Padilla Bay

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The south portion of Padilla Bay with March Point (foreground) and the Skagit River Valley in the distance

Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is an area of 8,004 acres (32 km²) of estuary located in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The location contains an interpretive center, research facilities, and public access to the beach site. It is a popular location for graduate studies from Western Washington University and the University of Washington.

In 1791 the Spaniard José María Narváez explored and named Padilla Bay, calling it Seno Padillo, in honor of Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas, the viceroy of New Spain.^[1]

1 The Estuary
2 The Reserve
3 Location
4 References
5 External links

[edit] The Estuary

Padilla Bay is a tidal bay that is the estuary for the Skagit River. It is entirely flooded at high tide and at low tide mudflats are exposed. These mud flats are habitat for many species of birds and animals. The bay is very shallow and at its outermost edge near Hat Island the bay is only 12 feet (4 m) deep. Containing the estuary are dikes that were built in order to make farmland out of the the mudflats.

[edit] The Reserve

Padilla Bay is a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve which it was incorporated into in 1980. It is managed by the Washington Department of Ecology. It has several trails. There is a wheelchair trail to the observation deck as well as a shore trail that is 2.25 miles (3.62 km) long and runs along the top of the dikes.