Ryer Island

Ryer Island is a name shared by two separate islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, each located in Solano County, California.

The westernmost island is located in the entrance to the Delta between Suisun Bay and Suisun Cutoff.David L. Durham, "California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of This State," p. 693 (Quill Driver Books 1998) ISBN 1884995144.] It is in the Suisun Resource Conservation District, eight miles east-northeast of Benicia. [ [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=38.07242&lon=-122.03313&s=100&size=l&u=4&datum=nad83&layer=DRG TopoQuest map] , USGS, retrieved 2008-06-30.] At the time of statehood it was known as Kings Island. [David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, [http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-3688-400018&name=Bai+San+Francisco+und+Vereinigung+des+Sacramento+mit+dem+San+Joaquin Bai San Francisco und Vereinigung des Sacramento mit dem San Joaquin,] Henry Lange, 1854.]

The easternmost island is located between tributary sloughs that flow into the Sacramento River, 6.5 miles north-northeast of Rio Vista, [ [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=38.22502&lon=-121.6344&datum=nad83&u=4&layer=DRG100&size=m&s=250 TopoQuest map] , USGS, retrieved 2008-06-30.] between Miner Slough, Sutter Slough, Steamboat Slough, and Cache Slough. This island is named in honor of a California pioneer, Dr. Washington M. Ryer, and his family. A map prepared at the time of statehood shows the area divided by the west fork of the Sacramento River, with the western half identified as Priest Island and the eastern half identified as Sutter Island. [David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, [http://www.davidrumsey.com/detail?id=1-1-24355-890046&name=General+chart,+San+Francisco+Bay General Chart, San Francisco Bay,] Cadwalader Ringgold, 1852.] An island north of Ryer Island is currently known as Sutter Island.

Notes