Neary Lagoon used to be a small little set of boardwalks, weaving their way through an impossibly magical set of waterways, through which a host of wildlife would travel. I visited often when I was a little girl, especially when my father played tennis at the courts. There used to be one of the best playgrounds there, too.
Much has changed over the years, as it does. The sanitation company next to it grew its space and took some of the area over, and the playground isn’t the fantastic wooden, splinter-delivering structure it once was. But one thing has gotten loads better and that’s the increased amount of floating boardwalks and improved stewardship of this natural wildlife habitat.
When I was a kid, I saw river otters in the lagoon and loads of ducks; the amount of wildlife hasn’t changed, I’m pleased to say.
There are loads of birds to be seen here.
Almost immediately, we saw a Cooper’s Hawk sitting on the fence next to the boardwalk.
We also saw plenty of ducks, old and young, and turtles sunning themselves against the reeds.
The walk is not very long and for this reason, most of the websites describing the area are quick to point out the tennis courts as well.
Neary Lagoon is about 44 acres in total, most of which is wetland, riparian, and woodland habitats. As per the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Neary Lagoon is a well-known bird watching area and has been featured in national birding magazines.
The Ohlone Native Americans settled the lagoon area, making use of the abundant tule reeds and waterfowl.
According to the museum, in 1876, two brothers, James and Martin Neary, purchased the lagoon and farmland from the previous owner, Thomas J. Weeks. The Nearys, who came to Santa Cruz from Ireland in 1862, used the land near the lagoon for a small dairy and for farming various crops. During the 1850s, the lagoon covered about 75 acres, extending north to about where Laurel Street is today and east to what is now Pacific Avenue.
With its connection to the ocean, Neary Lagoon was an important breeding ground and nursery for many types of ocean dwelling creatures; including sharks, rays, anchovies and steelhead as well as many other coastal fishes. The lagoon began its long decline in the 1870s with the construction of a railroad grade along its eastern edge.
During this time the lagoon was partially filled and isolated from tidal influence. It was at this time that Neary Lagoon became a misnomer. Cut off from the ocean it was no longer a true lagoon. It took on a new life as a freshwater marsh.
- In the 1880s, the city’s sewer, runoff from adjacent pastures, and poor drainage and circulation lines contaminated the lagoon’s waters. The lagoon was considered by many to be a public health threat and was partially blamed for local outbreaks of cholera. (Gross!)
- For these reasons, attempts were made in the 1880s to drain the lagoon permanently by constructing a flume to carry the water to the sea.
- In 1928, a wastewater treatment plant was built on city-owned land bordering the lagoon.
- By the 1930s, the lagoon had become primarily a shallow freshwater marsh or bog with few areas of open water.
- In 1967, the City of Santa Cruz purchased the lagoon property from the Neary family.
- In 1972, the City granted approval for a development firm to construct the Shelter Lagoon condominium and Cypress Point apartment developments on the north side of the lagoon. Approval was granted with the condition that the developers would restore the lagoon through dredging, aid in developing surrounding land as a park, and dedicate a 10-foot easement for public access and city maintenance along the property adjacent to the lagoon.
- The lagoon was dredged in the mid-1970s, and recreation facilities were developed gradually between 1975 and 1986 by the City with Land and Water Conservation Fund support.
- In spring 2010, the Museum piloted the 5th grade Watershed Walk.
- By 2011, over 7,000 students and adults had participated in the Neary Lagoon Wetland and Watershed Walk programs.
Neary’s is a fine walk, well worth your time, if short. Combine it with other park visits in the area.
Animals
We saw:
- Cooper’s hawk
- Mallard ducks
- White doves
- Turtles
As always, take a look at my animals page for pictures of everything we’ve seen on our walks.
More Information
- Santa Cruz Natural History Museum background on the Lagoon (PDF)
- City of Santa Cruz page on Neary’s Lagoon
How to Get There
Public entrances to the Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge are located at the end of Chestnut Street, the end of Blackburn Street, and at the corner of Bay Street and California Street. I like parking at the end of Chestnut street. Bring coins for meters.