Danville Area Senior Hiking (DASH) HIKE
Hayward Regional Shoreline
February 8, 2012
Join us for a 4 or 6 mile, flat walk on walk on
levees, which are hard packed with gravel at the Hayward Regional Shoreline. (6
miles is to the Interpretive Center, 4 miles if you decide to wait for us and
not go to the Center.) Rated: EASY and flat
Where are we
meeting?
We are meeting at 8:45 am at Sycamore Park and Ride lot.
Bring an adequate supply of water for yourself and layers of clothing to add
and remove as wanted and a snack. Also bring a change of shoes and a plastic
bag to put our muddy shoes in for the trip home. Binoculars and shore bird guides would be
helpful.
Where are we
going?
Hayward Regional Shoreline consists of 1,713 acres of
salt, fresh, and brackish water marshes, seasonal wetlands and public trails.
(Most of it is underwater at high tide.)
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward
Directions:
680 south to 580 west to 238 to 880 south. (Or Crow
Canyon) Exit 880 at West Winton Avenue and follow West Winton west toward the
Bay to the staging area at the very end of Winton (3 miles).
Carpool: It’s approximately
48 miles round trip so if you please pay your driver $5.
If you plan to meet us there, please let us know before
Wednesday. Any problems: Tena Gallagher 925 878-5161 cell,
Portapotty
is available at the beginning and end
of the hike.
More Info about
this regional park (http://www.ebparks.org/parks/hayward):
Levees were originally built in Hayward and San Lorenzo to
create land for salt production, Landings were established in the 1850s to
ferry passengers and move salt and agricultural products to San Francisco.
Remnants of timbers at landing sites along the trail can be seen from the
mudflats at low tide.
Cogswell Marsh, a 250-acre tidal marsh restoration and
enhancement project, was completed in 1980. This area, once restored to tidal
action, rapidly became an established saltwater marsh. Hayward Marsh, completed in 1985, is a
145-acre fresh and brackish water marsh and is somewhat unusual in that it
relies on secondary treated effluent as the freshwater source. The marsh is
made up of five managed ponds and has 15 islands that are utilized by many
species of nesting birds. Flow through the five basins is controlled by a
series of weirs, valves, and channels, and allows for great flexibility in
operation, management and biological research. Oro Loma Marsh was constructed
in 1997 and consists of a 364-acre tidal marsh with seasonal wetlands and
transitional uplands.
Previously I have seen a northern harrier, white-tailed
kite, greater egrets, snowy egrets, long-billed curlews, mud hens, Canada geese
plus many ducks and other shore birds we did not know.
Thank you,
Jenn Overmoe
Program Coordinator, Senior Services
Town of Danville
Phone: (925) 314-3491
Fax: (925) 838-9141
jovermoe@danville.ca.gov