ADVENTURE
Going with the flow
These contradictions are part of the story of the Sacramento. In spite of dwindling salmon runs, this is an ecosystem that is flourishing in many ways. Wherever there are pockets of ‘jungle’ at rivers edge (what farmers call the nearly impenetrable band of berry and bramble) there are fish, birds and mammals. Almost like a switch being turned on. This ‘jungle’ is not here by accident but is the result of 30 years of restoration efforts by The Nature Conservancy, Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge complex and their partners. These groups have acquired flood prone farms and restored them back to wild lands, which, in addition to the benefits to wildlife, are a useful tool in absorbing the energy of the river during floods.
Unlike most natural rivers, the Sacramento shrinks as we descend. While Shasta Dam is releasing over 10,000 cubic feet per second of cool clear water, irrigation pipes and diversion canals steadily diminish the flow. The water grows gradually warmer and turbid as it filters through this sieve of farms. Tom and I are familiar with long journey’s into the wild, but this is different. We are never far from a town, and find we can tie up the boat, scramble up the levee or wade through a bog, and let our cell phones navigate us to the closest grocery store or burrito restaurant. We certainly found our way to the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico. There are also some quirky and fun Marina’s at the edge of the river to serve the fishing community. Scotty’s Landing in Chico is steeped in nostalgia with a collection of vintage fishing photos of epic sized salmon and sturgeon. Or soak up some of the local river vibe on the funky flotsam-filled patio of Sting Rayz near Knights Landing.
Look out for
The Sacramento:
At Current Speed
at an outdoor
film festival
near you.