Tule Ponds and the Wetland Center

In the late 1990s, the District’s Tule Pond Project converted a 14-acre District owned parcel in a busy Fremont residential neighborhood of Zone 5 into scenic wetlands and ponds. The area provides flood protection and pollution control for stormwater flowing to the Bay. The ponds serve as a habitat for migratory birds, as well as an area for wildlife and wetland study.

A tule house, similar to those once found in Ohlone Indian villages, was built from tules harvested on site and completed in August 2005.

The Tule Ponds Wetland Center opened in 2003 to provide students of all ages with educational opportunities. Elementary school classes learn about wetland habitat on field trips. College students engage in biology, geology, and hydrology studies of the ponds. Teachers can learn how to incorporate the Tule Ponds into their own science classes through workshops offered by the Math/Science Nucleus (a non-profit organization).

Most weekends, high school community service groups, Eagle Scouts, and other volunteers undertake public service projects through habitat creation and improvement, trail upgrades, species monitoring, and native plant maintenance. While community service work helps maintain the Tule Ponds, District maintenance crews regularly assist by removing excess vegetation, keeping the area clean, and bringing in wood chips for weed control.

An annual springtime 'Open House' event is held at the Tule Ponds, located at 1999 Walnut Avenue in Fremont next to the BART station. During the event, the public may tour the grounds to learn about the ponds’ pollution and flood control properties, and view natural settings for native plants and wetland creatures. For information on teacher workshops, a schedule of drop-in dates for public service projects, or the date of the annual open house and directions, visit http://msnucleus.org/watersheds/tule/tule.html