Bay Cleanup Aug 20

Gate 6 ½ teenager Oscar Melet is hosting his third annual Richardson Bay cleanup on Sunday, August 20 from noon to 2:00 PM. This is a water-borne cleanup, so to participate, come to the north side of Gate 6 ½ on a kayak, paddle board or boat. Oscar and his...

King Tides Return 6/30-7/6

Six days of king tides (over 6.5’) will begin on June 30, causing flooding in low–lying areas of Southern Marin. Here’s the schedule from the TideLog company: Fri.        6/30       9:28 p.m.          6.5’ Sat.       7/1          9:28 a.m.          6.7’ Sun.      7/2          11:00 p.m.        6.9’ Mon.     7/3        11:51 p.m.         7.0’...

The Salt Ponds of San Francisco Bay

Claudia Kelly of Gate 6 ½ sends along this excerpt from the book Down by the Bay—San Francisco’s History Between the Tides: What do silver, salami, steel, wine, and lawn furniture have in common? Maybe a picnic with proper silver cutlery on the lawn comes to mind? What needs shallow...

Combatting Rising Tides at Bothin Marsh

Just north of the Richardson Bay Bridge, the Bothin Marsh Open Space Preserve and a section of the multi–use path are experiencing frequent and severe flooding that impacts the shoreline, plants, wildlife, and use of the pathway. The Preserve is Marin County Parks’ most visited park unit and the most...

Atmospheric Rivers and Storm Surges

This is the fourth installment of a research paper on the microclimates of Richardson Bay by Yellow Ferry resident Richard Pavek. Unlike ordinary storms that circle a slowly moving Low Center passing by in a single Storm Front, Atmospheric Rivers are narrow plumes of water vapor originating from as far...

Tides, Breakers, and Fetches

This is the third installment of a research paper on the microclimates of Richardson Bay by Yellow Ferry Resident Richard Pavek. Sooner or later, everyone who lives on the water acquires a tide chart thinking it will forecast the high and low tides. But it doesn’t. While NOAA scientists can...

Effects of Drenching Rains on Tidal Height

This is the second installment of a research paper on the microclimates of Richardson Bay by Yellow Ferry Resident Richard Pavek. An inch of rain falling on the Bay raises the high and low tides an inch more than predicted. But an inch of rain falling on the surrounding area—which...

Richardson Bay Microclimate

Richard Pavek (Yellow Ferry Harbor) has written an extensive research paper on the climate of our neighborhood and the tidal factors that affect this region. Over the next few weeks, we’ll publish his findings chapter by chapter. Here’s Chapter One: For the first few days after I moved to the...

Audubon Sanctuary Closed to Boats

The Richardson Bay Audubon Sanctuary has closed to all boat traffic—including paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes—until March 31. The annual closure protects tens of thousands of migratory ducks, geese, and shorebirds while they refuel for their journeys south. The closure is mandated by an ordinance of the Richardson’s Bay Regional...