Lake Merritt
| Lake Merritt | |
|---|---|
A view looking west toward the Lakeside Apartments District, the Tribune Tower and Downtown Oakland, with a lake aeration fountain in the fore area | |
| Location | East of downtown Oakland |
| Coordinates | 37°48′14″N 122°15′33″W / 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 | |
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. | |
Lake Merritt is a lake located in a large tidal lagoon basin in the center of Oakland, California, just east of Downtown. It is named after Samuel Merritt, Oakland's mayor in 1867–1869, who had the lagoon dammed turning the varying tidal lagoon into a stable salt-water lake. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. Historically significant as the first official wildlife refuge in the United States, designated in 1870, the lake has been listed as a National Historic Landmark since 1963. The circumference of the lake is 3.4 miles (5.5 km), with an area of 155 acres (63 ha).
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 small fairy-tale themed amusement park called Children's Fairyland and The Gardens at Lake Merritt is also in the park. A popular walking and jogging path runs along the lake's perimeter.