April 23, 2024 - SACRAMENTO, Calif.— On Monday, California State Parks in partnership with Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the California Natural Resources Agency were excited to announce on Earth Day that California will open its newest state park in the San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday, June 12. The opening day coincides with the launch of the Third Annual State Parks Week June 12-16. This year’s theme is “This is Where You Live” which is befitting for the opening of Dos Rios.
“There’s no better way to spend Earth Day than celebrating California’s first new state park in nearly a decade. The Golden State’s natural beauty is unmatched and we’re laser-focused on ensuring every Californian can enjoy these spaces,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “And the benefits don’t just stop at recreation – this park is a key asset to fighting the climate crisis, home to the state’s largest floodplain restoration project. We’re not just protecting these spaces, we’re restoring them for future generations.”
Located about 8 miles west of Modesto in the Central Valley, the approximately 1,600-acre Dos Rios property is the largest public-private floodplain restoration project in California to restore habitat for threatened and endangered wildlife at the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers.
“Earth Day is always such a beautiful reminder that our planet is a shared space, and its health and future are dependent on our individual and communal commitment to restoration and regeneration. Being in the heart of the Golden State at the site of our new state park— a place designed through partnership — was such a fitting way to spend Earth Day,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
As a state park, Dos Rios will offer Californians opportunities to improve their mental, physical, and social well-being. Thanks to a partnership between California State Parks and the California Conservation Corps, visitors will be able to hike some areas of the property and enjoy newly built picnic tables and ramadas for the June opening. Planning for greater river access for swimming, angling, boating, and other water sports, along with trails for bicycling and other outdoor recreation activities will involve a public engagement process that includes consultation with area Tribes.
“The vision for Dos Rios is a journey into the past, revealing a lush Central Valley and a local escape – adjacent to two rivers and a wildlife refuge,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “State Parks is committed to ensuring access for all Californians as we collaboratively craft this park alongside the public, tribal partners, and stakeholders for a healthier natural environment close to home.”
In partnership with the nonprofit River Partners, the restoration of Dos Rios was a 10-year, $40 million project from 11 different funding sources from the public and private sectors. This will be the first state park created since Eastern Kern County Onyx Ranch State Vehicular Recreation Area in November 2014.
“Dos Rios Ranch becoming a State Park is a leap forward in California’s and Governor Newsom’s bold vision for a vibrant, resilient future,” said River Partners President, Julie Rentner. “This ‘park of the future’ connects underserved Central Valley communities with an actionable model of scalable multi-benefit water solutions, where restored floodplains support water resilience for a hotter, drier future and flood safety for the nation’s most imperiled communities—all while bringing back wildlife from the brink of extinction.”
“Opening Dos Rios is a game changer,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “It provides a beautiful riverfront destination for San Joaquin Valley residents to get outside and recreate, in a part of the state with few such places. It also provides a new model of a multi-benefit park that also reduces flood risk for local communities, provides a refuge for local residents during worsening heat waves, and restores the natural environment of the Central Valley to benefit local wildlife.”
As part of the planning process, the official name and park classification of Dos Rios will be determined and approved by the California State Park and Recreation Commission soon. State Parks will be providing more updates about the opening of Dos Rios in the weeks to come.
Images of Dos Rios, the newest state park in the San Joaquin Valley. Photos from California State Parks.
Source: CA. State Parks
