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Projects and Campaigns > Save the Drakes Bay Oyster Company > An Oyster Farming Timeline

An Oyster Farming Timeline

Pre-European For thousands of years Native Americans harvested shellfish from the estuary, including oysters, rock scallops and several species of clams, as indicated by shell mounds surrounding Drakes Estero.
1875 Commercial shellfish farming began in nearby Tomales Bay in 1875 and harvesting in Drakes Estero followed shortly thereafter
1940s The existing cannery was re-built in the 1940's. The existing facility is the third commercial shellfish-landing site on Drakes Estero. Today, this historic facility remains as the last operating oyster cannery in California.
1972 The National Park Service purchased both Drakes Estero and the adjacent Limantour Estero. The Johnsons (the shellfish farmers at that time), the California Dept. of Fish & Game and the NPS, agreed to remove the very productive Limantour Estero (which was also farmed for oysters) from the lease.The remaining portion of the shellfish lease was to continue in perpetuity.   As part of the transaction between the State of California and the NPS, California retained the commercial fishing rights to Drakes Estero and is the regulatory authority over all commercial shellfish farming activities in the estuary.
1976 As part of the Point Reyes Wilderness Act, Drakes Estero was declared potential wilderness. It did not receive full wilderness designation because the state retained mineral and fishing rights in the area. The Estero is completely surrounded by commercial agricultural production with ranch roads leading to its shorelines.   Several ranch homes and compounds as well as the main road to reach some ranches and many Park destinations, including the Point Reyes lighthouse and several public beaches, overlook the estuary.
1997

The NPS approved a major project for the replacement of the existing cannery, including a new oyster stringing building, a garage, two new piers into the estuary for improved access to the growing areas, a new septic system, as well as other important improvements.

2004

The California Department of Fish and Game renewed the State of California's most important lease, the Drakes Estero aquaculture lease, for a period of 25 years.

The Lunny family and the Johnson family reached an agreement for the Lunnys to purchase the historic Drakes Estero shellfish farming operation. The Lunnys revived the name "Drakes Bay Oyster Company," which was used by the Drakes Estero lessee during the 1930's