| History of Goodwin Canyon | ||
| The
Stanislaus river was originally named the Rio Guadeloupe by Spanish explorers
in 1802. It wasn't renamed the Stanislaus until 1844. Stanislaus was derived
from the name of an Indian boy who formed a militia against the Mexicans.
The Mexicans were trying to conform all to Catholicism and Estanislao was
caught up in the middle. The Stanislaus lived on for more than a century until it was lost to the controversial New Melones Dam. For more than a decade, a bitter battle emerged over the fate of the Stanislaus. After years of protest and countless acts of heroism the Stan was drowned under the waters of the New Melones reservoir. Friends of the River (FOR), a river conservation group, was born
through the struggle to save the Stanislaus. The organization grew to become
California's statewide river conservation group. FOR has dedicated its efforts
to the preservation and protection of the rivers, streams and watersheds
of California. For more information visit, http://www.friendsoftheriver.orgThe Army Corp of Engineers offered to make the lower Stanislaus below Goodwin Dam more accessible to whitewater rafters and other recreational users to mitigate the loss of the Main Stanislaus. Photos courtesy of All-Outdoors California Whitewater Rafting Referenced from California Whitewater by Jim Cassady & Fryar Calhoun |
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| Other California Whitewater Rafting Rivers: | |||