Stanislaus River Riparian Corridor
Map SatelliteBetween the low bluffs of the Stanislaus River upstream from the Goodwin Dam for a distance of approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) there is a riparian forest which ranges up to 365 meters (1,200 feet) in width.
The overstory includes cottonwood, Populus fremontii, willows, Salix spp., and white alder, Alnus rhombifolia. On the higher ground there are valley oaks, Quercus lobata. Elderberry, Sambucus mexicana, California blackberry, Rubus ursinus, and California wild grape, Vitis californica, are conspicuous in the understory.
Animals are relatively abundant and typical of the Central Valley. Among them are such species as blue grosbeak, Guiraca caerulea, yellow-breasted chat, Icteria virens, and yellow-headed blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus.
Integrity: The river has been dammed and, in various places, farming has extended to the river's edge.
Use: Research, educational, observational. Some private.
March 1982
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman