy tidal marsh. A tidal marsh is a wetland area that is regularly flooded by ocean tides. It sits right next to San Pablo Bay. This area is an important stop for migratory birds traveling along the Pacific Flyway. The Pacific Flyway is like a superhighway in the sky for birds. Native American people used this land a lot until the 1800s.
How Skaggs Island Changed Over Time
In the 1800s, new laws allowed the state of California to fill in wetlands. A senator named John P. Jones bought a large piece of land, about 10,000 acres (40 square kilometers). He wanted his brother to develop it. Chinese workers, who had just finished building railroads, helped build levees. Levees are walls or banks built to control flooding from Sonoma Creek.
After the levees were built, the area changed. It became a diked wetland. This means the water was controlled by dikes. The land was then used for growing hay and creating salt ponds. Later, between 1942 and 1993, it became a Navy base for electronic communication.
Skaggs Island Today
Today, a special radio beacon called a VORTAC is still working on Skaggs Island. Its identifier is SGD and it broadcasts at 112.10 MHz. This beacon helps airplanes navigate when they are flying at low altitudes.
On March 31, 2011, Skaggs Island became part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is a huge protected area, about 13,000 acres (53 square kilometers). It was created in 1974 to keep migratory birds, wetland habitats, and endangered species safe.
Skaggs Island got its name from Marion Barton Skaggs. He was a person who helped the Sonoma Land Company with money during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
