Tule Island
 USGS aerial imagery of Tule Island, with Headreach Island to its northwest and McDonald Island to its southeast | |
  Tule Island  Tule Island  Tule Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern California |
| Coordinates | 38°01′41″N 121°28′39″W / 38.02806°N 121.47750°W[1] |
| Adjacent to | Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta |
| Highest elevation | 33 ft (10.1 m)[1] |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State |  California |
| County | San Joaquin |
Tule Island is a small island in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, which exists as part of a complex of islands including directly-adjacent Fern Island and Headreach Island. It is a naturally-formed island, which was used in the early 20th century to farm potatoes, but now consists mostly of marsh. It is currently a habitat for waterfowl and is used as a fishing spot.
Geography
Tule Island's coordinates are 38°01′41″N 121°28′39″W / 38.02806°N 121.47750°W;[1] it is part of San Joaquin County, California. It is one of three directly-adjacent islands: to its north is Headreach Island, and beyond that is Fern Island. The three are sometimes referred to as the Fern-Headreach-Tule complex.[2] In a 1923 report on the hydrography of the San Joaquin River, its total area was given as 100 acres (40 ha).[3]: 180 It appears on a 1952 United States Geological Survey (USGS) map of the area,[4] and the USGS gave its elevation as 33 ft (10 m) in 1981.[1]
History
In 1923, 85 acres (34 ha) out of the island's total area of 100 acres (40 ha) was devoted to potato farming.[3]: 180 Since then, its use for agriculture diminished; in November 1929, the City of Stockton put the island up for public auction.[5] By the mid-20th century, it became known as a fishing location.[6] Parts of the musical Porgy and Bess were filmed in 1958 on Tule Island and nearby Venice Island.[7]
In a 1972 report from the
A 1982 feasibility report on environmental enhancement measures for the area suggested a government purchase of Tule Island for preservation as a wildlife habitat, noting that the island complex was a habitat for the black rail and other waterfowl.[12]: 166
References
- ^ a b c d U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Tule Island
- ^ a b U.S. Army Engineer District, Sacramento, California (June 1971). "Final Environmental Statement: Stockton Ship Channel Bank Protection, San Francisco Bay to Stockton, California (John F. Baldwin and Stockton Ship Channels)". United States Army Corps of Engineers – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b California Division of Water Rights (May 1923). "Hydrographic Investigation of San Joaquin River, May, 1923". California State Printing Office, F.J. Smith, Superintendent – via Google Books.
- ^ United States Geological Survey (1952). "Terminous Quadrangle, California" (Map). United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey. 1:24000.
- ^ "Legal Notice". Stockton Independent. 3 November 1929. p. 15.
- ^ "The Great Outdoors: Fish Reports". The Napa Valley Register. 18 November 1960. p. 7.
- ^ "Goldwyn Finishes 'Porgy and Bess'". Mirror News. 10 December 1958. p. 35.
- ^ "Multimillion dollar recreation complex planned on delta gains zoning board nod". The Modesto Bee. 28 January 1978. p. 3.
- ^ "In brief". The Modesto Bee. 16 May 1978. p. 32.
- ^ "Mailman delivers via riverboat". The Chico Enterprise-Record. 23 February 1984. p. 14.
- ^ "Special Delivery". The Modesto Bee. 20 August 1989. p. 55.
- ^ Sacramento, San Joaquin Delta Feasibility Report and Water Resource Study: Environmental Impact Statement. September 2, 1982 – via Google Books.
