The Westchester Lagoon is a combination of two artificial lakes which form a coastal

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

near

Downtown Anchorage Downtown Anchorage is a neighborhood in the U.S. city of Anchorage, Alaska. Considered the central business district of Anchorage, Downtown has many office buildings, cultural points of interest, shopping areas, as well as dining and nightlife at ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. On the lagoons western end, a raised, earthen

levee A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...

offers

right of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

for the

Alaska Railroad Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. The levee separates the lagoon from

Cook Inlet Cook Inlet ( tfn, Tikahtnu; Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage. On its sou ...

Knik Arm Knik Arm ( Dena'ina: ''Nuti'') is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches of Cook Inlet, the other being Turnagain Arm. Knik Glacier empties into the Knik Arm. The Port of Anchorage is loc ...

, although a large culvert allows spawning

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

swimming upstream from Cook Inlet to use the Chester Creek outflow they will find there. The

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is an trail along the coast of Anchorage, Alaska designated for non-motorized use. The trail runs from Second Avenue in downtown Anchorage and finishes in Kincaid Park. The trail is entirely paved, supports two-wa ...

system passes this end of the lagoon, before turning east and passing the Bootleggers Cove neighborhood to the north of the lagoon and continuing further inland into Anchorage. The lagoons eastern boundary is Spenard Road. To the south are single and multi-family homes, Hillcrest Drive and

West Anchorage High School West Anchorage High School (formerly Anchorage High School) is a public high school in Anchorage, Alaska. The school is part of the Anchorage School District (ASD). Opened in 1953, West is the oldest of ASD's eight major high schools. Serving the ...

. The lagoon is bisected by

Minnesota Drive The Minnesota Drive Expressway is a south–north expressway located in the city of Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The expressway includes a small portion of O'Malley Road, which is also built to expressway standards. The highway travels fr ...

, forming two distinct lakes. The lagoon, as well as its man-made islands and parks make up the Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park. Since 1975, the

Municipality of Anchorage A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

has designated the park a waterfowl sanctuary.

History

In the early 1960s, the Municipality of Anchorage began implementing plans to protect the Chester Creek watershed, a system of creeks that carry rain and melt-water from the slopes of the nearby

Chugach Mountains The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain ...

, incorporating the area into an

urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

plan for the city in 1963. The railroad levee was built in 1968, and the city subsequently expanded the area by buying property along the areas perimeter in 1974. In 1975, the area was designated a bird sanctuary, and three man-made islands were completed. Also in 1975, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Audubon Society planted native grasses in the area. In 1976, the city began forming plans to restore the natural habitat of the area, which was completed in 1977. In 1978, the lagoon was drained to allow crews to remove one of the three islands. Vandals targeted the lagoon in 1979, opening locks on the levee, and draining the lagoon. The city responded by installing a more secure system. On September 30, 1993, the lagoon and surrounding parkland were rededicated as the Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, named after the late wife of former Anchorage Mayor George M. Sullivan.

Recreational use

In addition to its function as a bird sanctuary and part of the local trail system, Westchester Lagoon is a popular recreation area. During the winter months, when the lagoon is frozen over, it is used as an ice skating rink, which is groomed and maintained by the city. A

disc golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

course runs through the lagoon area, and a

snack bar A snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. Description A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drink ...

operates during the summer months.

Gallery

File:Aythya marila1.jpg, A greater scaup swimming in Westchester Lagoon File:Anchorage skyline as seen from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.jpg, The Anchorage skyline, seen looking north from Westchester Lagoon

References

{{reflist 1963 establishments in Alaska 1968 in rail transport 1975 establishments in Alaska 1993 establishments in Alaska Bird sanctuaries of the United States Bodies of water of Anchorage, Alaska History of Anchorage, Alaska Lagoons of Alaska