Bradford Island

Bradford Island is part of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It is bounded by the San Joaquin River, False River, and the Bradford Island canal/slough, and is accessible only by ferry from Jersey Island, which is to its south; it has scenic views of Mount Diablo.[4] It is below sea level, and is protected from flooding by levees.[5] As a reclaimed wetland, Bradford Island has rich peat soil (used to grow wheat).[4] It is one of eight islands in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River delta considered "critical" to the region's water quality by the California Department of Water Resources, as it prevents saltwater intrusion into the Delta.[4]

The 7.4 miles (11.9 km) of levees around Bradford Island are administered by Reclamation District 2059.[5]

On December 9, 1983, a storm caused a 600 feet (180 m) breach in the levees, flooding the island completely.[5] On August 27, 2009, additional levee damage occurred when a freighter ran aground on the north side of the island, causing 12 feet (3.7 m) of damage to the rock base and washing out a 150 feet (50 m) section of the levee (requiring $800,000 in repairs done by the Coast Guard).[6][5] While 100 people were planned to be evacuated from the island the day after, deputies found only nine, of whom eight refused to leave − the single evacuee was taken by boat to nearby Bethel Island for the night.[6]

In 2015, during a District levee inspection, goats were found to be "running rampant" on the levee crown, slopes and neighboring properties, potentially contributing to levee erosion. As District policy forbids goats on the levees, landowners were encouraged to contact Bradford Reclamation District with any sightings of, or information in connection to, goats on the levees.[7]

In 2018, emergency repairs were conducted on the levees due to seepage. Holes were repaired with steel sheet piles, for an estimated cost of $200,000.[4]

In 1986, the decommissioned minesweeper USS Lucid was purchased by William Gardner, a scrap metal dealer, and brought to his residence on Bradford Island. Lucid, an oceangoing wooden ship that had seen use in the Vietnam War, was used as a floating warehouse.[8] Gardner removed or sold everything of value from the ship, and used it as a storage building, cutting a hole in the hull on the port side near the waterline to use as a door. He was murdered over a property dispute in 2004.[8][9] In 2005, his widow donated the ship to United States Navy veteran Mike Warren, whose "Save an MSO Foundation" began restoration by removing the large amount of scrap metal that had been stored in it and patching the hole. In 2011, the ship was moved to the Stockton Maritime Museum to be restored for use as a museum ship.[10]

In 2010, a fire charred hundreds of acres of land and ignited peat vegetation. As Bradford Island had not been annexed to any Contra Costa County fire district, the fire was not suppressed, and it caused an estimated $675,000 in property damage.[3]

The board of Reclamation District 2059 has been the subject of controversy.[2] In 2006, majority landowner Paul Sosnowski successfully petitioned the district to expand its board from three to five members. He and his girlfriend were elected to the additional seats. They subsequently gifted one percent of a single parcel to a maintenance worker at Sosnowski's marina, Steve Lucas, who then became a landowner eligible for board membership; Sosnowski's ownership of large amounts of the island permitted him to cast thousands of votes (one per acre owned) and elect Lucas to the board. Sosnowski intended to use his absolute majority to develop various businesses on the island.[2] In the summer of 2017, it was discovered that part of Sosnowski's land had been underwater, leaving him 3.6 acres short of majority ownership; he was removed from the board as a result.[2]