The Jan. 9 edition of the Record-Bee ran a story titled “Borax Lake on Historic Registry.” This is not true. Borax Lake and its surroundings are not National Historic Landmarks. What did happen is that the Borax Lake Archaeological Site was listed as a National Historic Landmark. The archaeological site is a small parcel of land near Borax Lake that is owned by the Archaeological Conservancy. The site was first excavated in 1938 by Mark Harrington and has since been studied by several other archaeologists. It was listed as a National Historic Landmark because it is one of the best examples of early human habitation in California (Harrington 1948). My own dissertation research supports the Borax Lake Site”s antiquity by indicating that the first permanent people at Clear Lake most likely arrived from the Central Valley and settled in the eastern and southern arms of the lake between 12,000 and 14,000 years ago (Parker 1994).
Although many of us would like to see some protection for the resources around Borax Lake, unfortunately the Lake is not protected as a National Historic Landmark.
John Parker, Ph.D., RPA
Cayucos, Calif.
