Franks Tract State Recreation Area, Protected water recreation area in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Franks Tract State Recreation Area is a protected water recreation site in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California, made up of submerged lands, open waterways, and the remains of old levees. Water covers most of the area, broken only by shallow mudflats and the crumbling tops of former levee structures.
The land was originally farmed and kept dry by a network of levees built across the delta. When those levees broke in the 1930s and were not rebuilt, the fields flooded permanently and became the open water that exists today.
The area draws fishing enthusiasts and waterfowl hunters who move through its channels by boat, often starting before dawn. The rhythm of activity shifts with the seasons, with hunters taking over in autumn and boaters filling the waters in summer.
The entire area is accessible only by boat, as there are no paths or solid shorelines to walk along. Those planning to hunt need a permit, which can be arranged through state wildlife agencies before arriving.
Part of the area served as a bombing range for US Navy training during the 1940s and 1950s, long after it had already flooded. Boaters moving through the shallows can still spot unusual shapes beneath the surface that trace back to that period.
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