What are the Shin Kee Wetlands?

Jovannie Delira, 8, of Manlio Silva Elementary School, helps plant creeping wild rye on the banks of Shin Kee, a wetlands habitat area under development by A.G. Spanos Cos. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

What are the Shin Kee Wetlands?

A closer look at the area being developed by A.G. Spanos west of Interstate 5

By Ross Farrow
News-Sentinel Staff Writer

Thursday, January 29, 2009 10:04 AM PST

Comments (7 comment(s))

A.G. Spanos Companies has begun a wetlands restoration project in an area west of Interstate 5 that was inhabited by Mi-Wok Indians and Chinese farmers more than a century ago.

Financed by the major Stockton development company, tidal waters known as the Shin Kee Wetlands and Habitat Restoration Area now occupy the wetlands site adjacent to White Slough and south of Highway 12. Workers spent three months beginning in mid-September constructing the wetlands area, said Dave Self, a consulting biologist.

What was once a dry field of native grasses now consists of about 100 acres of tidal waters from local rivers, said David Nelson, a senior vice president for Spanos. Some of the projects are mitigation to compensate for land used to build future subdivision, Nelson said.

Third-graders from Manlio Silva Elementary School, a north Stockton school in the Lodi Unified School District, and Kohl Open School in Stockton Unified, learned about animals and plants native to the area from biologists on Wednesday. They then planted native grass called the creeping wild rye around some willow branches near the tidal pool.

They also saw a large group of sandhill cranes flying overhead, as well as an egret.

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History of Shin Kee

The wetlands area is part of the Shin Kee Tract, which is closely associated with the history of Chinese farming in the area.

A Chinese immigrant, named either Chin Lung or Chin Long, settled in the area in the late 1880s. By 1900, he had leased 1,125 acres, employed more than 500 Chinese farmers to help him cultivate, harvest and sack potatoes, beans, onions and asparagus. He became known as the Chinese potato king.

A.G. Spanos Cos. purchased the 142-acre wetlands area in 2004. Spanos will manage the property for five years before transferring the title to the San Joaquin Council of Governments.

Source: A.G. Spanos Cos

A.G. Spanos Cos. at a glance

A.G. Spanos Cos. is the largest developer in San Joaquin County. Founded in 1960 by current San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos, the company has regional offices in Northern and Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Spanos has constructed more than 400 developments nationwide, 120,000 apartments and more than two million square feet of office space.

Source: A.G. Spanos Cos

What people had to say about Shin Kee

"You will see a really significant change a year from now."
— David Nelson, Spanos senior vice president

"These birds are about as tall as all you kids."
— Dave Self, consulting biologist, describing a flock of Sandhill cranes overhead to third-graders

"I saw raccoon tracks and coyote tracks."
— Evan Franco, third grade, Manlio Silva Elementary School

"It's good. We get to help the environment today."
— Alyssa Tarabini, third grade, Manlio Silva Elementary School

"I won't let them in the classroom. And I have homework for them."
— Becky Hudson, third-grade teacher from Lodi, after students' shoes were caked in mud

News-Sentinel staff

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

edumacation wrote on Jan 29, 2009 9:50 PM:

" yoojung1- I invite you to drive over to the area west of Manlio Silva school. Park your car and look west, south and north. Now drive via 8 mile road to the marina 1 mile west of the school and tract housing (Spanos West is one of them). Walk around the marina and ask anyone who lives in the area about the levees holding back the delta. Now ask them about the peat soil and the wetlands area including the former wetlands area where the tract houses are sitting. Drive North of 8 mile road until you reach the end. This is the edge of the Shin kee tract. Why is this really important? The effluent from the Lodi sewage treatment plant collects in this area. This is one reason for the interest in "environmental concerns". Now read this document from 1998 and it will all be clear what is really going on.

http://www.stocktongov.com/MUD/General/documents/WaterQualityMonitoringPlanTM30201_000.pdf

http://www.sjgov.org/lafco/Agendas/2005/Agenda-April%202005.pdf "

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dogbark wrote on Jan 29, 2009 9:32 PM:

" what does shin kee mean? I would have thought that to be important in the article.
The closest I've found is 'fashionable guest' "

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yoojung1 wrote on Jan 29, 2009 10:14 AM:

" This is a great example of a developer who is collaborating with the community. There are so many who push through projects and carelessly throw money at philanthropy without sincerity and true interest. Spano's initiatives go beyond just environmental restoration of habitat, but also as referenced in the article, "education" of our children to believe, touch/see/feel the importance of restoration efforts. Cities and communities would benefit from having more developers like AG Spanos. One can only hope other developers take their lead. "

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edumacation wrote on Jan 29, 2009 8:29 AM:

" continued. If you examine the area by visiting it, the area is drenched with water even during this drought. The land is primarily composed of peat and this would mean that homes sitting on it would have unstable foundations. Its obvious from Live maps satellite imagery that construction of roadways has already begun. Another issue is the levee to the South of Manlio Silva and to the west and north. Just because you won't notice it at street level does not mean its not there. WHo owns that land. If it were allowed to remain a wetlands area, it could help as a barrier to water flooding the Spanos West houses in the event of a levee break. Just an idea. It could save the lives of families and children if we have another levee break.

http://maps.live.com/?q=stockton%2Cca&form=MSNH11 "

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edumacation wrote on Jan 29, 2009 8:21 AM:

" Thats a great idea! But I know of a way to no only help the environment but save valuable property and lives, and I think YOU own the land. Adjacent to Manlio Silva school are several tract house developments including Spanos West. If you look at the West of the development for about a mile via Microsoft live maps satellite images (not observable on googlemaps), you will observe that this large area already has roadways graded in it that are not observable at the surface. The housing crash has stopped the development on these valuable wetlands. If you want to see "creeping wild rye" look no further that 200 feet to the west of Manlio Silva--Regatta lane. The area bordered by Regatta lane to the east, 8 mile road to the north, N Rio Blanco rd to the West and w Atherton rd to the south is already a wetland area, but as you can see from the satellite imagery, dozens of new roads for hundreds more houses have already been graded. Its adjacent to Spanos wqest and across the street from your golf course. "

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Patricia wrote on Jan 29, 2009 8:01 AM:

" Just like Mr. Spanos and CO to do something like this. Thank you for your goodness, Mr Spanos! You've built a beautiful heritage for your family name by the many good works and deeds of kindness you've done, some that many, many will never know about. God bless you. "

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