PETALUMA RIVER


Pictures taken March, 2000 and Sept. 2005


Highway 37 overcrossing Petaluma River mouth (2005)


Lakeville (Gilardi's, 2005)


Haystack Landing, looking downstream and to the southeast


Last updated March 14, 2000


Petaluma Marina, just southeast of Highway 101 Bridge (2005)



Harbormaster office near launch ramp

Railroad swing bridge, normally in open position


Highway 101 Bridge over Petaluma River. Two green lights mark nightime center


View south from D Street Bridge. HWY 101 bridge in the distance


View upstream of Turning Basin from D Street Bridge


Turn left for docks along the left side

Yacht club is blue bldg on the left. Shallow water marked with buoys. Look for our club sign.

Local Knowledge:

High water at D Street Bridge is delayed 2 hours 10 minutes from Golden Gate, Low water is 3 hours 10 minutes from Golden Gate. The Petaluma River is a serpentine river with many turns. Take these turns wide where the water is deeper. At Cloudy Bend, please heed the Red nun buoys.
In San Pablo Bay, it has been reported that Petaluma Approach Channel Marker #13 seen shoaling at low tide. Approach slowly, preferably with depthsounding, and stay in channel center.
Local Notice to Mariners, November 2005: San Pablo Approach to Petaluma, 3 feet depth low tide at Markers 13 & 14 (where the waterway doglegs toward Petaluma River Mouth).
In the Turning Basin, there is a shoal marked by a floating buoy.

Be sure to check Cruise-In Visitor webpage.

Chart 18654, San Pablo Bay.

Local Notice to Mariners

  • April 2005: Blackpoint Railroad Drawbridge. Sheer fence on swing span is missing; steel
    protruding 2 inches.
  • November, 2005: New boards and rubrails around turntable as well as abutments.
  • December 2005: The additional boards have slightly decreased passable girth. It is less than the prior width. A barge was temporarily lodged between when these boards were added.
  • Highway 101 Bridge over Petaluma: Construction of additional bridge span. November 2005.
  • Local Notice to mariners, January 2006: On the San Pablo Bay Approach to Petaluma River, Reported shoaling between Green #13 and Red #14 daymarks. LNM says 3 feet at low tide. Chart 18654.
  • August 2007: Black Point Railroad Swing Bridge (at the mouth of Petaluma River to San Pablo Bay): Top-most green light center span navigation lights are extinguished. Drawspan is secured in the open to navigation position.
  • January 2008: Blackpoint Railroad swing bridge sheerfence fender system has been damaged and may not provide adequate protection for the bridge or vessels. Exercise caution and avoid contact with the bridge. Chart 18654.

    [Go to US Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners]

    Memorial Day Weekend, 2006: Turning Basin Conditions

    In the narrow section that extends upstream from the Turning Basin proper, there is a white PVP pipe
    with a red pennant. This marks the beginning of a shoal upstream towards the Wooden footbridge
    near Water Street.
    If you raft out in this region, you may be hard aground at low low water.
    Saturday, May 27, Low water ~0937 hr -1.6'
    Sunday, may 28, Low Water ~ 1015 hr -1.5'

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