Reviving the River of Skulls

By Jeremy Terhune, Defenders’ San Joaquin Valley Representative

A river flows through the neighborhoods of Stockton in central California  — although in places it looks to be no more than an irrigation ditch.  Yet it remains a vitally important waterway for residents, wildlife and farmers alike.

The Lower Calaveras River, or translated to English, the River of Skulls, is fed by primarily by rainfall, but provides habitat for Chinook salmon and threatened steelhead.

Over the years, however, citizens who lived along the river’s banks have watched its condition deteriorate as litter and other pollutants gradually fouled the water.  The Lower Calaveras had started to look more like the river of death.

But between 2007 and 2008, that began to change. Concerned citizens and Defenders band together to help revive the river, forming a dedicated group of river keepers known as the Friends of the Lower Calaveras River (FLCR ). Since then, FLCR has grown to more than 550 members and is supported by 11 local agencies and organizations.

In just two years, the group gained such widespread support for its efforts that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded FLCR, along with fellow conservation group River Partners, a $40,000 grant to restore three acres of native grasses to the river’s battered shores. Check out the above video to learn more about this effort.

Several times a year, FLCR also organizes clean-ups, where Stockton residents have plucked countless pounds of trash, including plastic bags, tires and more, out of the river.

In addition, FLCR and local wildlife experts sponsor informal, educational forays along the river’s banks to connect residents to the diversity of life supported by the Calaveras’ waters. The Riverwalk project has proven to be one of FLCR’s most successful outreach programs.

With time, more and more people no longer see just a ditch and trickle, but instead, a vibrant river of life.