Mariners’ Lake
The Mariners’ Lake within The Mariners’ Park is a stunning 167-acre freshwater lake that makes the perfect backdrop for outdoor activities! Mariners’ Lake also serves as an essential asset for our environmental education programming for area students.
Visiting Mariners’ Lake
Each element of our Park – the forest, the wildlife, and the lake – are all connected to one another. At the end of January, we hosted a Town Hall meeting where we began to engage the people in our community who love the Park and the Lake in a discussion about the future of what we now call our “living collection.” We are thinking about the Park and Lake in three ways:
- Health and Sustainability (of the Forest, Lake, and Wildlife),
- Educational Programming (for student groups and others), and
- Recreation and Wellness (includes boating, fishing, the Noland Trail, and outdoor events).
The health and sustainability of this important natural resource is our top priority.
Boating and fishing are currently prohibited.
While the Museum improves the boating and fishing opportunities for Park guests it is currently closed to the public.
At this time, we are concerned about the quality of our water. We’ve taken many steps to understand the health of the lake including having master naturalists test the water quality. You may have even seen them out on kayaks in recent months! We strive to be as environmentally responsible as possible and ask for your patience while strategically crafting our plan to have sustainable fishing and boating on The Mariners’ Lake. We want nothing more than to open our waters to the community. It will take some time, and we appreciate your patience with us as we work through it.
If you see kayaks on the lake, know that Newport News middle school students are participating in on-the-water learning activities.
Other ways to enjoy the Lake:
There are four overlooks with sweeping views of the Lake
- Monitor Overlook
- Pine Tree Overlook
- Oak Tree Overlook
- Holly Tree Overlook
Lions Bridge offers a great spot to picnic with views of Mariners’ Lake and the James River.
Protecting Mariners’ Lake
Over the past several years, Park staff have collected water quality data from various sites in Mariners’ Lake and Kettle Pond to study and protect the Lake. Each year, more testing sites are added to increase our understanding of this important resource. Our team uses this data to improve the water quality in Mariners’ Lake which contributes to the overall health of our local watershed.
History of the Lake
Mariners’ Lake was the very first endeavor of founder Archer Huntington when he began constructing The Mariners’ Museum and Park. The lake bed was cleared, and Lions Bridge Dam was built in 1930-31, turning the previous salt marsh Waters Creek into a human-made lake. At 167 acres, Mariners’ Lake is sizeable and is home to a diverse freshwater ecosystem. With a long history of recreation on and around Mariners’ Lake, it is a valuable resource for the community. Today, The Mariners’ Museum and Park works to ensure the health of the Lake and its wildlife to preserve this asset for generations to come.
Lake Facts
Lake Water
Mariners’ Lake is 167 acres and ranges in-depth from one to fourteen feet. It serves as a large stormwater catchment for a portion of the City of Newport News. Our watershed includes Christopher Newport University, the Virginia Living Museum, and portions of City Center.
This area filters stormwater when it rains by settling out dirt and pollutants before emptying into the James River.
Lake Wildlife
Marines’ Lake is home to many animals, including:
- Eastern Painted Turtles, Snapping Turtles, Red-Eared and Yellow-Bellied Sliders
- Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Common Carp, American Gizzard Shad, and White Perch
- Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, Mallards, and Canada Geese
Kettle Pond
Kettle Pond is six acres and ranges from one to five feet in depth. When the land for the Park was purchased in 1930, Kettle Pond already existed.
Kettle Pond features the Newport News Arts Commission statue, Selene, by Italian sculptor María Gamundí.
Engaging local students
While our team focuses on the health and sustainability of Mariners’ Lake, it remains closed to the public. However, we are using the Lake as a tool to engage local students in watershed management and on-the-water learning experiences.
While our team focuses on the health and sustainability of Mariners’ Lake, it remains closed to the public. However, we are using the Lake as a tool to engage local students in watershed management and on-the-water learning experiences.
Through a partnership with Newport News Public Schools and the James River Association, Mariners’ Lake is playing an integral role in educating local students through meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs). In the spring of 2022, the James River Association led 1,500 Newport News Public Schools sixth-grade students in a kayaking exploration of the Lake.
Another recent project, funded through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) B-WET grant, is empowering 9th-grade Newport News Public Schools students to become stewards of their watershed.
Outdoor Educational Enrichment Programs
We offer programs exploring macroinvertebrates and water quality in the Lake, land cover changes and pollution around the Park, and even a program about the Park’s forests and pollinators.
