Century of Destruction
The Golden Gate watershed comprises 40 million acres, about 40% of the land area of the entire state of California.  Beginning about the time of the California Gold Rush in 1849, human alterations of the estuary ecosystem commenced in earnest, damming major tributaries and reducing fresh water inflow to the estuary by 50%.

The photo gallery in this section narrates the history of the watershed's lost marshes, underscoring the critical importance of The Bay Institute's efforts to restore them.