Walking Waterhoods: Lake Temescal Preview

1

Ohlone at Lake Temescal

The first known inhabitants of the area were the Huichin and Saclan Ohlone — Native Americans who lived here for thousands of years before European colonization. The name "Temescal" comes from an Aztec word for "sweat lodge." The sweat lodges were constructed differently than Ohlone houses. Although they are of the similar dome shape, the sweat lodge is "twice as large as the others and is dug into the Earth." The purpose for the sweat lodge is to be in touch with spirituality and nature. Men came here before hunting, they sang, clapped and sweated. Sweat lodges cleaned them both physically and spiritually before dancing, gambling, deer hunting, and other important activities. Men usually visited the sweat lodge once a day.

2

The Damming of Temescal Creek

Anthony Chabot brought hydraulic gold mining to early California. With the wealth he generated during the Gold Rush, he began buying land and trying to solve the problem of how to provide water to the new communities of European settlers. Chabot chose this as the place to dam Temescal Creek. When the project was completed in 1868, he established the Contra Costa Water Company and began selling water to Oakland residents at a high cost. Within a few years it became evident that the new lake provided only small amounts of low quality, heavily silted water, so could not meet the needs of the area. He moved his labor team east to dam San Leandro Creek, which formed the much larger reservoir, Lake Chabot.

3

Lake Temescal Dam

Chinese immigrants, who originally came to the US to build railroads, built Chabot Dam. Hundreds of workers lived for several years excavating dirt from downstream, loading it into mule-drawn carts, and with the help of mustang horses, packing it into the body of the dam. The horses trampled the dirt so tightly, it created a surface that was as hard as concrete in a process known as "Puddling." A number of Chinese were killed during the building of both dams.

4

Lake Temescal Dam

The Chinese workers (men only) lived in camps, where, in their free time, they played traditional Chinese games including mahjong and Pai gow. They dressed in typical "coolie" clothing like that worn by farmers in China at the time. Within 20 years, the U.S. would pass the Chinese Exclusion Act that made it illegal for any Chinese person to immigrate to the U.S. for work.The first Chinese workers arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area at the start of the Gold Rush. Some mined for gold, but faced violence and hostility from white miners. Gold mines started to ban Chinese workers in 1852, so those workers were forced to change work. Anti-Chinese rallies led by the Workingmen's Party occurred in Oakland and Emeryville in the 1870s. This party gained seats in the California state senate, and they denied Chinese citizens voting rights.

5

Hayward Fault and Dam Failure

You might think that putting a reservoir over an active fault line was a bad idea. But at the time Anthony Chabot conceived of putting a dam on the creek here at a sag pond, no one knew it was a fault. Even an earthquake that occurred on the fault in October 1868, mid-dam construction, didn’t alert them, as no one at the time understood earthquake dynamics. But if a massive earthquake does happen, experts disagree on whether or not a major flood, such as the one depicted in the second image, would occur. Let’s hope not! Learn more about the debate on dam failure.

6

Highways and the Caldecott Tunnel

Highways 13 and 24 surround Lake Temescal, and are part of a complicated history of roadways and tunnels linking Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The original pathways for horse drawn buggies over the hill were steep and quite treacherous. Interest began as early as 1860 in constructing a tunnel through the mountain, but a variety of business issues kept it from completion until the early 1900s.Originally a small, one-way bore called the Kennedy tunnel connected the two sides of the mountain. Like the Lake Temescal dam, it was built mostly with Chinese manual labor. However, it was plagued with size issues as buggies became cars, and met with constant landslide and flooding issues. in the late 1920s it was decided to create the Broadway Tunnels (later the Caldecott Tunnels) below the Kennedy Tunnel, and construct a new roadway to direct traffic through them. The first two bores and the road that would eventually become Highway 24 were opened in 1937. The Kennedy tunnel was sealed 10 years later in 1947.Additional bores were added in 1964 and 2013 to facilitate the every growing need for greater Bay Area car traffic.

