Monday, January 8, 2018

Walking Oakland's Lake Merritt


Last week, before the rains came I took a short walk at Lake Merritt in Oakland. The Lake was originally part of the San Francisco Bay many eons ago. Dr. Samuel Merritt, a mayor of Oakland who owned property at the shore's edge, was keen to get the body of water cleaned up so that it could become a source of civic pride. In 1868, he proposed and funded a dam between the estuary and the bay by which the flow of water could be controlled, allowing the water level inland to rise higher and become less saline, turning the tidal lagoon into a lake. Sewage was to be redirected elsewhere by two new city projects, though these weren't completed until 1875. The resulting body of water was called variously "Lake Peralta", "Merritt's Lake" and later Lake Merritt. Lake Merritt underwent a some restoration in the early 2000's and in February 2013 Mayor Jean Quan and other officials inaugurated a 750-foot (230 m)-long channel, including a paved trail, a pedestrian bridge, and restored tidal marsh, a major step towards reconnecting Lake Merritt with San Francisco Bay:






The new bridge and the new gateway to the bay



Lake Merritt is a true treasure in Downtown Oakland and I hope it continues to be for generations to come.

30 comments:

  1. Must have been a lovely walk! The wildflowers and birds are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish I was there!! We have 3 feet of snow! #anythinggoes

    ReplyDelete
  3. What lovely photos and a fantastic walk :-)

    Happy New Year :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely scenery and landscape photos. It would be nice to be close by water to enjoy a walk. Where I live you have to drive for at least an couple hours or more to find water and beaches. Thanks for sharing your adventures with Pictorial Tuesday

    Peabea@Peabea Scribbles

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful images and always and fascinating to here how the lake was made Patrick

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks lovely. It is just a quick BART ride away from my daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey, I was in Oakland too!!! hahahaha Only thing is I was only 14 yrs. old & my brother was stationed there. We went to see him off. He was on a ship called the U.S.S. Aludra. Wow, that was many moons ago my friend... MANY MANY MOONS! hahahahaha Great pics, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Patrick,

    How cool, a lake in downtown Oakland! Thanks for sharing the photos and history surrounding the lake. I hope it remains in good condition for generations to come, too. It's nice to have lovely spots like this to visit alone or with your family. Happy WW, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a beautiful lake! That would definitely make for a great walk.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The history of it was super interesting. I'd love to go walking around that lake.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love seeing little pockets of nature in the midst of a busy city!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the scenery and landscape for this walk!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lake Merritt is such a gem in Oakland. I admit I don't get to spend a lot of time exploring it being on the other side of the bay most days.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great post! Looks like a wonderful place to walk

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very nice! Is that last building city hall? It looks grand.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow - gorgeous photos! Lake Merritt and surrounds look like a beautiful part of the world! #TeamLovinLife

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just lovely! I have been to San Francisco and crossed the bay to Oakland. #TeamLovinLife

    ReplyDelete
  18. We don't have enough lakes in Australia - I think water bodies like this are just so special.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a great walk - I have only made it to San Francisco for a day but I'd like to revisit the area at some point.

    ReplyDelete
  20. How nice to have a walk along with great scenery! Thanks for taking us along.

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is a beautiful lake! I've been to San Francisco many times but I've missed seeing this. Something to add to my travel list!

    ReplyDelete
  22. That's so interesting! I've been to San Fran a couple of times but never saw it from this angle. Cool! #teamlovinlife

    ReplyDelete
  23. A fabulous account and pics of your walk Patrick. Thanks for sharing :) #TeamLovinLife

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nice photos and article. Thanks for sharing at Party in Your Pjs!


    ReplyDelete
  25. I love finding mid-city treasures like this park....they are such a needed bit of nature and serenity for city dwellers (or visitors). Obviously from your pictures, Oakland has done a great job of restoring and maintaining this jewel.

    ReplyDelete
  26. i just put the Lake Chalet back on my list of things to do because i haven't been to that restaurant in a while.

    ReplyDelete

Love hearing comments on stuff. Please tell me what you think of the places I have been to. If you like them or not. I love comments.