Into the Blue: Underwater Archaeology in California State Parks

Summary

The Underwater Parks of California are located primarily along the coastline, stretching from Mendocino County in the north to San Diego County in the south. Mono Lake, D.L. Bliss, Emerald Bay-Lake Tahoe, and Lake Perris represent inland underwater parks. The California Department of Parks and Recreation’s underwater parks program was established in 1968 to preserve the best and most unique representative examples of the state’s natural underwater ecosystems found in coastal and inland waters. Since that time, Parks has established 19 underwater parks with over 60 proposals for new parks under consideration. Currently, State Parks manages almost one quarter of California’s coastline. This paper will provide an overview of this important program, review our current knowledge of submerged cultural resources by highlighting projects already accomplished, and outline our goals for future underwater archaeological projects to continue protecting California’s cultural resources. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Managing Underwater Cultural Heritage: Navigating the Natural Hazards, the Man-Made Hazards, and the Red Tape   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 604