Lake Merritt

Lake Merritt is a beautiful lake found in the middle of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It sits in a big tidal lagoon area and was named after Samuel Merritt, who was Oakland's mayor from 1867 to 1869. He had the lagoon dammed, changing it from a changing tidal lagoon into a steady salt-water lake. The lake is surrounded by parks and city neighborhoods.

It became very important in history as the first official wildlife refuge in the United States, getting this title in 1870. Since 1963, it has been listed as a National Historic Landmark. The lake is about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) around and covers an area of 155 acres (63 hectares).

Lake Merritt has grassy shores, special islands made for birds, and a place to learn about nature called the Rotary Nature Center at Lakeside Park. There is also a small, fairy-tale-themed amusement park named Children's Fairyland, and a garden area called The Gardens at Lake Merritt, all within the park. People enjoy walking and jogging along a path that goes around the whole lake.

History

The lake was originally part of San Francisco Bay, where several creeks flowed into the bay. Long ago, the Ohlone people used the area for fishing and gathering food. Later, the land around the lake was owned by Luis Maria Peralta and became Rancho San Antonio.

After gold was found nearby in 1848, new settlers took over the area. In 1868, Samuel Merritt, who was mayor of Oakland from 1867 to 1869, wanted to clean up the lake. He built a dam to control the water and turn the tidal area into a lake. This helped make the water less salty and cleaner.

Merritt also wanted to protect the lake for birds. In 1870, Lake Merritt became the first wildlife refuge in North America, where people could enjoy nature without hunting. Over time, the lake changed a lot. Parks and paths were built around it, and today it is a popular place for people and birds to visit.

Necklace of lights

Lake Merritt has a special circle of lights called the "necklace of lights." It has 126 lampposts with 3,400 shiny bulbs. The lights were first turned on in 1925. They were taken down in 1941 because of World War II, but after many years of asking, they were lit again in 1987.

During a special celebration each year, the city changes the white bulbs to colorful ones.

World War II

Wildlife

Birds

Lake Merritt is a special place for birds all year long. Different kinds of birds live there depending on the season.

Year round

All year, you can see many Canada geese and some black-crowned night heron, great egret, snowy egret, cormorant, American coot, and western gull. There are also a few mallard duck and pelican.

Rainy season

From November to March, lots of greater scaup and lesser scaup swim in the lake. You might also spot a tufted duck, which comes from far away. Other birds like canvasback, redhead, common, Barrow's goldeneye, and bufflehead visit during this cold time.

Dry season

From June to September, there are even more Canada goose around the lake. In late summer and early fall, pelican and Caspian terns can be seen.

Other

Lake Merritt is also home to fish like bat rays and gobies. Sometimes Chinook salmon swim there too. The lake has sea creatures such as sea hares, bay mussels, and oysters. Small creatures called barnacles and Transorchestia enigmatica live here, and they are only found in Lake Merritt.

Plants

Lake Merritt has many different kinds of plants. Some native trees, like the coast live oak and California buckeye, can be found there. But most of the plants in the park around the lake come from all over the world. This started in 1910 when city leaders wanted visitors to see plants from their home countries.

One special plant at the lake is the New Zealand tea tree, known for its twisted branches along the water.

There is also an area with native plants near a tidal marsh south of the Lake Merritt Blvd. bridge. Plants like pickleweed, saltgrass, and others have been added to this area. More native plants are planned for another part of the shoreline.

Inside the lake, you can find many types of water plants, such as widgeon grass, green algae, and sea lettuce. These plants grow a lot in mid-June, and sometimes their decay can cause bad smells and make the water look unpleasant. To help with this, the city uses special machines to remove extra plants during the summer.

In March 2024, a red algae bloom was seen in the lake but went away after about two weeks.

The lake’s water may look murky, but it is full of tiny plants and animals that support many birds and other sea creatures.

Connecting waterways

Several creeks flow into Lake Merritt. These include Glen Echo Creek, Pleasant Valley Creek, Wildwood Creek, and Indian Gulch Creek.

Cleanup and restoration

Lake Merritt faces problems because storm drains from Oakland and nearby areas empty directly into the lake, bringing trash and harmful chemicals like nitrogen and phosphorus. These chemicals cause algae to grow too much, using up the oxygen in the water. To help, special fountains have been added to add oxygen and mix the water layers.

In August 2022, a big bloom of algae caused many fish to die in the lake. The next year, the city added more aeration equipment to help the lake. Trash cleanup is organized by the Lake Merritt Institute, a group that works with the city. They hold clean-up events several days a week and provide special boxes for people to collect trash. Volunteers use long nets to remove trash from the lake, and they collect between 1,000 to 6,000 pounds of trash each month.

Pollution

Besides nutrient pollution, more harmful substances have sometimes entered the lake. In 1998, about 20 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into the lake. In 2011, a diesel fuel spill covered part of the lake’s northwest side. In April 2022, a fire at a large homeless encampment damaged pathways and caused debris, including oil cans, to flow into the lake. The encampment had been reported as a safety concern for over two years before the fire happened.

Measure DD improvements

Measure DD was a $198 million park improvement plan for Oakland that voters approved in 2002. It helped make Lake Merritt better by adding more park space and changing roads around the lake. For example, on the south shore of Lake Merritt, 12th Street used to have many lanes of traffic, making it hard for people walking or riding bikes to get to places like Laney College, the Oakland Museum of California, and Lake Merritt Channel. The project changed 12th Street to have fewer lanes, added park space, and put up more lights.

Some work on the lake was delayed when a group called "Friends of the Lake" tried to stop trees from being cut down, but the court allowed the work to continue. One of the first projects finished in 2007 was fixing the old pergola at the north end of the lake. In 2008, more projects were done, such as turning the old Municipal Boat House into a restaurant and changing roads around the lake.

The biggest project was rebuilding 12th Street on the south side of the lake. This included replacing an old bridge and fixing roads and tunnels. It started in May 2010 and finished in June 2013. In February 2013, a new channel was opened, which helped connect Lake Merritt better to the San Francisco Bay. In 2016, more changes were made to let more water flow into the lake.