7

Lake Temescal in the 1800's

The Bohemian Artists that camped at Lake Temescal: In the 1880s poets and landscape painters know an "plein air" artists gathered here. Ambrose Bierce (pictured) and George Sterling met at Lake Temescal before. Ambrose Bierce was one of the founding members of the Bohemian Club and Geroge Sterling was a writer. JHE Partington, a well known artist, lived in a tent in Lake Temescal when he and his family first arrived in Oakland. Painter William Wendt is shown here painting by the lake.

8

Landvale Bridge

This ramp that goes up and suddenly stops is what is left of the Landvale Bridge. Originally build in 1937 in conjunction with the first two bores of the Caldecott Tunnel, it served as a bridge between Tunnel Road and Montclair until 1964, when most of it was removed. Part of it continued to be used as part of the on ramp between Broadway and Highway 13 until 1999, when the 13/24 interchange was rebuilt.

9

Lake Temescal Beach House and Cliff Swallows

The Lake Temescal Beach house was constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940 and is now used for public and private event rentals. In addition to the Beach House, WPA labor helped create the park's walking paths and added rocks, or riprap, along the shoreline to protect it from erosion. If you look up above the windows and under the eaves of the roof, you'll see the nests of the American cliff swallow, extremely social songbirds that can often be found in large nesting colonies of hundreds or thousands of birds.

10

Temescal Beach

The Beach is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Temescal, close to the intersection of Dam Trail and East Shore Trail. Lake Temescal has the honor of being one of the first three parks opened by the East Bay Regional Park District in 1936. Since then, people have been enjoying the beach for swimming and fishing. The beautiful stone beach house was built when Temescal Regional Recreation Area (initially Lake Temescal Regional Park) opened to the public in 1936. The handsome stone building was constructed in 1940 by Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews. The beach house is now a public venue.

11

Sign: Restoration of Temescal Waterfall

Informational sign about the beach house and waterfall. The waterfall was man-made, crafted out of local rocks. Despite being restored in 2013, it often remains nonoperational due to drought.

12

Fishing Dock

Fishing Lake Temescal has a long tradition going back almost 150 years as we can see from this entry from July 22, 1881's Oakland Tribune. While fishing in Temescal Creek is prohibited, this fishing in encouraged from this dock.

13

Canada Goose

Canada Geese (note - not "Canadian") are commonly found in Oakland and have been breeding in the Bay Area since at least the 1950s. They bond in breeding pairs for life and are primarily vegetarian, although they do eat small insects and fish. They often build their nests by water, and forage in marshlands and wet grasslands. While some pairs overwinter here, Lake Temescal also provides an important stop along their migratory path on the Pacific Flyway, which extends all the way from the Arctic circle to the U.S. - Mexico border. Osprey have also been seen in Lake Temescal, flying in from Richmond to catch fish.

15

Sign: Water Quality Improvement Project

Lake Temescal is tested for bacterial levels weekly from April to October. Water quality samples are taken from four different locations around the Lake, including the swim beach. Nearby communities located above the lake can play a significant role in introducing nutrients. Runoff from the streets storm drains flows into Temescal Creek. Impervious surfaces in cities, including pavement, buildings, and large areas of compacted earth diminishes the amount of rain soaking (percolating) into the soil. Sanitary and storm sewer lines run parallel to each other here, resulting in stormwater overflowing into the sanitary sewer collection system. Urban stormwater runoff is a major source of nonpoint water pollution. Pollutants such as suspended solids, heavy metals and nutrients have been found in samples of urban stormwater runoff. The nutrients carried in runoff catalyze cyanobacteria growth, resulting in blue-green algae blooms that can kill aquatic animals.

16

Striped Skunk

Look for the striped skunk along your path. It's an adaptable watershed resident that does well in human environments. Though they eat a variety of plants and animals, their diet consists mostly of insects. Lawns and landscaped areas provide them with foraging areas for beetles and grubs, and they are one of the primary predators of honeybees. Their thick fur protects them from bee stings and their notorious spray — an oily musk — can cause temporary blindness when sprayed into a predator's eyes.

17

Sign: Protecting an Urban Oasis

Informational sign about protecting an urban oasis — organisms and plants that thrive at Lake Temescal.

