Thursday June 18, 2026
The Modesto Bee —
Another 250 acres of floodplain have been restored along the lower San Joaquin River, this time on the Merced County stretch.
The $3.5 million project is in the 2,800-acre Great Valley Grasslands State Park. Leaders in the effort gathered June 11 near Stevinson to celebrate the completion.
The project aimed to enhance habitat for wildlife such as the kit fox and chinook salmon while easing the flood threat to downstream homes. It involved breaching a levee that was built in 1954 to protect grazing livestock.
The restoration was led by American Rivers, an environmental group based in Washington, D.C. It had help from River Partners, a Chico-based nonprofit with a Modesto branch office, and other entities.
California State Parks consulted on the project with the Northern Valley Yokut Ohlone Tribe. The work seeks to mimic conditions before levees and dams diverted the San Joaquin and other rivers.
“Impactful restoration is driven by strong partnerships and informed by science,” said Ann Willis, regional director for American Rivers, in a news release. “By reconnecting this reach of the San Joaquin River to its historic floodplain, we are restoring important ecological functions that benefit both wildlife and communities.”