The San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve comprises two components located along the salinity gradient of the San Francisco Bay. The reserve's 3,710 acres are located at China Camp State Park in San Rafael and Rush Ranch in Suisun City, 30 miles north and 50 miles northeast of San Francisco, respectively. A primary focus of the reserve is to support tidal marsh restoration through research, monitoring and education. These sites serve as valuable reference sites in the San Francisco area where nearly 97 percent of the historic tidal wetlands have been lost due to development pressures in the region. These reference sites create an opportunity for a scientific basis for restoration activities in the bay area.