The River Parkway Trust is now 5 years into habitat enhancement on the constructed floodplains downstream of highway 41. These two floodplains were constructed by the Department of Water Resources and then revegetated by the San Joaquin River Parkway Trust using funds from the San Joaquin River Conservancy via the Wildlife Conservation Board. Healthy floodplains are a vital part of functioning river systems as they reduce flood pressure on levees and river banks, improve water quality, and are home to some of the most biologically rich habitats on Earth.
When the Trust began habitat enhancement, the floodplains were barren mudflats after months of submersion during the very wet winter of 2017. The Trust’s restoration staff and corps members from the California Conservation Corps installed a myriad of native tree species including willows, Fremont cottonwoods, Western sycamores, white alders, Fresno ash, and of course Valley oaks.
Today the floodplains are teeming with life. The quantity of trees has increased more than tenfold through fostered natural recruitment and many are soaring to heights over 10 feet tall, despite the best efforts from resident beavers. A lush and diverse understory has also developed with a variety of herbs, grasses, and wildflowers found throughout. Waterfowl and riparian songbirds have become frequent visitors. Even chinook salmon carcasses have been found on the floodplains, an important part of their lifecycle that returns nutrients to their spawning grounds and fertilizes the plants. The work is not done, but the early success of this project represents a harmonious merger of engineering and science to create high-quality habitat and restore the natural processes crucial to the San Joaquin River Parkway’s ecosystem.
