Spring Rafting at Wakefield Restoration Site

Engaging in current Stanislaus restoration efforts, we have postponed our next Restoring the Stanislaus Watershed Symposium from spring to fall 2025. Instead, this spring, we are organizing a raft trip for river stakeholders to show them potential restoration opportunities on the river, culminating with a tour of the Wakefield Restoration Site near Oakdale.

We are currently seeking rafts, guides, and funding for this trip. If you can help, including with the invitations, please contact Kevin Wolf at kevinjwolf{at}gmail.com.

Look for more details about the rafting event and the Symposium in our next E-newsletter.

Stanislaus River Salmon Festival

Restoring the Stanislaus River offered rafts and guides for the annual Stanislaus River Salmon Festival on November 9th at Knights Ferry as salmon returned to the river to spawn. An estimated 2,000 people participated in this event. A key highlight, besides giving most participants their first “on the river” experience, was that each trip of 4-6 boats carried a US Fish and Wildlife Service staffer who was able to talk about salmon spawning. We are already looking forward to helping again next year.

Restoring the Stanislaus Watershed Symposium: A Great Success

Our first symposium brought more than 80 people together to discuss our vital steps toward restoring our river. From panel discussions by experts to learning to care for watersheds from tribal members to vibrant breakout groups, the energy continued into the evening.

After dinner we were treated to enlightening presentations from our Klamath River colleagues on their successful dam removal efforts and the efforts they still face for ensuring the health of their watershed.

Read a detailed summary of the symposium, written by Ty Childress, here.

Register for Symposium to Shape the Future of the Stanislaus River

Secure your spot and be ready to engage in planning the future of the Stanislaus River.

Registration is now open for the

Restoring the Stanislaus Watershed Symposium

April 6, 2024 at the Sonora Elks Lodge, Sonora, California

A day planning the Stanislaus’ future

An evening celebrating the Klamath's renewal

Also find the symposium page by hovering over Restoring Our River in the top menu.

We’ll start the day session with plenary discussions led by experts and then hold breakout sessions to discuss the details and make action plans. We’ll learn about the current situation in the Stanislaus watershed and the operations of its dams, including New Melones. We’ll find out what it will take to redesign the watershed and the New Melones Dam in order to restore the river and its tributaries to health.

In the evening session, while enjoying a delicious dinner, we’ll learn from Klamath River tribal and environmental representatives how they achieved the world's largest river renewal project with the removal of four dams. We'll learn how they are bringing back the salmon as well as their complex strategies for ensuring a successful restoration of their river corridor and newly opened tributaries.

Go to the symposium page to learn more and register.

Restoring the Stanislaus Watershed Symposium

~ April 6, 2024 ~

Sonora Elks Lodge, Sonora, CA

A day planning the Stanislaus’ future

An evening celebrating the Klamath's renewal

We are lining up terrific participants for plenaries and breakout sessions. More details coming in our January E-newsletter. For now, make sure to mark your calendars as you won’t want to miss this!

For more details or to help out with the event, please contact Kevin Wolf: kevinjwolf{at}gmail.com

Find background info here.

Join the Stanislaus Action Committee

Also in Santa Cruz, we launched the committee that will drive our efforts all the way through to reducing the dam and replanting the banks of our river. We will start with our gathering next spring, but with an eye for the big picture strategies and next steps along the shortest path to that bright goal.

So far, our committee includes: Mark Dubois, Roy Tennant, Nancy Dagle, Paul Barth, Kevin Wolf, Sue Knaup, Ty and Jayne Childress, and Barranca Wren.

If you would like to join the Stanislaus Action Committee, please email Roy Tennant at roytennant{at}gmail.com.

Next Step: Gathering of Activists and Visionaries

At our Santa Cruz workshop this summer, all agreed that our next step toward freeing the Stanislaus River from New Melones Dam will be a gathering of people who are working on and want to restore the watershed. This gathering will increase the effectiveness, coordination, and the number of people who are aware of and working to restore the river.

Set for the spring of 2024, our one-day event in Sonora, California will combine high-level sessions led by key experts with plenty of opportunities for fun and brainstorming.

Please email Kevin Wolf at kevinjwolf{at}gmail.com with your ideas for making this an outstanding event that builds momentum for restoring the Stanislaus River.

Success for the Stanislaus at Activist Workshop

Our Activist Workshop in Santa Cruz, CA was a great success for the Stanislaus River. Though participants from any river organization were invited, only Stanislaus activists registered. While we missed bouncing ideas with other activists, focusing on our river enabled us to drill down to the fine details of what Restoring the Stanislaus River can accomplish in the coming year.

All agreed that we will organize a gathering of key stakeholders and Stanislaus experts next year. At this event, we will discuss our findings for the various impacts of our long-term goals of reducing the New Melones Dam and restoring the Stanislaus between Highway 49 and Camp 9.

We are currently sorting out the discussion points from the workshop. We’ll detail them in our next E-newsletter, so make sure to sign up to receive it here.

Final Days to Register for Activist Workshop

We are gearing up for our activist workshop June 30-July 2 at UC Santa Cruz.

Preparations have begun with those who have registered starting on the first steps of their campaign plans. Register soon to get the most out of the process. Find all the workshop info and REGISTER HERE.

