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Point Reyes National SeashoreBlack Mountain with fog in Olema Valley
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Point Reyes National Seashore
Drakes Estero
Drakes Estero and Douglas Irises by Sue Van Der Wal

A Restored Drakes Estero Watershed

The National Park Service is completing a $2.44 million restoration project that will provide for the return of the natural hydrologic regime in the Drakes Estero system and ultimately allow for the reintroduction and enhancement of endangered aquatic populations. The Congressional designation of Limantour and Drakes Esteros as full and potential wilderness reflects the Esteros’ national importance as a refuge for wildlife and a nursery for myriad marine species.

To learn more about the Drakes Estero watershed and how the National Park Service is attempting to restore it, click on one of the links below.

Drakes Estero: A Sheltered Wilderness Estuary (This document is currently under scientific review as of July 23, 2007; acknowledgment of corrections posted July 25, 2007)

Drakes Estero, a superlative estuary in Point Reyes National Seashore - March 2006 (58 KB PDF)

Drakes Estero Road Crossing Improvements

On April 16, 2008, the National Park Service (NPS) signed a contract (6,894 KB PDF) with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) – National Research Council to conduct a study of the existing science on the effects and management implications of commercial mariculture in Drakes Estero at Point Reyes National Seashore.

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Harbor Seal Pup, © Sue Van Der Wal  

Did You Know?
Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are present in the waters of Point Reyes year round. Every spring, approximately 7,000 harbor seals, or 20% of the mainland California breeding population, haul out on the beaches of Point Reyes. Look for them in the esteros and in Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon.

Last Updated: May 23, 2008 at 18:53 EST