Earlier this spring, approximately 50 people gathered at Orange Blossom Bridge on the Stanislaus River six miles upstream from Oakdale to raft from there to the Highway 120 bridge.

This was a free event to visit a major chinook salmon restoration project, learn about river ecology, and experience the peaceful flow of the river, said organizers.

The trip was sponsored by the non-profits Restoring the Stanislaus River (RSR), Friends of the River, the Columbia College River Ecology Club, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Kramer Fish Sciences. A free lunch was provided by RSR at the restoration site, where staff were on hand to explain the fish restoration project purpose and goals. Photos and diagrams were on display.

Participants invited included local riverside landowners, tribal members (a couple of whom led a song and a blessing before the trip), local water agency staff, US Forest Service staff, US Army Corps of Engineers staff, related non-profit staff, and volunteer raft guides.

Wildlife spotted on the stretch of river included deer, beaver, otter, a turtle, and a variety of birds including mergansers, mallards, hawks, a great blue heron, and miscellaneous songbirds.

Coming up this fall, set for Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, the public will be given the opportunity to raft a short distance on the Stanislaus River to view the chinook salmon migration for free near Knights Ferry at the Stanislaus River Salmon Festival in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and RSR. Details are available at facebook.com/SRSFest.