Brooks Island
The main portion of Brooks Island. At right is the start of the sandspit that extends about two miles west of the main island. Beyond the spit is the small rock of Bird Island.
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 Brooks Island
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| Geography | |
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| Location | San Francisco Bay, Richmond, California |
| Coordinates | 37°53′47″N 122°21′19″W / 37.89639°N 122.35528°WCoordinates: 37°53′47″N 122°21′19″W / 37.89639°N 122.35528°W |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Richmond Inner Harbor |
| Area | 75 acres (30 ha) |
| Length | 2 mi (3 km) |
| Width | 0.25 mi (0.4 km) |
| Highest elevation | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Highest point | Jefferds Peak |
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United States
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| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa |
| City | Richmond, California |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1 (2009) |
Brooks Island is a 75-acre (30 ha), mostly flat strip of land extending from a round hill which peaks at 160 ft (49 m) in San Francisco Bay, located just south of the Richmond Inner Harbor in Richmond, California.
The rock that forms the main peak of the island is radiolarian chert underlain by limestone and graywacke sandstone. All these rocks are part of the Franciscan Assemblage, the same range as Albany Hill, 3 miles south, and the Coyote Hills, 25 miles south in Hayward. This Franciscan formation is derived from sediments laid down in the sea west of San Francisco during the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous (150-66 million years ago) and then scraped off onto the edge of the North American plate during the subduction of the Farallon plate. The main portion of the island covers an area of approximately 47 acres (19 ha).
A short distance from the southwest coast of the main island is Bird Rock or Bird Island.
The sandspit that extends for about two miles west of the main island formed along a breakwater that was installed in the 1920s to preserve a deepwater channel to the Richmond Inner Harbor.
During the last ice age San Francisco Bay was a valley, and Brooks Island was just one hill of many along its western slope. As sea level rose, the valley was flooded and Brooks Island was cut off from the rest of the East Bay. Although the island is quite small, there is a permanent spring, which is used by the caretakers as a water source.
The island hosts salt marshes, tidal flats and has a rise of 160 ft (49 m). It is home to many bird species, including herons and egrets, and provides their nesting sites. Some parts of the islands are off limits to visitors to protect nesting sites. Other names for the island include: Isla de Cármen, Rocky Island, Bird Island, and Sheep Island.
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Wikipedia