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Richardson Bay

Bays of CaliforniaBays of Marin County, CaliforniaBays of San Francisco BayEstuaries of CaliforniaEstuaries of Marin County, California
Important Bird Areas of CaliforniaLandforms of the San Francisco Bay AreaMill Valley, CaliforniaNational Audubon SocietyNature centers in CaliforniaProtected areas of Marin County, CaliforniaSausalito, CaliforniaTiburon, California
Richardson Bay 4
Richardson Bay 4

Richardson Bay (originally Richardson's Bay) is a shallow, ecologically rich arm of San Francisco Bay, managed under a Joint Powers Agency of four northern California cities. The 911-acre (369 ha) Richardson Bay Sanctuary was acquired in the early 1960s by the National Audubon Society. The bay was named for William A. Richardson, early 19th century sea captain and builder in San Francisco. It contains both Strawberry Spit and Aramburu Island. In spite of its urbanized periphery, Richardson Bay supports extensive eelgrass areas and sizable undisturbed intertidal habitats. It is a feeding and resting area for a panoply of estuarine and pelagic birds, while its associated marshes and littoral zones support a variety of animal and plant life. Richardson Bay has been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA), based upon its large number of annual bird visitors and residents, its sightings of California clapper rail and its strategic location on the Pacific Flyway. The bay's waters are subject to a "no discharge" rule to protect the elaborate and fragile ecosystems present, including a complex fishery, diverse mollusk populations and even marine mammals such as the harbor seal. Owing to its lack of depth and complicated channel structure, Richardson Bay is limited in boating uses to kayaking and small sailing craft. There are extensive hiking and bicycling paths at the bay perimeter, especially in the shore areas of Mill Valley and the town of Tiburon.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Richardson Bay (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.875 ° E -122.48333333333 °
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Address

Belvedere Island


94920
California, United States
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Richardson Bay 4
Richardson Bay 4
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Nearby Places

Schoonmaker Point

Schoonmaker Point is a low-lying landform jutting into San Francisco Bay at Sausalito, California. This area was created by dredge spoils from Richardson Bay during local Marin Shipyards shipbuilding activity during World War II. Schoonmaker Point is situated approximately 1.7 miles (2.7 km) south of the Sausalito/Marin City interchange of U.S. Highway 101 immediately north of Bridgeway Boulevard. The Schoonmaker Point Marina is located here, along with a 2.3-acre (9,300 m2) sand beach.. From Schoonmaker Point there are views of Mount Tamalpais and the San Francisco downtown skyline. Schoonmaker Point is a readily usable put-in point for kayaks accessing San Francisco Bay. Nearby is situated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model, a scale model of the San Francisco Bay, capable of simulating the bay hydrology. A review of historic aerial photography applicable to Schoonmaker Point was conducted by Earth Metrics, evaluating three stereo photograph pairs; the photographs were flown in 1952, 1965, and 1974 by the U.S. Government and are archived by the U.S. Geological Survey. Analysis of the aerial photos showed that, in 1952, the size of Schoonmaker Point was smaller and the site vicinity on Schoonmaker Point was less developed. Schoonmaker Point Marina had not been constructed at this time, and the Bounty Building did not exist at this time. A small parcel to the immediate west of the Schoonmaker Point parking lot had three small structures on it. The buildings presently occupied by Interbay Lumber Hardware to the west of the subject site existed at this time. Clipper Yacht Harbor to the north of Schoonmaker Point had only two piers at this time. In 1965 the Schoonmaker Point peninsula had been extended to the north and east to its present size and Schoonmaker Point Marina has begun operations in this expanded area. Clipper Yacht Harbor has been expanded by several piers. All surface runoff and groundwater from Schoonmaker Point drain toward the northeast to San Francisco Bay.

Sausalito Shipbuilding
Sausalito Shipbuilding

Sausalito Shipbuilding in Sausalito, California, started in 1942 as the Oakland shipbuilding Corporation. The founders had hoped to start a new shipyard in Oakland, California, but a better site opened up next to the new Marinship shipyard in Sausalito, which built Liberty ships. The site was near the former Northwestern Pacific Railroad repair yard situated at Richardson's Bay in Marin County. With World War II underway, there was a demand for more vessels, Oakland and much of the San Francisco Bay was also already built up. The shoreline in Marin County had open space to build new shipyards. At the site, the new company built 4 shipways. It had no official name while it was being built but was referred to as the "Marin Shipbuilding Division of W.A. Bechtel Company" and that lengthy title was shortened to Marin-Ship or what known today as "Marinship" with a street in Sausalito named Marinship Way. Sausalito Shipbuilding received a US Army contract to build barges. Sausalito Shipbuilding was operated as a Co-operative, each worker having a share in the company. The president was D. F. Baker, who had worked at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn Navy Yard and Bremerton Navy Yard. The vice president was R. E. Oberer. Tresurer was Ernent Collins. Office manager was E. G. Harris. The other key partner was Robert Rich and Stanley G. Morris. Stanley G. Morris sold his share to Rich in August 1945. The site was north end of Sausalito, California and just three miles (5 km) north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Ernent Collins was a yacht builder for years before joining the partnership. Robert Rich became the president of Sausalito Shipbuilding, later selling his share in the company and joining a dredging company that worked with Sausalito Shipbuilding. Robert Rich sold his shares to Gus Wandtke and Ernest Collins. In 1945 with the end of World War 2, like many shipyards, Sausalito Shipbuilding closed. There was a surplus of ships after the war. The site later became Sausalito houseboat community.For the war Sausalito Shipbuilding built US Army steel Barges: BC-157 to BC-168, the 12 Barges were a Design # 229 and are 110 feet in length. All 12 were delivered in 1942. BC-803 to BC-809, the 7 Barges were a Design # 267 and are 130 feet in length. All 12 were delivered in 1943. BG-1193 to BG-1198 the 6 Gasoline Tank Barges were a Design # 231 and are 120 feet in length. All 6 were delivered in 1943. BC-2115 to BC-2128, the 15 Barges were a Design # 267 and are 130 feet in length. All 15 were delivered in 1944 and 1945.