Summary

Located on a big bend on Marsh Creek Road, Big Bend is also named for a large oxbow of Marsh Creek over 3,000 feet in length. In the past, the creek floodplain was used as a golf course and then a horse boarding facility. After years of intensive commercial use, Save Mount Diablo is restoring its natural resources to provide a refuge for threatened wildlife such as Western pond turtle and California red-legged frog. With blue oak hillsides and ridgetop vistas, Big Bend is a natural staging area for trails to other parks and preserves along the Marsh Creek Corridor such as Hanson Hills and the future Deer Valley Regional Park.     

Description

Big Bend is a 51-acre property that has a beautiful 3,100-foot section of Marsh Creek flowing through it. The creek is a critical source of water for wildlife in our mostly dry East Bay and habitat for threatened species like the California red-legged frog. We are working to restore the property’s lush oak woodlands and large floodplain for habitat and cover for wildlife. In the future, this parcel will likely connect to public lands in several directions. The acquisition of Big Bend is an example of how quickly we sometimes need to act to secure a property. It only took five and a half weeks from board authorization to close.

California’s droughts are a reminder that, despite the mountain’s quick recovery from wildfires and current display of wildflowers, ultimately we all need water. That need includes sources of water for wildlife, which are hard to come by in our warm, dry climate. But we have added another 3,100 feet to the total of protected creek with the purchase of Big Bend. About half of Marsh Creek’s 33 miles have been protected, several of which are preserved on our properties. To learn more about our other Marsh Creek properties and our Marsh Creek protection strategy, visit our Marsh Creek properties page.

The 51-acre property was named for its arcing section of Marsh Creek that not only provides a water source for wildlife but also critical habitat for threatened species like the Western pond turtle and California red-legged frog, which have been confirmed on the site. Beyond the creek lies diverse habitat from the floodplain up to blue oak wooded hills.

The more types of habitat the land has, the more types of wildlife the land can support. But Big Bend is in transition right now.  The land is just beginning to reclaim its wildness after being the past location of a golf course and densely populated horse pasture. Our Diablo Restoration Team has replanted the property with native trees, bunchgrasses, and shrubs and is continuing to nurture them. Native plants provide food and shelter for wildlife, so returning native plants and removing non-native plants that compete for resources are major steps in restoring natural lands.