18

California Blackberry

California blackberry bushes have grown around the lake for hundreds of years. Native Americans mixed the ripe berries with meat to form cakes. Unripe berries were soaked to make drinks, and roots were boiled for medicinal purposes.

19

Rainbow Trout

Temescal Creek was once home to steelhead trout, a migratory fish that journeys to the ocean and then returns to its birth creek to spawn. The introduction of underground culverts and dam created barriers to the steelhead’s upstream migration, eventually reducing their numbers. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are now stocked in Lake Temescal during the winter months for recreational fishing. These fish are not migratory, and can live in streams, lakes, and rivers. They feed on insects that drift along the water as well as worms and insect larvae on the bottoms of rivers and lakes.

20

Sign: Go Fishing in the Regional Parks

Information sign about fishing at East Bay Regional Park District, and where fishing is available in the park system.

21

Green Heron

The green heron (Butorides virescens) prefers streams, freshwater ponds, and lakes with nearby trees. You’ll often spot them perched in trees or standing still near the water's edge, waiting for prey. Sometimes they'll even drop “bait” such as a feather or twig on the surface of the water to lure fish closer to them. They feed on small fish, insects, shellfish and lizards. Green herons tend to live alone or in small loose groups of three or four.

22

Sierran Tree Frog

The native Sierran tree frog or Pacific chorus frog is famous for its “ribbit” sound, which became known as the classic frog sound used in movies and cartoons. Conservation groups have been working to raise the frog's numbers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sierran tree frogs are mostly nocturnal and can live in forests, mountains, and grasslands, as long as there is cover and a source of water nearby. Depending on the season and their environment, Sierran tree frogs can change color from brown to green.

23

East Shore Trail: Big Rock Picnic Area

A nice picnic area suitable for barbecues, located at the south side of Lake Temescal, next to a streamside picnic area. Big Rock picnic area features a large boulder from the Franciscan Formation (established 200-80 million years ago). Picnic sites are available on a first-come basis.

24

East Shore Trail: Parkview Picnic Area

A picnic area with a hot coal receptacle located along East Shore Trail.

25

Lake Temescal Seismic Activity

Lake Temescal sits right on top of the Hayward fault. There is a vertical crack under the lake, caused by the movement of the earth's plates. The Temescal Dam has survived two major earthquakes; however, those were caused by movement along the nearby San Andreas fault and not the Hayward fault. If the dam were to fail, parts of Oakland would likely flood. You'll learn more about how the fault is measured as you walk around the lake.

26

Coast Redwood

Redwood conifers are the tallest trees in the world. They can grow as high as 320 feet or nearly 30 stories, and as wide as 27 feet. These large, fast-growing trees once covered the coast of California from Big Sur to the Oregon border. Most of these forests were cut down and used for lumber. There are no old-growth redwoods in the Temescal Regional Recreation Area.

27

Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, is natural in Lake Temescal but usually remains in balance. However, large blooms can be credited to periodic sewer overflow, and, more frequently, stormwater flows into the lake. Stormwater pours in from residential streets geographically above and within the creek’s watershed connected by storm drains. Stormwater brings a variety of chemical pollutants into the shallow lake, building up the nutrient loads. This leads to harmful cyanobacteria blooms, which can make the water dangerous for humans and other creatures to touch or consume.

28

East Shore Trail: Streamside Picnic Area

This picnic area is on the bank of the stream and very shady. It has a large grassy area. Located on the southern end of the Lake Temescal it is 200 yards from the Broadway Terrace parking lot.

29

Bull Thistle

Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare), or common thistle, is an important plant to pollinators, but it can also be invasive in some areas. It attracts butterflies, including monarchs, because of its large flower size. The thistle grows well in bare or disturbed soils, such as along paths and roadways.

30

Sage Brush

The California sagebrush (Artemisia californica) is an aromatic plant often used for teas. It is native to western and southwestern California and endemic in some parts of the state. It is an important part of the transition between chaparral and coastal sage scrub ecosystems.

