Trailing the river
It'll take lots of commitment to help turn Lodi and the Mokelumne River into conservation conduits for the Coast to Crest Trail

“Reprinted with permission of The Record.”

Published Thursday, Aug 17, 2006

Lodi can become the missing link in the 300-mile Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail and provide a connection to a proposed 1,000-mile Delta network of water trails.

However, it's going to require a lot of effort and coordination between residents and state lawmakers.

Gaining access to the Lower Mokelumne River is the key, and that will require extended commitment by interested San Joaquin County residents.

The river is being proposed as a water trail - one of only two in California - that would make San Joaquin County a part of both conservation projects.

The Coast to Crest Trail is a hiking route in Contra Costa and Calaveras counties on which advocates have been working since 1990. The Mokelumne can be the conduit for San Joaquin County's inclusion.

Without it, there's no way to link California's coastal regions and the Sierra. These days, a land connection would be too costly.

With the river route, a journey from Pacific Ocean tributaries to mountain peaks near Bear Valley could become a reality.

There are other benefits - including additional emphasis on the Mokelumne River's health, better access for boaters, a cleaner, more consistent flow from Camanche Reservoir and more awareness that county residents value the environment.

It also would bring more visitors to Lodi.

There would be similar benefits if a bill, sponsored by state Sens. Michael Machado, D-Linden, and Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, passes the California Legislature.

Their proposal (SB1556) would authorize the Delta Protection Commission to create a 1,000-mile network of water, hiking and bicycling trails through the Delta.

In both scenarios, there are obstacles to overcome, particularly when it comes to the Mokelumne River's designation as a water trail.

"Public access is a big deal," Lodi Lake docent Kathy Grant said. "There is just not enough of it."

Creating more points of entry would invite much wider use of the river.

Integrating the Lower Mokelumne would require devising a way for people to portage around Woodbridge Dam.

It would be necessary to make improvements in safety for kayaks, canoes and other boats; clear the banks of trash and hazards; and assume more responsibility in education, maintenance and cleanup.

In an increasingly urbanized Valley, such quiet, natural places are becoming rare.

All this will require a commitment by volunteers.

Those who enjoy Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River should support this bold idea.

In 2002, a blueprint was drafted for maintaining the river's 28 miles below Camanche Dam. Those who worked on that document, Lodi Lake docents and others who support such a transforming conservation plan need to begin working and lobbying for the Mokelumne's designation as a water trail.

Creating a conservation-minded conduit between Contra Costa and Calaveras counties will require energy, vision and commitment.

It also would gain new status for San Joaquin County as a lasting link in Northern California conservation.