The Department of Fish and Game will be providing several waterfowl hunting opportunities on a portion of the 6381-acre Eden Landing Ecological Reserve (ELER) in Alameda County. ELER is composed of former industrial salt ponds currently managed as low salinity ponds to provide waterbird habitat. Public access to ELER is limited to the waterfowl hunt dates. Drive-on and walk-on access to ELER for waterfowl hunting will be open only on the specified dates. A boat and/or a dog for retrieval will be necessary in the salt ponds for successful hunting due to site conditions.

Access for hunting will occur on four weekends and two weekdays. One hundred hunters will be allowed on a first-come, first-served basis for each of these one-day hunts. Junior hunters must possess a junior hunting license and must be accompanied by either a licensed adult hunter or a non-hunting adult.

Vehicle access for the purpose of launching boats for waterfowl hunting will be allowed only on the hunt dates. To attend one of these hunts, hunters need to arrive at ELER and check in by providing the hunter’s name, address, telephone number and hunting license number. Hunters will also be required to check out and allow game to be inspected for use in evaluating hunter success and harvest data. Hunters will receive additional information, including maps, when checking in prior to the hunt.

A hunting blind maintenance day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006 starting at 9 a.m. Boats will be needed to access the blinds in the ponds; please bring your boat, canoe, etc.

Directions: From Highway 92, take Hesperian Boulevard south, which becomes Union City Boulevard, then turn right on Bettencourt Road (sign for Union Sanitary District), left on Whipple Road, right on Horner Street, then right on Veasy Street and proceed to the yellow gate. From I-880, exit at Alvarado Boulevard, turn left back under I-880, turn right onto Union City Boulevard, left onto Bettencourt Road (signs for Union Sanitary District), left on Whipple Road, right on Horner Street, then right on Veasy Street and proceed to the yellow gate.

         Hunt dates are as follows: 

Formal plans for public access opportunities at ELER in addition to hunting are being developed as part of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project. More information on the project can be found at the Website www.southbayrestoration.org.