Suisun Bay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suisun Bay
Aerial photo of the Suisun Bay, looking east at the Benicia-Martinez Bridges. Benicia is on the left, Martinez to the right.
Suisun Bay Location in Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Show map of Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Suisun Bay Location in San Francisco Bay Area Show map of San Francisco Bay Area Suisun Bay Location in California Show map of California Suisun Bay Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates	38°04′N 122°04′W / 38.07°N 122.07°W / 38.07; -122.07
Type	Bay
River sources	Sacramento and San Joaquin River
Ocean/sea sources	Pacific Ocean
Basin countries	United States
Settlements	Antioch and Oakley

Suisun Bay (pronounced "sə-SOON") is a shallow bay in Northern California. It is a part of the larger San Francisco Bay system. This bay is where the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River meet. It also marks the start of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta.

To the west, Suisun Bay connects to San Pablo Bay through the Carquinez Strait. Grizzly Bay is a smaller bay that extends north from Suisun Bay. Suisun Bay is located between Contra Costa County to the south and Solano County to the north.

The bay got its name in 1811 from the Suisunes tribe. They were a group of Patwin Indians, and "Suisun" means "where the west wind blows" in their language.

History of Suisun Bay

Early Transportation

For many years, Suisun Bay was important for travel and trade. From 1879 to 1930, the Central Pacific Railroad used large train ferries to cross the bay. These ferries, named Solano and Contra Costa, carried entire trains between Benicia and Port Costa, California. They stopped running when a new railroad bridge was built in 1930.

Another electric train line, the Sacramento Northern Railway, also crossed the bay. From 1913 to 1954, they used a ferry called the Ramon. This ferry helped people and goods move across the water.

Environmental Care

In 2004, there was an oil spill in the bay. A pipeline broke and some diesel fuel leaked into the marshes. It was a serious event for the environment. Cleanup efforts were made to protect the bay's wildlife and plants.

The "Ghost Fleet"

Suisun Bay was once home to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. This was a large group of old U.S. Navy and merchant ships. People often called it the "Mothball Fleet" or "Ghost Fleet." These ships were kept ready in case they were needed for national defense, especially after World War II.

One famous ship, the USNS Glomar Explorer, was anchored here. It was used in the 1970s to recover parts of a sunken Soviet submarine.

Many of these older ships were removed and sold for scrap in the 1990s and 2010s. The last of the original 57 ships were removed by August 2017. Today, some naval ships are still in Suisun Bay. Most of these are part of the Military Sealift Command Ready Reserve Fleet. They are kept ready to help if needed.

Images for kids

• 

  San Pablo Bay with Suisun Bay at the upper right.

See also

In Spanish: Bahía Suisun para niños