Greco Island is a

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

island in

Redwood City, California Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a ...

. Greco Island is part of the larger

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (DESFBNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in the southern part of San Francisco Bay, California. The Refuge headquarters and visitor center is located in the Baylands dist ...

. Westpoint Slough follows the South side of the island while Redwood Creek is along the West. The San Francisco Bay bounds the North and East sides of the island.

History

Greco Island was named after a longtime resident of the island who lived there until he died of a stroke. The

Bank of Italy The Bank of Italy ( Italian: ''Banca d'Italia'', informally referred to as ''Bankitalia''), (), is the central bank of Italy and part of the European System of Central Banks. It is located in Palazzo Koch, via Nazionale, Rome. The bank's cur ...

, to whom the land had been mortgaged, then sold it to the Leslie Salt Company. San Mateo County plans from 1969 called for continued development of the

Port of Redwood City The Port of Redwood City is a marine freight terminal on the western side of the southern San Francisco Bay, on the West Coast of the United States. This marine terminal is situated within the city of Redwood City, California. The port was d ...

area with recreational facilities by acquiring the land on Greco Island. Greco Island was one of the first areas along with Fremont, Mowry Slough, and Alviso to be included in a proposal for The San Francsico Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 1972. In 2007 a report on the shoreline of the island determined that it was composed of fine sediment forming extensive mudflats that are submerged during high tide. This shore is sensitive to erosion from waves and nearby marine traffic and of concern if traffic were to increase. The waters bordering Greco are frequently traveled by vessels from both the

and Westpoint Harbor. In more recent years concerns over sea level rising have encouraged more active recovery of marshland in the bay including the areas surrounding the island.

Wildlife

The

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

Salt marsh harvest mouse The salt marsh harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys raviventris''), also known as the red-bellied harvest mouse, is an endangered rodent endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area salt marshes in California. The two distinct subspecies are both endangere ...

is one of many species that lives upon Greco Island. A pair of

Short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

s was confirmed living on the island in 1994.

Harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...

s in the bay visit the island for their hauling-out. Another endangered animal, the

California clapper rail Ridgway's rail (''Rallus obsoletus'') is a near-threatened species of bird. It is found principally in California's San Francisco Bay to southern Baja California. A member of the rail family, Rallidae, it is a chicken-sized bird that rarely fli ...

uses Greco Island and nearby Westpoint Slough as a habitat.

Gallery

References

External links

* {{Authority control Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Islands of San Mateo County, California Islands of San Francisco Bay Islands of Northern California Redwood City, California

History

Wildlife

Gallery

See also

References

External links