Colorado Lagoon's History
The Colorado Lagoon is historically part of the greater Los Cerritos Wetlands. Once a thriving ecosystem that encompassed most of East Long Beach with borders that included portions of what is now California State University, Long Beach, the Wetlands complex totaled about 2400 acres. The Lagoon has undergone many changes since the land began being utilized by oil operations in the late 19th century. Colorado Lagoon today measures about 13 acres, with many area homes situated on historic wetlands.
Although the tides are muted, the connection to Alamitos Bay is partially restricted and the watershed is polluted, many fish still find their way into the waters and birds continue to migrate to the Lagoon. It remains a vital and necessary refuge for wildlife and native species.
The size, shape and viability of the Lagoon has drastically changed over the years. However, its long history also includes many fond childhood memories for Long Beach area residents.
Colorado Lagoon provides a unique opportunity for restoration and preservation as one of the few enduring urban wetlands in California. With collaborative efforts and resources directed towards respecting the value of the Lagoon, revitalization is attainable.
These historic photos illustrate the important role Colorado Lagoon played in the lives of Long Beach residents and the unique evolution and transformation of the East Long Beach community. You may notice how the land gradually encroaches upon the connection with the bay but the Lagoon has always been a nexus of community involvement and recreation.
As a collaboration between CSULA and CSULB (funded by CSU COAST), we created an story map that details social change in Alamitos Bay since the late 1700s. We then organized those layers into a storymap, adding additional information, so that the layers and social changes can be viewed in social context and through history. These sources were field-checked for the storymap with several different experts including, Eric Stein, Eric Zahn, and the people at the Long Beach Historical Society. See our draft story map here (http://arcg.is/qXD9y)
Although the tides are muted, the connection to Alamitos Bay is partially restricted and the watershed is polluted, many fish still find their way into the waters and birds continue to migrate to the Lagoon. It remains a vital and necessary refuge for wildlife and native species.
The size, shape and viability of the Lagoon has drastically changed over the years. However, its long history also includes many fond childhood memories for Long Beach area residents.
Colorado Lagoon provides a unique opportunity for restoration and preservation as one of the few enduring urban wetlands in California. With collaborative efforts and resources directed towards respecting the value of the Lagoon, revitalization is attainable.
These historic photos illustrate the important role Colorado Lagoon played in the lives of Long Beach residents and the unique evolution and transformation of the East Long Beach community. You may notice how the land gradually encroaches upon the connection with the bay but the Lagoon has always been a nexus of community involvement and recreation.
As a collaboration between CSULA and CSULB (funded by CSU COAST), we created an story map that details social change in Alamitos Bay since the late 1700s. We then organized those layers into a storymap, adding additional information, so that the layers and social changes can be viewed in social context and through history. These sources were field-checked for the storymap with several different experts including, Eric Stein, Eric Zahn, and the people at the Long Beach Historical Society. See our draft story map here (http://arcg.is/qXD9y)
