San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife sanctuary in California Not to be confused with San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge.

The San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary is a 300-acre (120 ha; 0.47 sq mi) constructed wetland in Irvine, California, in the flood plain of San Diego Creek just above its outlet into the Upper Newport Bay.

History

The site is owned by the Irvine Ranch Water District; it was used for farmland in the 1950s and 1960s, and (prior to its reconstruction) as a duck hunting range. Restoration of the wetlands began in 1988 and was completed in 2000. Now, the site serves a dual purpose of removing nitrates from the creek water and providing a bird habitat. The water district also operates an adjacent wastewater treatment facility but the treated wastewater does not enter the wildlife sanctuary.

Description

Within the sanctuary, water from the creek percolates through a system of ponds, constructed in 1997 and ringed with bulrushes; the ponds are periodically drained and re-seeded, and the surrounding land is covered with native plants. A small hill at one edge of the site serves as an arboretum for non-native trees, planted for Earth Day in 1990.

Wildlife

The landscaping has been designed to attract birds, and nesting boxes for the birds have been provided. While waterbirds such as herons, egrets, pelicans, sandpipers, ducks, geese, and kingfisher spredominate, monthly censuses have found over 120 species of birds, including terrestrial hawks, swallows, roadrunners, and hummingbirds.

Public access

The sanctuary is open to the public daily during the daytime, and has over 10 miles (16 km) of wheelchair-accessible hiking trails. The facilities also include free parking, restrooms, benches, and trail maps. The Duck Club, a building that was moved to the site in the 1940s and was until 1988 the base for two hunting clubs, serves as a free meeting facility for non-profit organizations. The Audubon Society maintains a chapter office in another building, the former bunkhouse of the Duck Club.

References

Mehta, Seema (July 8, 2000), "Where Farmers Once Grew Crops, a Marsh Is Reborn. Wildlife: The Irvine Co., the Audubon Society and government officials collaborate on a project hailed as a model of public-private partnership", Los Angeles Times.
^ Fleming-Singer, Maia S.; Horne, Alexander J. (2006), "Balancing wildlife needs and nitrate removal in constructed wetlands: The case of the Irvine Ranch Water District's San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary", Ecological Engineering, 26 (2): 147–166, doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2005.09.010.
^ Schad, Jerry (2006), "San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary", Afoot and Afield: Orange County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide (3rd ed.), Wilderness Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 9780899973975.
^ San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Sea & Sage Audubon Society, retrieved 2012-09-09.
IWRD Duck Club, Irvine Ranch Water District, retrieved 2023-03-29.

External links

v t e Parks in the city of Irvine, California
Community Parks	Alton Athletic Park Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park Deerfield Community Park Harvard Athletic Park Heritage Park Hicks Canyon Park Lakeview Senior Center Las Lomas Community Park David Sills Lower Peters Canyon Park Northwood Community Park Oak Creek Community Park Quail Hill Community Park Rancho Senior Center Turtle Rock Community Park University Community Park Windrow Community Park Mike Ward Community Park - Woodbridge Woodbury Community Park
Neighborhood Parks	Alderwood Park Blue Gum Park Brywood Park Canyon Park Carrotwood Park Chaparral Park Citrusglen Park College Park Comstock Park Coralwood Park Creekview Park Dovecreek Park Flagstone Park Hoeptner Park Homestead Park Knollcrest Park Meadowood Park Orchard Park Pepperwood Park Pinewood Park Plaza Park Presley Park Racquet Club Park Ranch Park San Carlo Park San Marco Park Silkwood Park Sycamore Park Valencia Park Valley Oak Park Willows Park San Leandro Park
Other public spaces	Aldrich Park Bommer Canyon Jeffrey Open Space Trail William R. Mason Regional Park San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

v t e Irvine, California
Geography	List of communities Irvine Spectrum Northwood Quail Hill Turtle Rock University Hills Woodbridge
Primary and secondary schools	Irvine Unified School District Irvine High School Northwood High School Portola High School University High School Woodbridge High School Tustin Unified School District Arnold O. Beckman High School Crean Lutheran High School Tarbut V' Torah
Colleges and universities	University of California, Irvine Brandman University California Southern University Concordia University Irvine Valley College Stanbridge College Western State College of Law at Argosy University
Religion	Islamic Center of Irvine Mariners Church Pao Fa Temple
Parks	Blue Gum Park Brywood Park Heritage Park Jeffrey Open Space Trail Northwood Community Park Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial San Diego Creek bicycle path San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary Silkwood Park William R. Mason Regional Park
Other landmarks	200 and 400 Spectrum Center Drive Ayn Rand Institute Barclay Theatre El Toro Y FivePoint Amphitheatre (closed) Irvine Spectrum Center Irvine Transportation Center Old Town Irvine Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Orange County Great Park The Market Place Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (closed) Wild Rivers
Government and services	Irvine Police Department James A. Musick Facility Orange County Fire Authority
People	List of people

33°39′47″N 117°50′38″W / 33.663°N 117.844°W / 33.663; -117.844

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