New Marshland and Trail Open in the Presidio on December 11, 2020

The moment on November 13 when a backhoe dug out the earthen berm separating Crissy Marsh from the new Quartermaster Reach, and water started flowing for the first time.

Chrissy Loader / Presidio Trust

November 2020 - On November 13, the Presidio Trust removed an earthen berm and some sheet pilings that were preventing water from flowing through new culverts (and oyster habitat!) beneath Mason Street. As the tide rose, salt water from the Bay and Crissy Marsh flooded through for the first time to meet the fresh water of the Tennessee Hollow Watershed. Now, visitors can get their first up-close look. On December 11, a new quarter-mile section of the Presidio’s Tennessee Hollow Trail opens to the public, traversing the seven new acres of marshland under Doyle Drive. The site, named Quartermaster Reach, doesn’t just bring visitors new access to nature in the Presidio. It also provides improved habitat for native species of plants and animals, increases the local biodiversity, and serves as a test lab for other restoration projects around the Bay.

Partners in the Quartermaster Reach restoration effort are currently planting 23,000 plants, including more than 40 different species of saltmarsh and dune plants grown in the Presidio Nursery.

Charity Vargas

For centuries, people used this water source, beginning with the native Ohlone and later Spanish settlers. Over time, the militaries of Spain, Mexico, and the United States substantially altered where and how the creeks flow, creating dams and wells, and ultimately forced the water underground into pipes to create dry land for building. Completion of Quartermaster Reach marks a milestone in a two-decade long restoration effort. The Presidio Trust, the Parks Conservancy and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area partnered to restore one of San Francisco’s only remaining natural watersheds by remediating waste, bringing creeks back up to the surface and replanting native vegetation. The team is currently planting 23,000 plants, including more than 40 different species of saltmarsh and dune plants grown in the Presidio Nursery. They’ll help create habitat attractive for the Presidio’s many migrating shorebirds and water animals like fish and frogs.

Now visitors can walk the entire watershed, exploring various sections from the headwaters at Inspiration Point all the way to Crissy Marsh and the San Francisco Bay. A new trail map will be available in the coming months from the Presidio’s Tennessee Hollow Watershed webpage.

For More Information

• Presidio project page: Quartermaster Reach Marsh
• Presidio blog article: “Discovery: Bringing Native Oysters Back to the Presidio”

• Contact Presidio Ecologist Lew Stringer

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