Ecological Services for Brisbane Baylands

An ecologically complex system, complete with marsh-to-upland transition zones and freshwater wetlands, regenerates beauty, vibrancy, and resilience in a coastal community degraded by decades of industry.

The site of Brisbane Baylands, a redevelopment project along San Francisco Bay, was once open water and tidal mudflats. It began to be filled in the early 1900s to accommodate the growing Southern Pacific Railroad and a municipal landfill. These past uses resulted in contamination and a state-mandated cleanup issued in the late-1980s.

Baylands Development recognized an opportunity to revitalize the community while improving ecological function and providing strategies to address sea level rise. Following remediation, Baylands Development proposes a mixed-use development that will include more than 130 acres of open space with restored native habitat to include tidal and freshwater wetlands, upland areas, and transition areas.

Biohabitats is instrumental in development of the open space design and restoration planning for integration into the site master plan. Our numerous reports include a Rapid Ecological Assessment, Wetland Delineation Report, Biological Assessment, a Wetland Mitigation Plan, and a Habitat Protection Plan that includes a Butterfly Protection Plan and a Marsh Protection Plan. Throughout the project, Biohabitats has engaged with the multidisciplinary project team as well as the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Mateo County Parks Department, and the San Francisco County Parks Department.