| Anderson Marsh State Historic Park | |
|---|---|
 The Ranch House at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park | |
   | |
| Location | Lake County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Clearlake, California |
| Coordinates | 38°55′25″N122°37′30″W / 38.92361°N 122.62500°W /38.92361; -122.62500 |
| Area | 1,298 acres (5.25 km2) |
| Established | 1982 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park is aCalifornia State Historic Park andnature reserve preserving a tule marsh, archaeological sites of thePomo people, and historic ranch structures.[1] It is located inLake County,California, United States.[2] Anderson Marsh is located at the head ofCache Creek on the southeast corner ofClear Lake, the largest natural lake completely within the borders of California.[2] The park is between the cities ofLower Lake andClearlake onState Route 53, north ofCalistoga in thewine country.[3] The park is open year-round.[4]
The Anderson Marsh Park contains 1,065 acres (431 ha) ofnative bunch grass-covered hills,oakwoodland, andTule(Schoenoplectus acutus) marshes. It protects severalhabitats including:freshwatermarshwetlands,nativegrasslands,California oak woodlands, andriparianwoodlands. Aquatic and terrestrial wildlife include:large mouth bass,bluegill, catfish,crappie, the north-western pond turtle,bats,gray fox,frogs,garter snakes,mink,muskrats,opossums,raccoon,river otter,skunks, andtoads.[5]
Approximately 151 different bird species, both migrating and resident, have been identified in the park.[6]
The SoutheasternPomoNative Americans, one of the largest groups ofindigenous peoples of the Americas inpre-Columbian California, lived in the area of present-day Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, and their descendants continue to do so nearby. Anderson Marsh'sarchaeological sites provide artifacts of the Pomo people. Some sites are among the oldest found in California, dated at over 10,000 years old.[2] After recording 43 prehistoric sites, John Parker nominated the area to theNational Register of Historic Places and began a campaign to have the sites acquired as a new State Park.[7]
John Grigsby homesteaded in 1854 with his family, and built a small house.[8] 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.[5][8][9]
The park offersbird watching, hiking, a bluegrass musical festival, and interpretive programs, including a historic ranch home.
The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association (AMIA) was formed in 1984 by park staff and other volunteers. The primary objective of the association is to promote the education and interpretive activities of the park. AMIA also funds projects including:habitat conservation andrestoration work, trail accessibility construction and maintenance, interpretive displays and written information, facilities, historical objects rehabilitation, and acquiring interpretive items.
Anderson Marsh State Historic Park was one of 48California state parks scheduled to close in 2008 by California GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger for financial reasons, but the closure was eventually postponed.[10] In July 2012, the park again faced closure as a means to achieve part of the $11 million budget reduction for the 2011/2012 fiscal year, but the passing of Assembly Bill 1478 in September 2012 indefinitely postponed the closure as well as increased the park's future funding.[11][12][13]
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