San Joaquin River
Originating in the Sierra Nevada, the San Joaquin River historically sustained tule elk, bald eagles, grizzly bears, and countless chinook salmon. While urbanization and agriculture have drastically diminished the river, it remains the primary source of water for over 30 million Californians, as well as farms and endangered ecosystems from Bakersfield, 285 miles to the Bay Area.
The Yokuts, Mono, Miwok, and Ohlone Nations have cared for and held the river sacred since time immemorial. Historically and to this day, California has the largest Native American population in the country, and in the Central Valley, the San Joaquin River enabled such large communities to live in abundance. Their lives, and the lives of millions of Californians who now reside here, depend on the sustenance the river provides.
The San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, established in 1988 to create a 33-mile greenway along the San Joaquin River, leads the current effort to protect the river. To date, the Trust has permanently protected over 4,100 acres of the planned 6,500 acres of the Parkway. Once completed, the Parkway will feature a 22-mile multi-use trail, ecological reserves, a restored riparian corridor, and equitable public access.
Did You know?
Before agricultural development of its valley, the San Joaquin was navigable by steamboats as far upstream as Fresno.
At 31,800 square miles, the San Joaquin watershed is the largest single river basin entirely in California, comparable in size to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The Sacramento, when combined with the Pit, is one of the longest rivers in the United States entirely within one state. Only the Kuskokwim in Alaska and the Trinity in Texas are longer.
Groundwater withdrawal has led to land subsidence of more than 28 feet in the San Joaquin Valley near Mendota.
The Sacramento supports nearly 60 species of fish and 218 types of birds. Native bird populations on the river have declined steadily since the 19th century.
How long is the San Joaquin River?
The San Joaquin River is 366 miles long.
Where is the San Joaquin River located?
The San Joaquin River is located in California.
The Backstory
Over the past 35 years, more than $125 million of public and private funds have been invested in the San Joaquin River Parkway through land acquisition, habitat restoration, trails, and other public use projects. In 1992, the state of California enacted the San Joaquin River Conservancy Act, committing the state to preserving the river “for the enjoyment of[…]present and future generations.” In 2006, a coalition of environmental organizations, the Friant Water Users Authority, and the Bureau of Reclamation created the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, an effort to restore Chinook salmon populations while avoiding adverse water supply impacts. The return of 448 salmon in 2025 ranks among the program’s many successes.
The San Joaquin River has been severely exploited for its gravel and water resources over the past century, to the point that it runs dry for miles in most years. What’s more, the Fresno metro area already has nearly 200% more gravel than what is needed for the next 50 years from existing local mines, according to the California Geological Survey. CEMEX’s long record of environmental and safety violations demonstrates that the company cannot be relied upon to meet or maintain the inadequate mitigation measures they have proposed. Of particular concern is the project’s potentially drastic impacts on struggling salmon and steelhead trout runs.
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America’s Most Endangered Rivers® Listing
The problems along the San Joaquin River are so acute that American Rivers has named the San Joaquin River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® twice – the first in 2014 and again in 2016, where it was listed as number 2 on the list.
Man’s manipulation has severely hurt river habitat and opportunities for recreation and community access. More than 100 miles of the San Joaquin’s main stem have been dry for over 50 years, and water diversions along the tributaries take more than 70 percent of the natural flow. Before irrigation development, the river and its tributaries once supported the third-largest run of Pacific salmon in California, measuring more than 200,000. Today, the few remaining fish have nowhere to go.
People are at risk as well. Outdated approaches to water management have made communities vulnerable to increasingly frequent and severe droughts and floods.
The Future
There is hope on the horizon, and American Rivers is already hard at work to make an impact.
American Rivers has embarked on multi-benefit projects on the San Joaquin designed to enhance flood safety and restore salmon-rearing habitat by reconnecting the floodplain. Projects designed to improve water quality, increase water quantity, and improve the quality of life by establishing the river as a more vibrant community asset are also underway.
While drought and climate change are affecting water patterns, they are also teaching Californians to adapt, improve groundwater storage, and figure out ways to make a finite resource stretch farther. The San Joaquin River and the communities that depend on it are currently being acted upon by a confluence of forces that will create opportunities for historic success or epic failure.