05/04/2022
Welcome to Discovery Bay
If you look at an overhead map of the California Delta, you may notice an area just south of Bacon Island that looks a little unusual. Once a segment of a large agricultural tract that produced staple crops such as potatoes, barley, onions, and beans, the Town of Discovery Bay covers approximately seven square miles of land centered around a dense cluster of docks and piers. It is technically defined as a Community Services District and is governed by a Board of Directors made up of five elected officials, similar to a city council, including a President and Vice President. The Board oversees matters related to water and sewer services, recreation, and landscaping, while all other services are handled by Contra Costa County. Today, the District boasts over 5,500 homes, a country club, a thriving boating community, and more.
Planning began in 1964 for a recreational community of bays on what was then known in the area as the Byron Tract. During its construction, the development went through several years of contractual difficulties, but lots finally opened for sale in October 1970, with sales and home construction continuing for the next 11 years before the grand opening of the Discovery Bay Marina on July 4, 1981. In 2013, the Delta’s very first lighthouse, a donation from Discovery Bay residents Ed and Jean Stewart, was constructed on Indian Slough. Boats docked in the marina enjoy access to over 1100 miles of waterways within the Delta, and it is also possible to reach the Pacific Ocean through the San Francisco Bay, which means a journey that begins in the waters of Discovery Bay can reach virtually anywhere in the world. More than 15,000 people call Discovery Bay home, and its recreational opportunities and evolving urban amenities make it a central hub of tourism for the California Delta.
“I would not leave Discovery Bay unless I was leaving California entirely,” says Kevin Graves, current president of the Town of Discovery Bay Board of Directors, “We are a caring community that works hard to meld our varied interests into one.” Graves moved to Discovery Bay in 1994, when the town was populated largely by retirees and part-time residents. It was so small it had no traffic signals or grocery stores, and residents had to drive to neighboring Brentwood to address most of their needs. Today, he describes a quickly developing community with great schools, a number of social hubs, and an increasing number of permanent residents.
One of those permanent residents, Sam Arditi, says, “Did you ever hear the expression, ‘work hard and play hard’? That describes Discovery Bay the best.” He goes on to describe the convenience of living so close to large employers in tech and other industries in the San Francisco Bay area and emphasizes that Discovery Bay is home to a number of great restaurants and readily available recreational facilities including watercraft rentals, dirt bike trails, and a dog park.
The Discovery Bay Yacht Club is central to the area’s boating community. Members enjoy live music, holiday parties, weekly game nights, small boat cruises to local clubs and restaurants, and more. The Club also organizes annual Opening Day and Christmas boat parades that are open to the general public.
So what’s the best way to visit this unique maritime destination in the Delta, given all that it has to offer? The answer is simple: “Start your visit in the marina,” says Arditi, “and walk all the way to the lighthouse.”
Sidebar: A Lighthouse in the Delta?
Discovery Bay is the first community in the Delta to boast a lighthouse. The 10,000-pound structure was completed in 2013, thanks to residents Ed and Jean Stewart and Reclamation District 800. You can discover the lighthouse on the levee near the Discovery Bay marina.
Photos are courtesy of Discovery Bay Studios
Article courtesy of the Delta Protection Commission, Winter 2022 Issue of Delta Voice (https://delta.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Delta-Voice-Winter-2022-508.pdf)