31

Sign: The "Faulty History of Lake Temescal"

Informational sign about the creation of Lake Temescal as a result of the active Hayward Fault that runs through Temescal Creek.The cracks in this sidewalk were made by the ground shifting during the 1989 Loma Prieta 6.9 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault.

32

Oak Bay Trail

Oak Bay Trail is one of two trails along the west side of Lake Temescal, this one slightly elevated. It is much used by dog walkers, runners, and hikers.

33

North American River Otter

For a number of years, people thought the river otter (Lontra canadensis) no longer lived in the Temescal area, but it's starting to make a comeback. River otters have been spotted in Lake Temescal and along the upper branch of Temescal Creek which runs alongside Highway 13. They tend to hunt in areas with easy-to-catch fish and stay close to shores with dense, shrubby growth. Because they have to stay warm while hunting in cold water, they eat a lot—mostly fish but will prey on anything including frogs, crayfish, shellfish, insects, small birds and mammals. If you see on on your walk, you can report your otter sighting on https://riverotterecology.org.

34

Detention Pond

This detention pond, built as part of a restoration plan in 1979, does heavy-duty work to keep the lake clean. As the water entering the lake here comes largely from nearby neighborhoods and the stormwater they produce, it does not receive the benefit of being naturally filtered by soil and plant roots. The detention pond does some of this work by removing sediment and larger debris, lessening the need for dredging and reducing algal blooms.

35

Temescal Park Sign

Information about Lake Temescal and Temescal Creek can be found here. There is a map of Lake Temescal which shows pathways and hiking trails that can be taken. The East Bay Regional Park District created this to help people get more information about this park.

36

Red Valerian

In the spring and summer, red valerian (Centranthus ruber) blossoms cover the landscape. They were introduced to the Bay Area by European settlers in the 1700 and 1800's. Though they are not native plants, they have been naturalized, and are used by many pollinators.

37

Land and Water Conservation Fund Sign

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established in 1964 and made into a permanent funding source in 2019. This fund has provided over $16.7 billion to local and state governments to invest in the protection of natural resources and outdoor recreation. The money has been used to improve different aspects of regional parks such as hiking trails and recreational areas and make it accessible to the public.

38

Temescal Regional Recreation Area South Entrance Sign

The entrance sign for Temescal Regional Recreation Area's southern entrance.

39

Bridge

This bridge goes over Temescal Creek which enabled the two sides of the park to have a secured connection. It is made out of wood which helps blend it into the natural environment.

40

Exit of Large Pipe

There are many areas in which Temescal Creek flows underground. This large pipe is the exit point of one part of the creek that was forced to run below the surface by urbanization.

41

Bridge and Dam

This small bridge has been built over this small dam on Temescal Creek which slows down the rate of how fast the water enters Lake Temescal.

42

West Shore Trail

West Shore Trail runs along the west side of Lake Temescal next to the water. This trail is not paved but features fishing piers, oak trees, redwoods, berries, insects, birds and more.

43

Metal Blockage

This metal pipe is a filtration system built during the construction of the Lake Temescal Detention Pond to help reduce the amount of pollutants that enter Lake Temescal through Temescal Creek.

44

Oak Bay Trail View

Hiking up the Oak Bay Trail, you'll be able to see some beautiful views of Lake Temescal. You can also see the Beach House, Highway 24, and houses in the Oakland hills.

45

Western Sword Fern

The western sword fern has a wide distribution, ranging from southeast Alaska to southern California. It is prefers to live in the understory (in cool dark places). Western sword fern can be identified by its dark green color and single pinnate frond. The ferns grows in clumps and reproduces by spores. Native Ohlone likely used the roots of ferns for cooking and eating. The leaves/fronds of the plant were used to line cooking pits and baskets, beds and floors. It is host to moths such as Reticulated Decantha Moth (Decantha boreasella), Hodges #6808 (Thallophaga taylorata), and Diarsia esurialis.

46

Cow Parsnip

Cow parsnip is a common plant in the Temescal Creek Watershed. Native Americans removed the outer skin of cow parsnip and used it as a food source, dermatological aid, straws, and a yellow dye.