Participants will finish the training with a comprehensive and winnable campaign plan that will help grow their organization. These new skills will also apply to future campaigns.

Please forward the workshop link (above) to other environmental and sustainability organizations – all activists are welcome.

Mark Dubois Scholarships for Activist Workshop

Mark Dubois is offering two scholarships to our Activist Workshop, each to cover the registration fee, which includes lodging and meals. With these scholarships, Mark wants to ensure that those eager to engage in this campaign planning process have the means to attend. The lucky recipients will step right into the process as they build an effective campaign plan.

To apply for one of these scholarships, please email Sue Knaup at sue{at}onestreet.org with your answers to these questions by June 12^th:

   * Name, email, and phone number:

   * Organization:

   * Why you would like to attend the workshop:

   * Confirm that you can attend all three days:

We’ll choose the lucky recipients and inform all applicants by June 16.

If you would like to contribute to the Mark Dubois Scholarship Fund enabling others to participate, please send your check to Restoring the Stanislaus River with a note designating it for the workshop. Your donation is tax-deductible. Thank you!

Activist Workshop Registration is Live!

Grab your spot at this energizing workshop June 30-July 2 at UC Santa Cruz.

* Find more info and the registration link on our Activist Workshop webpage

All activists are invited.

Registration is limited to 50 - don’t miss out!

Participants will drive the workshop under the direction of Sue Knaup and will finish the training with a comprehensive and winnable campaign plan that will help grow their organization. These new skills will also apply to future campaigns.

Individual activists who are not currently involved with an organization are encouraged to contact their local organization to offer to help them at the workshop.

Stanislaus River activists – please register and insert Restoring the Stanislaus River as your river organization. Sue Knaup will contact you to coordinate.

River Campaign Gathering – Save the Dates

We found a great location for our gathering, UC Santa Cruz, and grabbed the first weekend available: Friday June 30 – Sunday July 2.

This workshop will follow the proven campaign planning training developed by our president, Sue Knaup. All river activists, from any river, are invited. For our Stanislaus campaign, let’s get a good bunch of us there.

Participants will be the experts (no presentations from people who are not involved in one of the campaigns). They will assist each other to refine their plans, offering diverse perspectives to reveal new ideas. Participants will finish the training with a comprehensive and winnable campaign plan and the skills to apply this process to future campaigns. Participants will:
  *   Represent a river organization,
  *   Bring a new river campaign (we’ll develop the Stanislaus campaign together), and
  *   Commit to all three days.

Space is limited to 50, so watch this News page where we’ll post the registration link as soon as it is available. To help us develop our Stanislaus campaign through this training, please contact Sue at sue{at}onestreet.org.

Committees Forming for Spring Gathering to Create Our Campaign Plan

As we begin our campaign planning for bringing down the dam and restoring the river, it’s clear that our Spring Gathering will play a key role in the plan. With as many of you as possible in attendance, we will scout this upcoming rapid together and find the most effective run through.

The first step is to form two committees: Spring Gathering and Campaign Planning. Each of these committees will start this month with specific tasks needed to ensure we get the most of the three-day Spring Gathering.

Please join one or both committees:

   *   For the Spring Gathering Committee, we need help finding a great location, choosing a date, and making it a fun and interactive workshop. To join, please email Sue Knaup: sue{at}onestreet.org

   *   For the Campaign Planning Committee, we need help reaching out to key stakeholders and helpers to find the information we’ll need at the gathering to create a solid plan. To join, please email Kevin Wolf: kevinjwolf{at}gmail.com

Becca Lawton’s Stanislaus Article Spreads Across West

We were thrilled to see the spread of a terrific article about our latest efforts, written by longtime Stanislaus River guide and champion, Becca Lawton. Writers on the Range was the first to publish it and it was soon picked up by news outlets in six western states, nearly 30 at last count.

Enjoy reading it here and please pass it on to other publications, especially in California since that’s where we can use the most help. Just be sure to credit Writers on the Range, and of course Becca.

Stanislaus Film Fundraising Launched – Please Help

We are helping tell the story of the campaign to save the Stanislaus by supporting creation of the film, Reclaiming Estanislao, a narrative feature film.

Please join us in supporting the film. Find several ways to contribute – including a GoFundMe, sponsorships, and even a tax-deductible option – on the film’s website under Support the Film.

Film donations go to Reclaiming Estanislao, LLC (not Restoring the Stanislaus River) to cover film expenses. Sue Knaup is the sole member of this LLC managing the film’s funds.

Sue is donating her time to write and develop the film. Proceeds from the film will support the restoration of the Stanislaus River, specifically to reduce the dam and restore the 13 miles of river it harmed. In other words, to make the film come true.

Please donate to the film to cover immediate costs toward production and inspire other donors, sponsors, and grantors to support the film. Thank you!

New Melones Dips to Lowest Level in Five Years

As we were piecing together our August E-newsletter, we came across this interesting article noting the recent low levels of the reservoir, but also various other low levels recorded in the past. Lots to mine there for our campaign to bring down the dam.

Please give it a read and let us know if you have any ideas for leveraging this information:  uniondemocrat.com

A New Beginning

Forty years have passed since the Stanislaus River was first drowned behind the New Melones Dam. So it may seem strange that some of us have come back together to restore the Stanislaus. Learn all about this bold new move and how you can help as you explore this website.