Loch Lomond

The Junior Ranger Online Workbook

This workbook will review many of the things you learned on your Ranger-led hike or self-guided hike.

Now is your chance to become a Loch Lomond Junior Ranger. By reading this workbook and answering the quiz questions at the end, you will be eligible to earn the first level in our Junior Ranger Program. To see all the Junior Ranger Levels, click here.

There are many fun things planned for our program this coming year. We hope to see YOU soon, up at the lake!

Don't forget to check out our online activities too!

Ok, if you are ready, let's get started!

So what is Loch Lomond?

	It is a man-made lake (made by people, not nature) created by building a dam across the Newell Creek. The dam stops the creek water and it holds back the built up water that fills the lake.
	It is a reservoir (anything that can hold or store water). Loch Lomond is where Santa Cruz stores its drinking water supply (about 3 billion gallons worth)! Loch Lomond is only one of the many places where Santa Cruz gets its drinking water. We also get our water from the San Lorenzo River, creeks and streams, and even a few underground wells.
	It is a recreation area (a place to come and enjoy nature, go fishing and boating, have a picnic, take a hike, observe wildlife, relax and have fun!
	It is a watershed (The hilly land that surrounds the creek. The rain water falls onto the hills and then runs down into the reservoir). This is how Loch Lomond gets full of water!
	It’s a natural reserve (an area of natural land that is saved for the future). Most of the Loch Lomond watershed land is a reserve which is protected and is not used by people. Many wild animals live in the reserve and are often seen in the recreation area as well. Fun facts about Loch Lomond Any guesses on how big Loch Lomond is? * The lake is about 3 miles long and 1/4 mile wide. (Same distance as from the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor to Lighthouse Field)! * The lake is about 150 feet deep. (Twice as deep as the Santa Cruz Giant Dipper roller coaster is tall)! * How much water does it hold? The lake holds about 3 billion gallons of water. That may seem like a LOT of water, and it is... but it's still only about 3/4 of the water used every year in Santa Cruz. * Loch Lomond recreation area was opened in 1963. What year were you born? How much older is Loch Lomond than you? * Did you know that there is another Loch Lomond? Yes, there is... in Scotland! Our lake, coves and picnic areas were all named after the original Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is owned by the City of
Santa Cruz and is operated by the Water Department.

The recreation area is open from March 1st until September 15th for you to enjoy!

The WILD side of Loch Lomond

The animals that live in the Loch Lomond Recreation Area and in the surrounding watershed land are WILD. Even though some may seem friendly and “tame”, they are not.

Feeding wild animals might seem fun, but it is much better to let them find their own food. Human food is often not good for wild animals. Feeding young wild animals can cause them to get used to human food, and forget how to hunt for their own food. Always pack your trash and please help keep our wild animals wild!

Animals you are likely to see at Loch Lomond include:

ducks (mallards and mergansers), cormorants, blue herons, stellar’s jays, squirrels, black-tail deer, lizards, snakes and lots of insects.

Animals you will have to look harder to see include:

raccoons, skunks, turtles, frogs, quail, osprey, and bats.

Animals that live at Loch Lomond but are rarely ever seen include:

mountain lions, wild boars, bobcats, gray foxes and wild turkeys.

Some of the animals only come out at night. We usually don't see them, because Loch Lomond is closed at sunset. But if you come in the morning and look along the shoreline, you often can find tracks in the mud from many of our night time friends!

*Hint... Having a pair of binoculars also helps to see some of the more shy animals and birds!

Make sure to check out the animal word search and crossword puzzles on our Events and Activities page.

Important rules to know about the lake

and recreation area.

By following a few simple rules, you can help to keep yourself and others safe, and help us keep Loch Lomond in good condition.

Loch Lomond is different from many other lakes in California. Loch Lomond is a drinking water reservoir. This means that the water in the lake is used by the residents of Santa Cruz as their drinking water supply. Because of this, swimming in the lake is not allowed. If you think about it, would you want someone to swim in YOUR drinking water?

Also, for your safety, everyone who goes out in a boat must have a life jacket. And everyone 12 years old or younger must wear their life jacket at all times, even if you are a good swimmer.

