To cap off an incredible few months of exploring the Tuolumne River, the source of San Francisco’s drinking water, I went canoeing down a stretch of the Lower Tuolumne!

And really, there is no better way to appreciate what comes out of your tap than getting into your source river. The Tuolumne River Trust knows this and takes adults and school kids onto the Tuolumne River- so that they can understand the biology, the flora and fauna, and the beauty of the river they drink from.

We paddled a stretch of the river a little to the east of Modesto, below La Grange Dam. Unlike the thin stretch of the river that meanders across Tuolumne Meadows, high in the Sierrras, the lower Tuolumne is broad. And unlike the Tuolumne that charges down granite step pools into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, this part of the river is serene. While we did navigate a few twists and mellow riffles, the river is peaceful as it travels across the Central Valley- its voice gentle.

Tall cottonwoods and alders line the banks. Along with plant life, so many animals make their homes on this stretch of the Tuolumne- beavers, herons, egrets, and river otters (we got to see one!). It is the time of the year where Chinook salmon return up the Tuolumne to lay their eggs and pass away. I saw the watertracks of one momma furiously propelling herself upriver.

As the day progressed and we floated like fall leaves on top of the flowing creature, I was mesmerized. Stepped back from knowing, and saw the water I was floating on in a fresh way. Us humans call them rivers. But when you take a step back, and marvel at  fluid that has somehow gathered together and rushes over rocks, cuts valleys, murmurs as it goes; it’s pretty incredible. We need it to survive and there it is, rushing down from the mountains.

I am thankful to the Tuolumne. Thank you for keeping me alive for the past decade! May I appreciate each drop as it comes out of the tap; may I remember the land it comes from.

Thank you to Carlos! And to the Tuolumne River Trust for a great day and its continuous advocacy for the Tuolumne River. To go for a paddle on the river (THERE ARE STILL TRIPS THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER!), check out more of the Trust’s programs, or donate to get kids out to the river, go to www.tuolumne.org.