Explore the Sacramento River Birding, hiking, boating and fishing are just a few of the activities to enjoy along the Sacramento River. Visit the Sacramento River. Celebrating 50 Years in the Golden State 2009 marks the Conservancy’s 50th anniversary protecting California. In these 50 years, we’ve safeguarded hundreds of parcels of land and waterways and millions of acres of ocean — natural habitats essential to the survival of all species, including us. Learn about the California natural habitats you've helped protect.

The longest river in California flows from the shadows of Mount Shasta 350 miles south through the Central Valley, emptying into the San Francisco Bay. The Sacramento River supplies Californians with 35 percent of our water; it’s home to the majority of the state’s salmon population; and its riversides teem with more species of wildlife than most other habitats in California.

For the past 20 years, The Nature Conservancy and its partners have been restoring a 100-mile stretch of riverside habitat of the Sacramento River between Red Bluff and Colusa, the largest continuous riverside restoration project in the U.S.

Vital to Our Health and Prosperity

The restoration of the Sacramento River plays a powerful role in maintaining California’s health and prosperity, keeping our water supply clean and flowing.

Only two percent of the river’s original vast riverside or “riparian” woodland forests, grasslands and wetlands — once totaling nearly one million acres — were intact when the Conservancy turned its attention to this critical landscape. Agriculture, development and water management had taken a powerful toll on this ecosystem. Yet, our accomplishments have been remarkable.

In 20 years, the Conservancy has

• Completed the stunning 100-mile restoration project. The earliest restoration work has become impossible to distinguish from the original forests. Thousands of acres have been restored to their original “tropical luxuriance,” as John Muir once described this riverside habitat.


• Planted more than one million native seedlings in our restoration efforts, using a broad mix of plants to sustain the many species we’re focused on recovering.


• Developed innovative conservation strategies — including flood management and public safety plans that benefit the ecosystem — that have been adopted by others.


• Helped create the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, the main stopover site for migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway.


• Has established a protected corridor of 24,000 acres of wildlife habitat along the middle Sacramento River, with a 2015 goal of 33,000 acres.


• Brought our considerable science strength to this project, inspiring public agencies and other private groups to become involved.

Over two decades, we have been able to observe the results of our efforts and assess what worked and what didn’t. We’ve used what we’ve learned to adapt our conservation management style as needed to achieve this remarkable recovery.

An Unparalleled Success

The Conservancy continues its work on the Sacramento, researching and developing science-based plans and working in partnership with state and federal agencies to keep the river vibrant. Today, the Sacramento River is a birder’s paradise, with more than 200 species of birds observed throughout the year. Nearly half the migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway rest and feed here. River otters and beavers are spotted regularly. Hikers, campers, paddlers, hunters and fishing enthusiasts treasure this precious river. This important ecosystem has indeed been restored to its former majesty.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Grant Johnson (Sacramento River); Photo © Grant Johnson (boaters on the Sacramento River).