![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Bair_Island_State_Marine_Park_%252849811217791%2529.jpg/640px-Bair_Island_State_Marine_Park_%252849811217791%2529.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Bair Island
Swamp in Redwood City, San Mateo County, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bair Island is a marsh area in Redwood City, California, covering 3,000 acres (1,200 ha), and includes three islands: Inner, Middle and Outer islands.[2] Bair Island is part of the larger Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.[3] It is surrounded by the Steinberger slough to the northwest and Redwood Creek to the southeast.
Bair Island State Marine Park | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
![]() Bair Island in 2014 | |
Location | San Francisco Bay |
Nearest city | Redwood City, California |
Coordinates | 37°31′48″N 122°13′20″W[1] |
Area | 3,398 acres (13.75 km2) |
Established | 1986 |
Governing body | US Fish and Wildlife Service, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge |
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Bair Island Ecological Reserve consists of 1,985 acres (803 ha)[2] on the Middle and Outer islands, although the entire island group is managed by the Refuge. Bair Island is an important ecological wetland,[4] which provides critical habitat for a variety of species, including the endangered California clapper rail and the Salt marsh harvest mouse, and is an important stop for birds on the Pacific Flyway.[5] Bair Island is bisected by Corkscrew Slough,[6] a major haul-out site for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).[7]