Lake Merritt, the "crown jewel" that Oakland, California is built around, is not actually a lake but a tidal slough that once ebbed and flowed freely. The wetlands surrounding what is now Lake Merritt were once teeming with wildlife, diverse tree and plant life, and many fish species. One hundred and sixty years of urbanization has changed that drastically, however.
This first episode attempts to imagine the impossible: what did Lake Merrit sound like before any humans arrived? We visited Coyote Hills Regional Park, a restored marshland nestled at the easternmost span of the Dumbarton Bridge. Wandering through the nearly 1,300 acres of wetlands helped us imagine what the ecology might have looked and sounded like around Lake Merritt.
We also read from a variety of historical texts that help paint a picture of the ecosystem around the lake prior to human intervention. Sources cited:
The Early Development of Lake Merritt, Oakland, California: 1852-1907 by John Heinitz
A Historical and Environmental Geographic Analysis of Lake Merritt by Mary Travis
The Costanoan/Ohlone Indians of the San Francisco and Monterrey Bay Area: A Research Guide by Lauren S. Teixeira
Identifying, Evaluating, and Managing a Historic Landscape: A Case Study of Lake Merritt Park by Cheryl Miller
Out West Magazine, April 1919 by Robin Lampson