As San Francisco Bay’s tidal marshes are being restored at an unprecedented rate, the need for a centralized, accurate and reliable way to track the restoration of tidal wetlands has never been more important. The Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program (WRMP) and SFEI have met this need with the release of the Project Tracker Tidal Wetland Restoration Map (Restoration Map) 2025. This dataset offers a high-resolution view of restoration progress annually and bridges the gap between individual site updates and a comprehensive regional strategy. It is a living record, built on expert review and community feedback, that documents the re-establishment of tidal action and habitat function with consistency, clear assumptions, and annual updates.
While the statewide EcoAtlas Project Tracker remains a vital tool for conservation, its reliance on individual project managers for updates can lead to variation in how restoration efforts are documented. The Restoration Map addresses this by reviewing these EcoAtlas Project Tracker records and applying strict criteria: only projects with verified information on standardized habitat, subhabitat, and activities consistent with tidal wetland restoration are included. The annual goal is for all restored wetlands to be tracked and verified in this manner. This creates a high-quality, citable resource that allows the restoration community to track progress on an annual basis with a level of accuracy that raw data alone cannot provide.
Refining the Bay's Restoration Ledger
Practitioners and researchers can now utilize this Restoration Map to identify the exact spatial boundaries and key attributes of 168 tracked sites, providing a reliable foundation for future ecological monitoring and policy decisions. Earlier versions of the Restoration Map have supported broader regional reporting including the landmark Tracking Tidal Wetland Extent in San Francisco Bay report and the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority dashboard, where project-level restoration data show regional progress toward the Bay’s 100,000 acre tidal marsh goal and demonstrate how restoration investments are contributing to Baywide recovery.
The update incorporates 22 additional records. This was no small feat. SFEI staff reviewed more than 575 records and consulted with regional experts and the WRMP Technical Advisory Committee to ensure accuracy. Beyond adding new sites, the team refined 40 existing records and updated spatial boundaries to more accurately delineate restored areas. These technical refinements ensure that the Restoration Map remains a reliable foundation for future ecological modeling and policy decisions.
The WRMP acknowledges that mapping a landscape as dynamic as the Bay is an ongoing process. To that end, they recommend that the practitioner community continue to contribute institutional knowledge, such as oral histories, monitoring plans, or insights into the tidal status of specific sites, to help fill the quickly narrowing remaining data gaps. This collaborative approach ensures the Restoration Map will continue to improve with every annual release.
This project was made possible through the dedicated work of SFEI and the WRMP, critical funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, with vital input from regional administrators and project proponents. Their combined expertise provides the scientific backbone for a more resilient Bay. We encourage all stakeholders and curious minds to explore the updated layers and see the progress of our wetlands for themselves.
