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Tolay Lake is a shallow freshwater lake in southern Sonoma County, California, United States.〔United States Geological Survey, ''Sears Point, California 7.5 minute quadrangle'', U.S. government Printing Office, Washington DC〕 The lake, nestled within the southern vestiges of the Sonoma Mountains, is the site of significant Native American prehistoric seasonal settlement. In 2005, Sonoma County acquired the entirety of the lake and virtually its whole drainage basin from the Cardoza family for the sum of $18 million; the County's intention is to utilize the property as Tolay Lake Regional Park for ecological and archaeological preservation, as well as public use and enjoyment.〔(Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space Agency: Acquisition of Tolay Lake Ranch )〕 Tolay Lake and its immediate drainage area is home to several nesting pairs of golden eagles, ''Aquila chrysaetos'',〔(Christine Sculati, ''News From the Conservation Community and the Natural World'', Bay Nature, January-March, 2005 )〕 and a number of rare, threatened or endangered species including the California red-legged frog, ''Rana draytonii''; Western pond turtle, ''Actinemys marmorata''; and Western burrowing owl, ''Athene cunicularia''. Tolay Lake was initially altered about 1850 by European settlers who dynamited a natural earth dam on the lake's south side, in order to enable more intensive agricultural cultivation and grazing of the basin; at times thereafter, the lake typically became almost dry in the summer months, when rainfall in this region is at its seasonal nadir. Another modern alteration is the construction of an east-west earthen causeway that effectively bisects the lake, impeding thorough water circulation and fragmenting plant and animal colonies of the lake. ==History== Dating to at least 4,000 years, habitation of the original Tolay Lake perimeter occurred on a seasonal basis by the Coast Miwok, Pomo and other native Californians. It is known that this has been a regional gathering place for diverse tribes, probably associated with the beliefs that healing powers were derived from this lake. One of the main bases for this knowledge is the discovery of many prehistoric charmstones and numerous arrowheads in the lake bed.〔(''Tolay Lake Park: Natural and Cultural History'' )〕 Evidence suggests that these stones were brought from distant parts of California and as far away as Mexico for a ritual in which the native threw the stone into Tolay Lake, with the belief that this act rid the thrower of affliction or disease or would invoke enhanced crop yields. Some of these artifacts are situated in a small museum on site, and a number of them are within the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum. These archaeological findings received such widespread attention that the lake was at one time alternatively known as Charmstone Lake.〔 Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria of Coast Miwok or Pomo descent has said: "The lake and surrounding area was highly sacred and was considered one of three areas in all of northern California where Indian nomads from different tribes convened for sacred ceremonies and the exchange of ritual objects and songs for the purpose of healing."〔(County of Sonoma Regional Parks Department: Tolay Lake Regional Park ), August 20, 2007.〕 He also said the 1000 charmstones discovered there, to date are: "the most significant discovery of cultural material for my people, but no doubt for all native people in California."〔 José Altimíra, founder of Mission San Francisco Solano described the lake in 1823, saying: "We found on said hillock, a little further on, the large lake of Tolay--named after the chief of the Indian nomadic tribals "(Mr.Hukalaka Tolay), who in former times settled there. Its width at some parts is, with little difference, one hundred and fifty varas (), at others two hundred varas (), and at one point one-fourth of a league, which is also its length." In the mid-nineteenth century European settlers began to develop the Tolay Basin agriculturally along with the Sonoma Valley and Petaluma River Basin. Initially the Europeans compromised the natural earthen dam that impeded outflow at the southern end of the lake, primarily by dynamite. This hydrologic change reduced the lake size by approximately 50 percent and enabled more intensive grazing as well as growing of crops. The Tolay Lake basin's agricultural use expanded until about 1940 when the Cardoza family purchased the 1737 acre (7.03 km²) holding and called it the Cardoza Ranch. The Cardozas made further improvements to the ranch containing Tolay Lake and retained ownership until 2005. During the Cardoza tenure, numerous road and fence additions were made as well as well crafted dry stone bridge and wall structures; these changes were introduced to facilitate the cattle grazing, pumpkin farming and other farming uses. In 2005 the Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County entered into an option purchase agreement of the entire property for a striking price somewhat below the appraised land value. The Cardozas retain ownership to the considerable collection of charmstones found prior to the date of this contract. Subsequently the County exercised its option and as of 2007 has active planning underway to place this holding into the county's park system. On September 20, 2006, Sonoma County found that the conversion to a public park may have a significant impact on the environment and thus a full Environmental Impact Report must be prepared.〔(Environmental Impact Report: Summary of major California environmental determinations for 2006 )〕 As of February, 2007 public access is on a limited ranger-guided appointment basis only. Each autumn in recent years the Cardoza family opened the Ranch to about 20,000 visitors to witness the annual pumpkin festival from the harvest of lakebed cultivated production. It is not known whether this tradition will continue under County management. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tolay Lake」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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