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Contact Information
William Bretz
Office of Natural Reserves
University of California
Irvine, CA 92697-1459
Phone: 949-824-6031
wlbretz@UCI.edu |
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Location
City of Irvine, Orange County;
45 mi southeast of Los Angeles,
20 mi west of the Santa Ana
Mountains; 1.25 mi upstream
from Upper Newport Bay, adjacent to
the Irvine campus. Map Quest |
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Facilities
Observation blinds, electrical service,
aluminum skiff; no on-site housing or
laboratory facilities. |
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Databases
Collections of representative plants and
insects; publications of reserve-based
research; geographic information system
(GIS) created to aid restoration,
management, research, and instruction. |
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Personnel
Staff reserve manager on campus; no onsite
personnel. |
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Size
82 ha (202 acres) |
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Elevation
2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) |
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Average Precipitation
30 cm (12 in) per year |
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Average Temperatures
September max: 29°C (86°F)
January min: 4°C (40°F)
Annual mean: 17°C (62°F) |
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 Transect
Articles
specific
to San Joaquin |
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 Mathias
Grant Research
specific
to San Joaquin |
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Site Spec Sheet (PDF) |
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<••• •••> |
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Joaquin Freshwater
Marsh Reserve |
Established in 1969 |
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| San Joaquin Website |
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The San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve represents one of the last remnants
of freshwater wetlands that once covered much of Orange County’s flood
plain. Located in an ancient river-cut channel at the head of Newport Bay, the
reserve supports a variety of wetland habitats, including freshwater marshlands,
shallow ponds, and channels confined by earthen dikes. Dry upland habitats with
a remnant coastal sage scrub community rise on the margins of the reserve. The
marsh is a critical stopping place for 100 migratory bird species using the Pacific
Flyway. Altogether, more than 200 bird species (20 nesting) have been sighted in
the reserve, including two resident endangered bird species: the light-footed clapper
rail and the California least tern. The
marsh is located within a ten-minute walk from UC Irvine, making it convenient
for day use by faculty and numerous students. |
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Photo Gallery
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Ongoing ecological projects
Vector
control, water quality improvement,
and restoration of coastal sage scrub
and wetland habitats. Field courses:
Each year hundreds of
university students in conservation biology,
freshwater biology, environmental
ethics, and other disciplines visit the
reserve on class field trips; dozens more
use the site for field studies and independent
study projects.
Public outreach
Environmental education
programs for local elementary/
secondary schools; regional hiking and
bike trail along the southern edge of the
reserve; public tours of the reserve. |
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Selected Research
• Habitat use and movements of coyotes
in a Southern California urban environment.
• Effects of black sage
on herbivore predation of purple
needlegrass.
• Parasitoids and population ecology of
the harlequin bug.
• Wetlands production and fluxes of
methane and other gases.
• Pollen analysis of San Joaquin Marsh
Holocene sediment.
Special Research of National Significance
North American Carbon Program
Determining California’s Carbon Budget (detailed description...)
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