Drake's Estero

 water, wetland, nature conservation park / area, estuary

Drakes Estero was created as a drowned valley, submerging an ancient river on a small block of granitic crust of the Pacific Plate. The most recent sea level rise following the Late Pleistocene glacial period formed the contemporary estuary some 6,000 years ago. The sediments forming the mouth of the estuary consist of sand deposited by strong longshore currents in Drakes Bay.
The protected and mostly undeveloped lands of the Drakes Estero watershed provide high quality water for the wetlands and tidal basin. Freshwater comes from the watershed surrounding the estuary, encompassing an area of 7,847 acres. (The tidal waters of the estuary itself encompass around 2,000 acres.)
The eastern portion of the estero (Estero de Limantour) is in congressionally designated Wilderness Area.
The rest of the estuary is designated "potential wilderness" and becomes part of the Phillip Burton Wilderness Area in 2012.
Special designation to the Estero de Limantour was also given by the California Department of Fish and Game as a state ecological reserve.
The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan recognizes the Drakes/Limantour Esteros as among the most significant areas to migratory shorebirds and other waterfowl in the California coastal region.
Seagrass beds and tidal mud flats are the most widespread habitat types in the estuary, followed by salt marsh and rocky intertidal areas.
The large mudflats and extensive eelgrass beds in Drakes Estero are home to numerous invertebrates and serve as foraging and breeding grounds for many birds, fish, and pinniped mammals.
Drakes Estero is one of the few ecologically pristine estuaries in California and the only coastal waters in California that are in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Extensive eelgrass beds support rare and specially protected species.
This is home to one of the largest harbor seal populations in California, with numbers sometimes surpassing 1,800
This has been identified as significant area for the US Shorebird Conservation Plan. Eighty-six native species of birds were recorded in 2004, including Osprey and Black Brant.
The U.S. Federation of Wildlife recognizes 18 species of concern, including the red-legged frog, western snowy plover, brown pelican, peregrine falcon, and marbled murrelet.
A recent fish survey identified at least 30 species of fish, including rare and endangered species such as coho salmon, steelhead trout and three-spined stickleback.
Various rare plants can be found along the shoreline of the estuary.