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- Golden Gate Park - Completed Park Improvements/
- Golden Gate Park - Middle Lake Rehabilitation/
Golden Gate Park - Middle Lake Rehabilitation
Completed and Open to the Public August 2024!
Scope of Work
The rehabilitation project for Middle Lake included replacing the clay liner lake bottom and increasing the water depth, clearing the pipes connecting Middle Lake to South and North Lakes, and rehabilitating the rock cascade from the Fly Casting Pools. In addition, the project included removing invasive vegetation from within and around the lake and replacing it with appropriate landscape species, and improving the pathways to increase visibility and accessibility to the lake area for park users.
Background
Middle Lake is a freshwater lake located within Golden Gate Park and is bounded by John F. Kennedy Drive to the north, Chain of Lakes Drive to the west, and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the south. The Lake and surrounding vegetation and trails comprise approximately 14-acres. Middle lake is one in a series of three lakes called the Chain of Lakes, which flow from south to north from South Lake Middle Lake to North Lake.
The primary source of water inflow to Middle Lake is South Lake, which is located 500 feet to the south. Middle Lake also receives water from rainfall and surface runoff. Before the construction of Golden Gate Park, this area was originally sand dunes with several seasonal ponds. In 1898, the Chain of Lakes was designed to sit on top of the sand dunes with a clay liner to hold water. Over time the clay liners developed leaks and the water levels were maintained by pumping water from the local aquifer. When this project was undertaken, a major overhaul of the facility was necessary.
Funding
- 2012 Park Bond (City Wide Fund)
- General Fund
- 2020 Health and Recovery Bond
- Open Space Fund
The construction contract award for this project was approved by Recreation and Parks Commission on October 20, 2022 ( PDF ); Recreation and Parks Commission approved a contract amendment on February 1, 2023 ( PDF ). This construction contract award obtained and complies with all city, state, and federal regulatory approvals, including any that are specific to this project’s funding sources.
Project Schedule
Phase | Timeline |
Planning | Summer 2018 |
Design | Spring 2020 |
Construction contract awarded | October 2022 |
Construction begins | Winter 2022 |
Open to the public | August 2024 |
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