Lake Merced
| Lake Merced | |
|---|---|
| Spanish:Laguna de Merced | |
 | |
  Lake Merced  Lake Merced | |
| Location | San Francisco,California |
| Coordinates | 37°43′12″N122°29′42″W/ 37.72°N 122.495°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Spring |
| Basincountries | United States |
| Surface area | 650 acres (260 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Merced |
 | |
| Type | Municipal (San Francisco) |
| Location | San Francisco |
| Area | 614 acres (2.48 km2;0.96 sq mi) |
| Created | 1940s |
| Status | Open all year |
Lake Merced(Spanish:Laguna de Merced) is a freshwaterlakein the southwest corner ofSan Francisco,in theU.S. stateofCalifornia.It is surrounded by threegolfcourses (the privateOlympic ClubandSan Francisco Golf Club,and the publicTPC Harding Park), as well as residential areas,Lowell High School,San Francisco State University,Lakeshore Alternative Elementary School,Stonestown Galleria,Fort Funstonand thePacific Ocean.TheSan Francisco Police Departmentshooting range, as well as a now closedskeet shootingclub and the city'sNational Guardarmoryare also in the area. The lake was also the home of the Lake Merced Sailing Club, now closed, which provided training and racing for local sailors. Currently there is a paddling program operated bySan Francisco State University.[1]The lake is home of the Pacific Rowing Club and St. Ignatius College Prep Rowing Team, both competitive rowing programs for San Francisco high school students.
TheCalifornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment(OEHHA) has developed a safe eatingadvisoryfor Lake Merced based on levels of mercury found in fish caught from this water body.[2]
History
[edit]
Lake Merced was originally christenedLaguna de Nuestra Señora de la MercedbyCaptain Don Bruno de Hecetain 1775.[3]Father Pedro Font, while on thede Anza Expeditionto found thePresidio of San Franciscoin March, 1776 wrote in his diary, "we saw a grove of live oaks near which is the Laguna de la Merced, where Captain Ribera stopped; and here we saw many bears (California Grizzly Bear)... "[4]
At approximately 11pm of November 22, 1852, a shock was reported to have occurred by those in the areas around the Lake[5]and the following day reports were made that "...a fissure half a mile wide and three hundred yards long was discovered, through which the waters of Lake Merced were flowing to the sea." The most probable cause of the shock was attributed to heavy rains forcing a passage through the sandbank at the north-west. The Lake is reported to have lost 30 feet (9.1 meters) of water. A map from 1881 shows that the Lake still had a passage to sea, 29 years later.[6]
Once owned byFrancisco De Haro,firstAlcaldeofYerba Buena,as part of theGalindo ranch,theSpring Valley Water Companybought the water rights for the Lake in 1868, and the surrounding watershed in successive years.[7]By purchasing all local supply, the company created a monopoly on San Francisco's water. It was not until 1908, when the city approved construction ofO'Shaughnessy Damcreating theHetch Hetchy Reservoirin theSierra Nevadamountain range, that the city gained municipal control. Prior to the construction of the dam, Lake Merced was to serve as the city's main reservoir, with plans to expand the lake into land that is now theSan Francisco State Universitycampus. Around this time, Spring Valley sold off some of its land on Lake Merced, making way for the golf courses that exist today. In 1940,Metropolitan Lifebought the last of Spring Valley's land to build theParkmercedapartment complex.
Ecology
[edit]
The lake is fed by an underground spring, and at one time it did have an outlet to the ocean as shown on an 1869 United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Map.[3]Thesaltlevel was always fluctuating, and therefore some species offishwhich inhabit the lake are salt and freshwater adapted.[citation needed]There is active recreational fishing at the lake. The lake's water level had been shrinking for decades, endangering the historic role of Lake Merced to support a healthyecosystem.[8]Due to better management of the aquifer and occasional additions of water, lake level has been rising since 1990.[9]The only natural freshwater lakes in San Francisco arePine Lake,Lake Merced, andMountain Lake.[10]
Famous duel
[edit]On September 13, 1859, Chief Justice of theCalifornia Supreme CourtDavid S. TerrykilledUnited States SenatorDavid C. Broderickin aduelat the lake.[11]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"The Boathouse at Lake Merced".SFSU.Retrieved2023-11-12.
- ^Pham, Huyen Tran (2017-06-26)."Lake Merced".OEHHA.Retrieved2018-06-13.
- ^abDavid L. Durham (2001).Durham's Place-Names of the San Francisco Bay Area: Includes Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano & Santa Clara Counties.Word Dancer Press. p.88.ISBN978-1-884995-35-4.
- ^Pedro Font.Expanded Diary of Pedro Font.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-17.Retrieved2011-01-30.
- ^Youd, T. L.;Hoose, S. N. (1978)."Historic Ground Failures in Northern California Triggered by Earthquakes"(PDF).United States Geological Survey.Retrieved2013-11-23.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^"Bancroft's Official Guide Map Of City And County Of San Francisco. - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection".
- ^Sara Marcellino; Brandon Jebens (24 May 2001)."The History of Human Use at Lake Merced".San Francisco State University. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-05-24.Retrieved2013-09-18.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^Vivian Matuk; Nick Salcedo (17 July 2001)."Lake Merced Hydrology and Water Quality".San Francisco State University. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-05-13.Retrieved2012-10-09.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^"Lake Merced Level Fluctuations".2016-03-04. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04.Retrieved2023-04-13.
- ^Marcellino, Sara (April 1, 2003)."San Francisco Lakes -".Bay Nature.Retrieved1 June2022.
- ^Hittell, Theodore Henry (1898)."History of California".iv.San Francisco, California: N. J. Stone & Company: 224.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)