Since World War II and a booming state population that
increasingly sought out the great outdoors to relax, the state’s
water-based recreational activities have continued to grow more
popular and diverse, occurring in a multitude of sources –
from swimming pools and spas to beaches, reservoirs, natural
lakes and rivers.
Public water supply projects, such as the State Water Project,
have helped to provide additional recreational opportunities for
Californians. In some cases, reservoir releases can contribute to
downstream recreation benefits by improving fisheries or by
creating whitewater rafting opportunities that would not be
possible in the absence of reservoir regulation. However, there
are conflicting values and needs for the same river system.
… Just some 30 miles from Palm Springs, on the
southeastern edge of the Coachella Valley desert, Thermal is
the future home of the 118-acre private, members-only Thermal
Beach Club (TBC). According to an early version of the website,
club memberships will start at $175,000 a year. That price tag
makes it clear that the club is not meant for locals. Thermal,
an unincorporated desert community, currently has a median
family income of $32,340. The community lacks much of the basic
infrastructure that serves the western Coachella Valley,
including public water service—leaving residents dependent on
aging private wells for drinking water.
Those who love the Dolores River canyonlands agree — the swath
of rugged land along Colorado’s western border is one of the
state’s last, best wild places. The tract encompasses
staggering red rock cliffs, broad valleys and rolling hills
that burst into green in the spring. Cutting through it all is
the beloved river, which sometimes dwindles to a trickle.
Nobody wants to see it overrun with tourists and trash, like so
many of the West’s wild places. But disagreements about whether
to designate some of the river and its canyonlands as a
national monument have driven a caustic rift between the people
who love the area. What those protections look like, and who
gets to shape them, are at the center of a fiery debate that,
in some instances, has sunk to name-calling and declarations of
evil doing.
On Wednesday, June 12, the state of California officially opens
Dos Rios, the first new state park in more than a decade. It’s
a riparian forest restoration at the confluence of the San
Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers, in the Central Valley, about an
hour from San Jose—and the subject of Bay Nature’s Spring 2024
cover story, “The Everything Park,” by H.R. Smith. We dubbed
Dos Rios the Everything Park because a modern state park has an
astonishing number of jobs to do—among them groundwater
storage, wildlife habitat, and climate adaptation.
Californians can soon enjoy a new state park at the heart of
the Central Valley, the first in about a decade. The Dos Rios
preserve, about 90 minutes east of San Francisco, is a lush
floodplain filled with green grass, shrubs and native trees
like cottonwood, willows and valley oaks. Visitors can hike
through miles of trail beginning this Wednesday, June 12. The
park is located eight miles east of Modesto near the
convergence of the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers. Until about
a decade ago, Dos Rios was a dairy and cattle ranch owned by
farmers who grew tomatoes and almonds. But year after year,
floods swept through, damaging the crops. In 2012, the owners
sold all 1,600 acres to River Partners, an environmental
nonprofit dedicated to conservation.
As crowds head to cool off in the water early this summer,
authorities at Discovery Park, Folsom Lake and other capital
region waterways are taking steps to prevent incidents such as
the ones that have occurred recently at other Northern
California watering holes. There have been various incidents
reported since Memorial Day involving fights and other unruly
crowds at Northern California waterways that have led to
arrests, injuries, and even death. … In Stanislaus County on
Sunday, 75 to 80 people had a confrontation with deputies who
were patrolling near Woodward Reservoir. At least six people
were arrested.
California officials will formally open the state’s 281st state
park on Wednesday, and it’s an unusual one. Dos Rios is a
riverfront oasis in the San Joaquin Valley that offers a window
into what the region was like before it was transformed into an
agricultural powerhouse. The 1,600-acre property, eight miles
west of Modesto at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San
Joaquin Rivers, for decades housed dairy farms and almond
orchards. It has now been restored to a broad natural
floodplain, where visitors will be able to hike, watch birds
and other wildlife, and have a picnic along the riverbanks.
Officials hope to eventually add trails for bicycling and more
river access for swimming, angling and boating.
Twelve people have died on Colorado’s rivers and lakes so far
in 2024, raising concerns among state officials as
water-related deaths are already higher than this time last
year. Four people died or went missing in water-related
accidents since Thursday, including a woman who died after a
river raft crashed into a bridge pylon in Poudre Canyon; one
man who died and a second who is missing after a rafting
accident on the Colorado River southwest of Kremmling; and a
man who drowned in Chatfield Reservoir. That’s in addition to
eight water-related deaths tracked by Colorado Parks and
Wildlife before Memorial Day, which is “very high” for this
point in the season, spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said Monday.
