Left to right: Julie Rentner (River Partners), Sarah Puckett (American Rivers), California State Parks Director Armando Quintero, Dr. Ann Willis (American Rivers), California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot, and John Cain (River Partners) cut the ribbon during the Great Valley Grasslands Floodplain Restoration Celebration, San Joaquin River, California | © California State Parks, all rights reserved More than 15 years ago, American Rivers began working with the California Department of Parks and Recreation, River Partners, and other agencies, nonprofits, and private partners to identify opportunities to restore the park’s native grasslands and reconnect the San Joaquin River to its historic floodplains.