Marin Headlands just North of the Golden Gate Bridge

Turkey Vulture silhouetted in front of the sun, drying its wings and saying hello.

Planes commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 stream French flag colors over the Golden Gate Bridge

Built in 1896 and gutted by arson in 1966, the Sutro Baths were a grand and popular summer destination.

Stowaway along for a kayak paddle around Berkeley marina

Between Pt. Emery and the Berkeley Marina our first Watershed Witness tour in 2016 encounters the outflow of the Derby Creek, which begins near Berkeley Stadium, just where the hills uplift along the Hayward Fault.

The mud flats surrounding the outflow of Temescal Creek, with the famous Oakland Cranes in the background.

Blake Estate Gardens in Kensington, north of Berkeley, is a secret treasure, only open on weekdays.

San Pablo Reservoir near the Mokelumne River aqueduct and Orinda Treatment Plant

Multicolored seasonal salt ponds take over surfaces in the South Bay

Salt marshes provide the perfect mix of mud and brackish water for special species to be born, here off route 37 in Napa.

The “Mothball Fleet”, a rusting reserve of navy ships anchored in Suisun Bay since the 1940s, just in case they were needed. At it’s peak there were almost 350 ships anchored here. Present day they’re down to nine, in part because of the environmental cost.

A toilet you can’t get to, near Novato

The Tuolumne River ends where it joins the San Joaquin River just south of Modesto Airport. We collect water in the same jar at each stop along our tour, but you better not drink it!

Just below Camanche Reservoir and the Fish Hatchery, there’s a sweet Day-Use Area for swimming and barbeque.

Here we said goodbye to the Day-Trippers and split our tour group as the rest of us headed up into the mountains with the overnight headwaters campers.

The Mokelumne ends where it joins the San Joaquin in the Delta just around the curve from Pirate’s Lair Marina and Cafe, where we usually stop for lunch.

Collecting water at the end of the Mokelumne River where it confluences with the San Joaquin River, just around the bend from Pirate’s Lair Marina and Cafe

Lower Bear River Reservoir, where we camp during our Mokelumne Watershed Immersion.

Steel Head Trout at Camanche Fish Hatchery

Sun bathing at Mokelumne River Campground, below Salt Springs Reservoir

Exploring tributaries of the Cosumnes River, over the ridge from the Mokelumne Headwaters.

Gathering water at the edge of the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes.

Above Pardee Reservoir, which holds the drinking water for 1.4 million East Bay residents.

A happy river family of Darmera Peltata or Indian Rhubarb graces our presence at this tributary of the Tuolumne near Dimond O camground.

Standing on ‎O'Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy overlooking Poopenaut Valley, sharing a rainbow. Even the rangers can’t narrow the origin of the name Poopenaut down between a type of grass or an early pioneer. Josh may have more to say about this.

Welcomed by winds cresting the dam at Lower Bear River Reservoir, as we overlook the Bear River valley, flowing down to meet the Mokelumne River Watershed.

Water pools in a tributary to the Mokelumne River, below Salt Springs Reservoir

Playing along the Tuolumne River below Hetch Hetchy reservoir…in Poopenaut Valley.

Options abound for river activities. If there’s some way you’d like to connect with your river, let us know!

The trail around Hetch Hetchy reservoir to Wapama Falls (one of the tallest falls in the country) as we cross over the waterfall.

Sun peaks through snow clouds south of Lake Tahoe

Walk around the southern sections of Lake Tahoe

The headwaters of the Sacramento River arrive aboveground around Mt. Shasta

Tuolumne Meadows where the Dana Fork and the Lyell Fork combine to form the Tuolumne River

Raven, above Olmsted Point, above the top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Yosemite