My trip down the most endangered river in America
After three weeks and about 400 miles, I finished my kayaking (and walking) journey down the "most endangered" river in America: California's San Joaquin. This page collects the tweets from my adventure. The journey started way up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and ended beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on July 4. On that trip, I saw a wedding and a baptism on the river; met farm workers who are unemployed because the river doesn't carry enough water for everyone; witnessed the moment the river dries up and becomes nothing but sand; and met readers who have seen my posts about all these things and decided to join me on the path. The San Joaquin provides water to California's Central Valley, which grows 40% of the fruits and vegetables produced in the US. It's a forgotten but important part of the state -- and a forgotten but enormously important river. That's why I spent so much time with the river, trying to draw attention to the water crisis in the "other California." Look for more soon, and check out other stories in the Change the List series at CNN.com/Change. -- John
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Continued: "we've used the faculties er have to get water from where it is to places where we want to do things." #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 2:24:37 AM -
From my camp site. Perfect scenery for reflection on a wonderful day. #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqI-r0JCIAAl7oC.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 3:17:39 AM -
Richard Sloan, RiverTree volunteers: his org pulls 40 tons of this junk out of the river each year, including boats. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqLX-ywCUAA_GQD.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 2:27:25 PM -
"We've all agreed 450 cfs is the limit to do the river safely for new paddlers." -Richard. It's more like 1300 now (yikes!) #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 2:31:09 PM
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"You never know what you're going to find out here." Including mountain lions. Maybe that's what ate my food last night ... #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 2:34:27 PM
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How do you pull a tire out of a river? A: 100 foot rope with a grappling hook. Takes a wench for a car. #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 2:53:06 PM
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My food bag. I'm such an idiot for no trying it up in a tree. Lost about half my stuff. #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 3:00:29 PM
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fms.ws/HPrX3 I'm still out on the river and doing well! This is an auto check-in from GPS...by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 4:28:50 PM
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"The more you work in a boat like that the more it becomes part of you. You're wearing it" #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqMBgjZCcAAeP_l.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:28:51 PM -
Just passed Jimsom weed, which has flowers that look like white trumpets. Georgia o'keefe painted them Tom says. Medicinal too.by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:31:22 PM
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Pistachios on the hill. madera co side. Fresno on left.by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:38:00 PM
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Blue heron in a sycamore three. They have funny beards. The trees bark is almost white. Learning the stuff ... #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:42:52 PM
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Two blackbirds and a dove in a downed tree. Me:"what is that blackbird up there?" Tom: "oh it's a blackbird."by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:51:20 PM
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Saw Hookers Primrose on the banks. Ephemeral meaning they only bloom one day and die. Bees have a "feeding orgy" on these things.by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:57:28 PM
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Hooker like the general btw, but I liked them better before I knew thatby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 5:58:10 PM
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White flowers are button willow or "mule fat, apparently bec they used to fatten mules. Silver tinsel is a willow. #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 6:12:56 PM
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New Homes! So says the balloon. Told there is a large homeless population living on the river in Fresno http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqMUOLzCMAEAL8r.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 6:50:36 PM -
Um .... Ok? http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqMYqerCMAA1mRO.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 7:10:01 PM -
Meet Noah and his 16 inch striped bass. "We'll keep this one for him to eat" dad says. Boat name: "Noah's ark" http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqMZxlkCYAA0VeD.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 7:14:52 PM -
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Out of Fresno and into crop country. Neat rows of something green I can't identify ... #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqM2xjjCYAMGo-e.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 9:21:34 PM -
Wrong turn ... This is why you're supposed to "read" the water ... http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqM-Og1CEAA51bG.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 9:54:08 PM -
Tom: "You have officially been strained." Went down wrong channel into trees. Flipped. Lost GoPro on head. Eff. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNFPijCYAAdJ20.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 10:24:47 PM -
Rosa Alcaraz, 23, is out here with 14 family members celebrating the weekend. She works in an almond packing plant http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNZsbBCQAAsIm6.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 11:54:08 PM -
Rosa says the farms need water but she was sad to hear the river is dry for 30mi. Wants everyone to enjoy it. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNaj9eCEAEfI-N.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/15/2014 11:57:56 PM -
"I saw a baby with no Pamper on!!" #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNbGG5CUAE7gY8.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 12:00:15 AM -
Luis, 6, told me he thinks this river starts small and gets bigger as it goes. That should be true but ... Where start? "Maybe E or W?"by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 12:01:50 AM
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"You're in a canoe but different!!" http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNdsGpCYAI8FGQ.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 12:11:35 AM -
"Jesus... Man I've lived out here my whole life and I've never heard of that." - Sergio Gonzales, 19, on dead river http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNmkfXCMAAA1u_.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 12:50:24 AM -
I was telling him the river ("THIS river!?) dries up to sand at one point. So many people out here enjoying the #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 12:51:29 AM
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Passed a company called Cal-West Rain. Offering irrigation and pipeline services. Rain we make ... #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 1:09:34 AM
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Oh yeah, the drought. Easy to forget when you're paddling on a river. #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqNsXuTCEAApWMe.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 1:15:44 AM -
Walt remembering the river when it was 50 yards wide here. "God it was beautiful. God damn it was beautiful." #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:01:44 AM
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"That's a nice rack!" This guy is fun.#endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqN6XPmCcAMnOYk.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:16:53 AM -
Meet Walt Shubin. 84. Farms grapes for raisins on 200 acres. "I was organic and I didn't know it." #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqN6ZifCAAAZp9j.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:17:02 AM -
Oops on an earlier tweet. It's 20 acres ...by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:48:19 AM
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My day, by the numbers. Plus one flipover ... #endangeredriver http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqOQKCCCUAEMIk-.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 3:52:06 AM -
Day 5: Woke up to find a racoon had eaten most of my food; then, on the water, I made a bad call on… instagram.com
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 6:52:34 AM -
An 83-year-old farmer and canoe maker tells me this will be the hardest day (yet). Yikes! #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:12:32 PM
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"I'm not critical of farmers. I'm critical of billionaires. Wall Street farmers. Farmers, im on their side 100%. #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:14:18 PM
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I can believe this guy used to work with Willie Nelson on farmers' rights. #endangeredriverby John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:16:37 PM
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Oops photo on that last one ... http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqQfRPnCUAAOdf-.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 2:17:21 PM -
"Without the water the land is worthless." Walt is driving me back to #endangeredriver . Stayed w him bec no public camping around here.by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 3:45:58 PM
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So yeah, good morning. #endangeredriver still alive up here. Communing with the same water I saw in the mountains. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqQ4q0zCUAAi-o_.jpg
by John.Sutter via twitter 6/16/2014 4:08:20 PM -
Joining up with @jdsutter on @americanrivers most #endangeredriver . Find out more riversforchange.org/sj-take-2-2-ye…
