Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is named after Samuel Merritt, Oakland's mayor (1867–1869), who built a dam turning the tidal lagoon into a salt water lake. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. It is historically significant as the United States' first official wildlife refuge, designated in 1870, and has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1963, and on the National Register of Historic Places since 1966.
| Lake Merritt | |
|---|---|
A view looking west toward the Lakeside Apartments District, the Tribune Tower and Downtown Oakland | |
Lake Merritt Lake Merritt Lake Merritt | |
| Location | East of downtown Oakland |
| Coordinates | 37.8039°N 122.2591°W |
| Lake type | Recreation, lagoon, wildlife refuge |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 140 acres (0.57 km2) |
| Max. depth | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
| Shore length1 | 3.4 miles (5.5 km) |
| Surface elevation | 43 feet (13 m) |
| Frozen | No |
Lake Merritt Wild Duck Refuge | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
Oakland Designated Landmark No. 39 | |
Looking Southwest across Lake Merritt. In the distance are the Rene C. Davidson Alameda County Court House and Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. At the right is the Bellevue-Staten Building. | |
| Built | 1870 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000205 |
| ODL No. | 39 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | May 23, 1963 |
| Designated ODL | 1980 |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The lake features grassy shores, several artificial islands intended as bird refuges, and an interpretive center called the Rotary Nature Center at Lakeside Park. There is a fairy-tale themed amusement park called Children's Fairyland. The Gardens at Lake Merritt is also inside Lakeside Park. A popular walking and jogging path runs along the lake's perimeter. The circumference of the lake is 3.4 miles (5.5 km), and its area is 155 acres (63 ha).