San Leandro Business Center

Davis St. & Business Center Drive, San Leandro Map

Runoff from six industrial parcels along San Leandro’s Business Center Drive flows to this ponding area, or seasonal wetland, south of Davis Street.

This is old landfill in what once was San Francisco Bay. Just west are the City of San Leandro’s Transfer Station and Recycling Center as well as East Bay Regional Park District’s Oyster Bay Shoreline Park.

Though hardly glamorous, the pond does provide some habitat, and its soil and vegetation does filter and degrade pollution while letting runoff soak into soil.

The businesses also use swales and landscaping to slow and filter runoff pollution from parking lots.
Drought-tolerant plantings in swale
New Zealand Flax and nandina provide color in this shallow rain garden
Cattails in swale/rain garden at San Leandro Business Center
The businesses have varied swales, with plantings ranging from the very drought-tolerant to swamp-loving cattails. Even the close-mowed, bare swale farthest from Davis Street still does something to filter runoff and reduce pollution, although more stems and leaves would make it more effective.


Closely mowed narrow swale