While you are hiking at Loch Lomond, we ask that you stay on the established trails. Climbing up or down the steep hills or taking short-cuts may cause you to slip. Climbing or hiking off the trail also disturbs the duff (duff is the accumulation (pile up) of fallen leaves, needles, branches, etc. onto the forest floor (the ground). The duff protects the roots of the plants from heat and especially helps prevent erosion (washing away the dirt) when it rains. Duff protects the land just like an umbrella protects you from the rain.

Have you ever heard of "Pack your trash"? At Loch Lomond, it means that you don't leave any litter or trash out in the recreation area, along the shore, or on the lake. Everything that you take out with you gets "packed" back in until you find a trash can or recycling bin.

Littering causes many problems; it looks bad, it's bad for the environment, and it causes erosion when our rangers have to climb hills to pick it up. It is also bad for the animals who sometimes mistake our trash for their food. So now that you know what it means... please pack your trash (that includes fishing line)!

Make sure to check out the a-MAZE-ing trail game on our Events and Activities page.

A Little Loch Lomond History

Long before Loch Lomond was a lake or a drinking water reservoir, it was just a creek! Yes, a creek running through a large valley surrounded by steep hills. The Ohlone Indians were the original inhabitants (people who lived here) in this area. The local tribe of Ohlone Indians was called the Zayante. Now one of the roads that leads up to Loch Lomond is also called Zayante!

The Zayante tribe lived a simple, and peaceful life. They had enough acorns, fish and small game to feed their people. They spent a lot of their time looking for and preparing food, hunting, making baskets, clothing, boats, tools and shelters. They also enjoyed life with music, singing, playing games, dancing and telling stories. The Spanish and mission life brought an end to the Ohlones in the 1800's.

The original trees that once grew here have mostly been logged (cut down to make into lumber) This happened during the late 1800's and early 1900's. So most of the trees you see now at Loch Lomond are less than 100 years old. This is considered young for Redwood trees! If you look around the recreation area, you can discover some very old stumps of the old trees that were once growing here. One of them in the Upper Loch Picnic area is estimated to have been over 300 years old! See how many rings you can count.

Loch Lomond property was owned by many different people over the years. One of them was Addison Newell. Now the main creek that runs into Loch Lomond is named Newell Creek!
The City of Santa Cruz purchased the land and built the dam in the late 1950's. The dam turned the creek into a reservoir (lake), and the recreation area was opened in 1963.

Water Conservation

Conservation means to save water, or to use it wisely and not waste it.

Who do you think uses the most water... Farmers, Businesses or Families? While farmers do use a lot of water to water the plants in the fields, and some businesses do use a lot of water to make things, families use the MOST water of the three.

Can you guess what inside your house uses the most water? Shower?... no... Washing machine?... no... Toilet?... YES!
And can you guess what outside your house uses the most water? Washing your car?... no... Playing in the sprinkler?... No... Watering your grass and garden?... YES!

There are many ways that YOU can help to save water!
Answer the following questions to see if you and your family are Water Savers!

1. When you brush your teeth, do you leave the faucet running or turn it off?
2. When your dad, grandpa, uncle or big brother shaves, do they leave the water running or turn it off? Maybe they use an electric razor?
3. When you wash your car, do you have a nozzle on the end of the hose or do you let the water run down the driveway?
4. Do you take short showers or do you stand in there for a long time to keep warm?
5. Does your house have a water saving toilet or a water saving washing machine?
6. Do you ever water your grass or garden when it's raining?
7. Are your faucets in good working condition or do they drip... drip... drip...?
8. Can you think of other ways you and your family can help save water?
9. If your parents want to learn more about how they can save water and save money, you can help by telling them to visit this website. Click here Parents!

Thank you for being a water saver!

(Quiz Time!)

The Loch Lomond
Junior Ranger Online Workbook

If you've gotten this far, we will assume you are ready for the quiz!
Don't be nervous, you can always go back and review the workbook to find the correct answers!

Now… just click on your age group below.

Ages 6 and under Click here

Ages 7-9 Click here

Ages 10-12 Click here

Ages 13-14 Click here

Return to the main Junior Ranger Website