Nearly a decade has passed since the last vestiges of the oyster farm were dredged from the soft, silty bottom of Drakes Estero. During a year-long cleanup led by the National Park Service, nearly 7,000 wooden posts and 500 tons of weathered racks were hauled away with the aid of a hydraulic excavator mounted on a barge. An additional 60 tons of oyster shells and debris were cleared, and every visible trace of the operation—its oyster shack, dock, worker housing and pavement—was removed. The efforts bore fruit last month when the estero—a five-fingered estuary home to eelgrass beds, harbor seals, crabs, leopard sharks, bat rays and a wealth of birds and fish—was officially designated a marine reserve by the California Fish and Game Commission. This new status, the state’s highest level of protection, prohibits all forms of take, including clamming, which was previously allowed. The designation emerged from a decadal review of California’s marine protected areas, which are designed to safeguard fragile ocean habitats and foster marine wilderness. During that review, the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin petitioned the state for increased protections of both the estero and Duxbury Reef. The process of establishing these underwater parks can be long, arduous and even acrimonious, pitting environmentalists against sport anglers, commercial fishers, spear fishers, divers and kelp harvesters. But Drakes Estero’s designation encountered minimal resistance. In contrast, Duxbury Reef—an area with active commercial fishing—is expected to face a more prolonged review process. On a recent outing to the estero, Jerry Meral, a frequent kayaker in the area and a board member of the E.A.C., observed 21 bird species and was playfully followed by harbor seals. “It has a wilderness quality—you don’t see a lot of cows, houses or people—but it’s still accessible and safe,” he said. The E.A.C., which advocated for the removal of the oyster farm a decade ago, has since focused its attention to Drakes Estero on strengthening wilderness protections. The park’s $4.5 million marine restoration followed a legal battle between oyster farmer Kevin Lunny and the park service, which sought to reclaim the working landscape. After years of litigation that climbed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the federal agency prevailed.