San Pablo Bay, shown with San Francisco Bay

San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait

San Pablo Bay is a shallow tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. It receives the waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, via Suisun Bay and the Carquinez Strait on its east end, and it connects to San Francisco Bay on its south end. The bay is heavily silted from the contributions of the two rivers, which themselves drain most of the Central Valley of California. The bay also receives the waters of the Napa River, which flows into the Carquinez Strait via the Mare Island Strait near its entrance into the bay.

The bay is approximately 10 mi (16 km) across and has an area of approximately 90 square miles (240 square km).

The bay is shared between Contra Costa, Solano, Sonoma and Marin counties, the boundaries of which meet near the center of the bay. Communities on San Pablo Bay include San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules, Rodeo, Vallejo, Novato, and San Rafael. The city of Richmond is on the peninsula separating San Pablo Bay from San Francisco Bay.

The undeveloped portions of the periphery of the bay are plentiful with salt marshes and mudflats. The bay is a primary wintering stop for canvasback population on the Pacific Flyway, as well as a migratory staging ground for numerous species of waterfowl. Much of the northern shore of the bay is protected as part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge .

Endangered species that are found in the bay include the California brown pelican , California clapper rail , and salt marsh harvest mouse . Saltwater fishes found in the bay include striped bass, surfperch , sturgeon, starry flounder , leopard shark, topsmelt , and anchovy. The bay is a popular destination for recreation fishing.

China Camp State Park in San Rafael overlooks the bay on its southwestern end.

The bay was named after Rancho San Pablo, a plantation founded by the Spanish settlers in 1815 on the site of the present-day city of San Pablo.

External links

• USGS: Sediment Changes in San Pablo Bay
• Gorp: San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• City of San Pablo: History of the Bay