San Francisco Bay Model Visitor Center

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The unique geography of the San Francisco Bay Area presents an array of construction risks. While the area is, of course, prone to earthquakes, San Francisco Bay is also the site of major confluences of water from all over the Central Valley of California. As such, engineers determined that there was a need to anticipate the impacts of water on construction projects (and vice versa!). Thus, the San Francisco Bay Model was created.

The History of the San Francisco Bay Model

In the 1940s, an actor and theater producer named John Reber proposed building dams in parts of San Francisco Bay to create freshwater reservoirs and landfill spaces. Despite his complete lack of engineering knowledge, the Reber Plan was taken seriously by people who probably should have laughed him right out of the room.

After decades of debate & additional proposals for potential dams & construction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a scale model of the San Francisco Bay in 1957 after receiving funds to study the impact.

This San Francisco Bay Model, which covers an area of approximately 320 feet by 400 feet inside a warehouse in Sausalito, was then used to determine water flow patterns across the entire region. The model’s scale is 1:1000 on the horizontal axis and 1:100 on the vertical axis, which allows for better hydraulic flow over the model.

Even with this exaggerated vertical axis, it’s still interesting to see just how shallow most of the bay is. It used to be deeper prior to the California Gold Rush, but hydraulic mining resulted in large amounts of sediment flowing downstream.

The model includes anything that can alter the flow of water, including rivers, dams, canals, bridges, piers, and more. It tested not just the Reber Plan but any other proposed Bay Area projects. Needless to say, the Bay Model tests proved the Reber Plan was not viable, preserving the health of San Francisco Bay. The was in operation until January 2000.

Nowadays, such modeling is conducted by computers, so there is no need to construct physical models. However, the Bay Model has been preserved and restored to demonstrate the science behind the hydrology research while also now serving as a reminder of the importance of the ecology of the entire central California watershed. Plus, it’s just really cool.

Visiting the San Francisco Bay Model

The San Francisco Bay Model is located in the northern industrial area of Sausalito, California. During World War II, the area was used for shipbuilding.

The enormous building that houses the Bay Model is open to the public. The model is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (official site). Entry is free, though donations are requested.

Park Rangers may be available to provide additional information depending on when you visit. Even if they aren’t, there are plenty of signs and videos to check out before you see the model itself.

While the huge model is the main reason for visiting, the rest of the museum is dedicated to showing why it was important to create it. San Francisco Bay is an estuary that covers an area bigger than Rhode Island. It’s critical for wildlife as well as humans, and it has been for many thousands of years.

An introduction video titled “From the Sierras to the Pacific: Understanding the Bay’s Watershed” does an excellent job of demonstrating the importance of this water source.

After watching the video, it’s time to see the Bay Model. It is one of the largest tidal hydraulic models in the world.

It covers some 1.5 acres (two football fields).

This model helped the Bay Area plan and measure proposed projects’ potential environmental impact.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s no longer used for official research because computers can simulate the water instead. However, it is still in operation for demonstration purposes, with tides running every 14 minutes when active.

Depending on the current status, you may or may not be able to see the Bay Model in action. I was not able to see it operating because it was undergoing maintenance. Check their Facebook page for the latest updates.

You can walk all around each section of the bay.

It’s fun spotting notable landmarks. Note how deep the water is underneath the Golden Gate Bridge compared with the rest of San Francisco Bay.

In one corner of the warehouse next to the model, there is a permanent exhibition about Marinship. This was the World War Two shipyard that was quickly built in Sausalito when the United States joined the war. Between 1942 and the end of the war in 1945, Marinship built 93 cargo ships and oil tankers.

Below, you can watch a video about Marinship, including stories from those who worked in the shipyard.

While most people visit Sausalito on a day trip from San Francisco to visit the town’s numerous shops, restaurants, wine bars, and cocktail bars, those who are interested in history and engineering should also take a detour to see the Bay Model.

Here are some great San Francisco tours & other things to see & do in San Francisco.

If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out these Sausalito hotels.

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