Forest Service officials reported that it took six hours and 17
trash bags to clear the mess left by approximately 3,000
students from both UC Davis and the University of Oregon. The
students are accused of littering the beaches and surrounding
areas of the popular lake with cups, drink cans, pool floats,
and other items, despite being asked to clean up after
themselves. Deborah Carlisi, a detailed recreation staff
officer for Shasta-Trinity National Forest, stated that staff
had provided trash bags and requested that the students pack
out whatever they brought in. “Some students used them.
Some students didn’t,” Carlisi said. She noted that the worst
part is the trash that has sunk to the bottom of the lake,
which cannot be cleaned up until water levels drop later in the
summer.
After more than two decades, Lake Casitas, a vital water source
for the Ojai Valley and parts of Ventura County, has reached
full capacity, to the delight of California residents who lived
through the drought. Phone lines were buzzing Thursday at
Casitas Boat Rentals as the news spread that the lake is
currently at its fullest since 1998. “It’s a really good
feeling to know California is healing from all the drought
we’ve had,” says Kim Sanford of Ventura. … Just two
years ago, during the worst of the drought, the lake level
dropped to below 30 percent capacity. However, two rainy
winters have completely transformed the situation. The
Casitas Municipal Water District emphasizes that despite the
lake holding roughly a 20-year supply of water, conservation
remains a top priority.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hilton Garden Inn Las Vegas Strip South
7830 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89123
This special Foundation water tour journeyed along the Eastern Sierra from the Truckee River to Mono Lake, through the Owens Valley and into the Mojave Desert to explore a major source of water for Southern California, this year’s snowpack and challenges for towns, farms and the environment.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River firsthand where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to some 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
The lower Colorado River has virtually every drop allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states, 30 tribal nations and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Hyatt Place Las Vegas At Silverton Village
8380 Dean Martin Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89139
This event explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs was the focus of this tour.
Deep, throaty cadenced calls —
sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands,
farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each
year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the
Cosumnes River Preserve,
46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
This tour explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial needs is the focus of this tour.
Silverton Hotel
3333 Blue Diamond Road
Las Vegas, NV 89139
Deep, throaty cadenced calls —
sounding like an off-key bassoon — echo over the grasslands,
farmers’ fields and wetlands starting in late September of each
year. They mark the annual return of sandhill cranes to the
Cosumnes River Preserve,
46,000 acres located 20 miles south of Sacramento on the edge of
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
We explored the lower Colorado River where virtually every drop
of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from myriad
sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and
climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs was the focus of this tour.
Hampton Inn Tropicana
4975 Dean Martin Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89118
This three-day, two-night tour explored the lower Colorado River
where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand
is growing from myriad sources — increasing population,
declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline to 40 million people in
the Southwest across seven states and Mexico. How the Lower Basin
states – Arizona, California and Nevada – use and manage this
water to meet agricultural, urban, environmental and industrial
needs is the focus of this tour.
Best Western McCarran Inn
4970 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Water truly has shaped California into the great state it is
today. And if it is water that made California great, it’s the
fight over – and with – water that also makes it so critically
important. In efforts to remap California’s circulatory system,
there have been some critical events that had a profound impact
on California’s water history. These turning points not only
forced a re-evaluation of water, but continue to impact the lives
of every Californian. This 2005 PBS documentary offers a
historical and current look at the major water issues that shaped
the state we know today. Includes a 12-page viewer’s guide with
background information, historic timeline and a teacher’s lesson.
A companion to the Truckee River Basin Map poster, this
24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, explores the Carson
River, and its link to the Truckee River. The map includes the
Lahontan Dam and reservoir, the Carson Sink, and the farming
areas in the basin. Map text discusses the region’s hydrology and
geography, the Newlands Project, land and water use within the
basin and wetlands. Development of the map was funded by a grant
from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Lahontan
Basin Area Office.
This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, explains how
non-native invasive animals can alter the natural ecosystem,
leading to the demise of native animals. “Unwelcome Visitors”
features photos and information on four such species – including
the zerbra mussel – and explains the environmental and economic
threats posed by these species.
The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the State Water Project provides
an overview of the California-funded and constructed State Water
Project.
The State Water Project is best known for the 444-mile-long
aqueduct that provides water from the Delta to San Joaquin Valley
agriculture and southern California cities. The guide contains
information about the project’s history and facilities.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36-inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.