Anderson Marsh State Historic Park
Encyclopedia
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is a California State Historic Park
and nature reserve
preserving a tule marsh, archaeological sites of the Pomo people
, and historic ranch structures. It is located in Lake County
, California
, USA. Anderson Marsh is located at the head of Cache Creek
on the southeast corner of Clear Lake, the largest natural lake completely within the borders of California. The park is between the cities of Lower Lake
and Clearlake
on State Route 53
, north of Calistoga
in the wine
country. The park is open year-round.
woodland
, and Tule (Schoenoplectus acutus) marshes. It protects several habitat
s including: freshwater
marsh
wetland
s, native grassland
s, California oak woodland
s, and riparian woodland
s. Aquatic and terrestrial wildlife include: large mouth bass, bluegill
, catfish, crappie
, the north-western pond turtle
, bat
s, gray fox
, frog
s, garter snake
s, mink
, muskrat
s, opossums, raccoon
, river otter, skunk
s, and toad
s.
Approximately 151 different bird species, both migrating and resident, have been identified in the park.
, one of the largest groups of indigenous peoples of the Americas
in pre-Columbian
California, lived in the area of present day Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, and their descendants continue to do so nearby. Anderson Marsh's archaeological site
s provide artifacts of the Pomo people. Some sites are among the oldest found in California, dated at over 10,000 years old.
John Grigsby homesteaded in 1854 with his family, and built a small house. Scotsman John Still Anderson, with his wife and six children, bought the property from Grigsby in 1884, built what is now known as the Ranch House, and ran a dairy and raised beef cattle. Their descendants lived in the Ranch House until the 1960s.
The State Historic Park was named after John Still Anderson in 1982 after the State of California acquired the Anderson Marsh.
Exhibits/Programs
Festivals
Trails
. The park will close July 2012 to achieve part of the $11 million dollar budget reduction for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. This park and 47 other state parks were previously slated for closure in 2008 for financial reasons, but was saved from closure.
California State Historic Park
The State of California operates and maintains about fifty California State Historic Parks, ranging from Shasta State Historic Park, a California Gold Rush-era ghost town in the northern part of the state, to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park in downtown San Diego in the southern part of the...
and nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
preserving a tule marsh, archaeological sites of the Pomo people
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
, and historic ranch structures. It is located in Lake County
Lake County, California
Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. Anderson Marsh is located at the head of Cache Creek
Cache Creek
Cache Creek may refer to:*Cache Creek , a stream in the Thompson Country of British Columbia, Canada*Cache Creek, British Columbia, a town in British Columbia, Canada, named after the creek...
on the southeast corner of Clear Lake, the largest natural lake completely within the borders of California. The park is between the cities of Lower Lake
Lower Lake, California
Lower Lake is a census-designated place in Lake County, California, USA. Lower Lake is located east-southeast of Kelseyville, at an elevation of 1371 feet...
and Clearlake
Clearlake, California
Clearlake is a city located in Lake County, California. Clearlake is located north-northwest of Lower Lake, at an elevation of 1417 feet...
on State Route 53
California State Route 53
State Route 53 , also known as the Clearlake Expressway, connects SR 29 and SR 20 via the city of Clearlake. It runs in a north–south direction east of Clear Lake. The entire length of the highway is a California Scenic Highway....
, north of Calistoga
Calistoga, California
Calistoga is a city in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 5,155 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , 99.30% of it land and 0.70% of it water.-Climate:...
in the wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
country. The park is open year-round.
Natural history
The Anderson Marsh Park contains 1065 acres (431 ha) of native bunch grass-covered hills, oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, and Tule (Schoenoplectus acutus) marshes. It protects several habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s including: freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, native grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, California oak woodland
California oak woodland
California oak woodland is a plant community found throughout the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California in the United States and northwestern Baja California in Mexico...
s, and riparian woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s. Aquatic and terrestrial wildlife include: large mouth bass, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, catfish, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, the north-western pond turtle
Western pond turtle
The western pond turtle , or Pacific pond turtle is a small to medium-sized turtle growing to approximately 20 cm in carapace length. It is limited to the west coast of the United States of America and Mexico, ranging from western Washington state to northern Baja California...
, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, gray fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
, frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, garter snake
Garter snake
The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus common across North America, ranging from Alaska and Canada to Central America. It is the single most widely distributed genus of reptile in North America. The garter snake is also the Massachusettsstate reptile.There is no real consensus on the...
s, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s, opossums, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, river otter, skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s, and toad
Toad
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...
s.
Approximately 151 different bird species, both migrating and resident, have been identified in the park.
History
The Southeastern Pomo Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, one of the largest groups of indigenous peoples of the Americas
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
in pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
California, lived in the area of present day Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, and their descendants continue to do so nearby. Anderson Marsh's archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
s provide artifacts of the Pomo people. Some sites are among the oldest found in California, dated at over 10,000 years old.
John Grigsby homesteaded in 1854 with his family, and built a small house. Scotsman John Still Anderson, with his wife and six children, bought the property from Grigsby in 1884, built what is now known as the Ranch House, and ran a dairy and raised beef cattle. Their descendants lived in the Ranch House until the 1960s.
The State Historic Park was named after John Still Anderson in 1982 after the State of California acquired the Anderson Marsh.
Activities
Bird watching- Wetland and upland ecosystemEcosystemAn ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s species
Exhibits/Programs
- Ranch House: Shown by guided tour; example of early California life.http://www.andersonmarsh.org/AMIA/FAQ.htm
- South Barn Interpretive Room: Group presentations. http://access.parks.ca.gov/parkinfo.asp?park=269&type=
Festivals
- BluegrassBluegrass musicBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
Festival, Second week-end in September.
Trails
- The park has miles of hikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails:- Trails that lead along the wetlandWetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
areas of the park include: the Cache Creek Trail and Marsh Trail. - Trails that lead along higher-drier park areas include: the Ridge Trail (in oak woodlands) and Anderson Flats Trail (in grasslands).
- Trails that lead along the wetland
Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association - AMIA
The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) was formed in 1984 by park staff and other volunteers. The primary objectives of the association are to promote the education and interpretive activities of this park. AMIA also funds projects including: habitat conservation and restoration work, trail accessibility construction and maintenance, providing interpretive displays and written information, facilities and historical objects rehabilitation, and acquiring interpretive items.Closure proposal
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is one of 70 California state parks scheduled to close in 2012 by California Governor Jerry BrownJerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
. The park will close July 2012 to achieve part of the $11 million dollar budget reduction for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. This park and 47 other state parks were previously slated for closure in 2008 for financial reasons, but was saved from closure.
Books
- Anderson, John Still, & Dickson, J. D. (1878). Decisions in the Court of Session from 1800 to 1878 in cases concerned with the agriculture of Scotland. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood and Sons.
- California. (1975). The fish and wildlife resources of Anderson Marsh, Clear Lake, Lake County. [Sacramento, Calif.]: State of California, Dept. of Fish and Game.
- California. (1984). Anderson Marsh project and proposed natural preserve proposed primary historic zone. Sacramento.
- California. (1989). Anderson Marsh State Historic Park general plan. [Sacramento?]: State of California, the Resources Agency, Dept. of Parks and Recreation.
- California. (1996). Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Sacramento, CA: California State Parks.
- Scholz, S. (1997). An interpretive trail guide to the natural features of Anderson Marsh State Historic Park. Clearlake, CA: The author.
- Scavone, K. (1999). Anderson Marsh State Historic park: a walking history, prehistory, flora, and fauna tour of a California state park. [s.l.]: Bradford Creek Publishers.
Videography
- White, G., Fredrickson, D. A., Thomas, D., Fredrickson, V.-M., Levinson, B., Thomas, T., & Huffman, M. (1994). Sharing the neighborhood for 5000 years the people of the lake and the uplands. [Sacramento]: California Dept. of Transportation.
- Howser, H. (2001). California's gold. #3001, Clear Lake. [Los Angeles, Calif.]: Huell Howser Productions.