Colorado Lagoon

Recreation Leaders will be on site to assist participants with the construction of model sailboats at the Model Boat Shop for seven weeks this summer.  Races are held each Friday afternoon at the Colorado Lagoon.  This is a drop-in program for children ages 7 years and up. The program will not be operated on Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, July 4.

Registration for Summer 2023 begins May 1, 2023.

On Appian Way, between Park & Colorado

A project is underway to restore the water quality and habitat of the Colorado Lagoon by eliminating dry weather storm drain discharges into the Lagoon, dredging contaminated sediment, reshaping the Lagoon edge to allow for additional habitat ranges, removing the north shore roadway, parking lot, picnic area and restroom and cleaning the culvert between the Lagoon and Marine Stadium or opening a channel to replace the culvert. 

The area is part of Recreation Park purchased in 1923 from the San Gabriel River Improvement Company after passage of a bond issue by Long Beach voters. The Lagoon is approximately half land area and half open salt-water area. Originally open to the northwest end of Alamitos Bay, a bulkhead and tide gate installed in 1929 allowed the construction of Colorado Street across the corner of Alamitos Bay. The tide gate controlled water depths, allowing high diving competitions. A multi-story diving platform, used in the 1932 Olympic Trials, was used until the 1950s.

The site has a sandy swimming beach with restrooms, turf picnic areas and parking on the north and south shores. A small building used as a model boat shop and adjacent pre-school cooperative has existed since 1948, and was remodeled and expanded in 2008. A concession stand built in the 1960s, and not used since the 1980s was converted to a Marine Science Center operated by the Friends of the Colorado Lagoon.

The site's popularity as a swimming site diminished after water circulation was impaired in the 1960s when the open channel was replaced by a 900-foot long underground culvert for the freeway. After plans for the freeway terminated in 1970, the site was developed as Marina Vista Park. With tidal flushing diminished and 11 storm drain lines discharging into the Lagoon, water quality diminished until the Lagoon was designated as  water body by the State of California in 2002.

Spurred by the Friends of Colorado Lagoon, plans to improve the Lagoon's water quality and native habitat have been underway since the Coastal Conservancy funded a restoration feasibility study completed 2004. The EIR on improvement plans was certified in 2008. The first phase of restoration construction was scheduled for the fall of 2009 until the on State funded grants was put in place in December 2008. A Los Angeles County funded storm drain improvement project will divert 40% of storm water input around the Lagoon to discharge into Marine Stadium. This Termino Avenue Drain project will begin construction in the fall of 2009.

A new playground opened on March 29 featuring an inclusive children’s play area designed for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12 to engage in active  play on slides, swings, bridges and climbing walls, as well as areas to foster children’s imaginations like a general store, ship mast and telescope. Other enhancements include new picnic tables and seating, landscaping beautification, new and upgraded pathways and other ADA amenities to create a more accessible atmosphere for all. The Colorado Lagoon Park Playground project was made possible utilizing Tidelands Funds with supplemental funding from Measure A. 

Picnic Area, Play equipment, Swim area, Wetland and Marine Science Education Center