Busy weekend on the Petaluma River from top to bottom

What’s happening on the Petaluma River? A better question may be, “What ISN’T?”

The COVID-19 health crisis has turned many things upside down and sent many people inside, but it’s also sent many searching for wellness outside. Last weekend, at least 200 people found themselves either on or near the Petaluma River.

Our beloved slough, specifically Petaluma Small Craft Center’s Floathouse dock, was the setting for Renew Yoga’s 19 Anniversary Celebration yoga class; teenage sprint kayakers from River Town Racers simulated a World Championship race here at home; Friends of The Petaluma Rivers held their annual Fall River Cleanup; and, joy of joys, Pacific Maritime continued the Army Corps of Engineers-funded dredging.

As we face what may be a long autumn of social distancing, consider the opportunities afforded by our town’s iconic waterway, aka: “Petaluma’s longest park”.

For six months now, Pamela and AJ Maldonado, owners of Renew Yoga have been holding classes outdoors. Saturday, September 19th, they held their 19th anniversary on the (vacant for now) Floathouse docks.

More than 40 participants, including nine staff instructors seamlessly team teaching throughout the 90-minute class, were a colorful addition to the spacious outdoor venue, which recently acted as a stage for Bands on The Basin as well.

As Pamela Maldonado pointed out, “Many of our students had not seen each other since March. To have all those people together on the water practicing yoga was such an uplift to the heart; it was a scene of incredible connection not only with each other but also with the beautiful nature of the river. Feelings of deep gratitude were flowing strong.”

The Floathouse, a decade in the planning, permitting and installation so far, plans to offer yoga on SUPs as one of its methods of offering “river access for all”.

Meanwhile, River Town Racers, our local and powerful youth kayak racing club, which in normal years aspires to national and global competition in this Olympic Sport, took to the river for a four-day simulated world championship.

According to co-founder Susan Starbird, the athletes, aged 11 to 18, competed in races between 200m and 5k.

“The starting line was marked by a three-foot inflatable chicken in the Turning Basin,” Starbird noted with a smile. “Titles were claimed by first-year rookies as well as experienced elite athletes.”

Kasen Taylor, 16, won three events, and many competitors reached speeds near 14kmh despite the short distances. Coaches believed that some local athletes would have qualified for Team USA, allowing them to race in the championships in Hungary.

The club’s membership doubled this year, with a new group of middle schoolers. To support RTR’s members, whose annual Autumn Challenge fundraiser starts in October, visit this link.

Friends of The Petaluma River is a stalwart stewardship organization, and this year managed to bring 155 masked volunteers, including Mayor Teresa Barrett, together, for a river cleanup event.

Sixteen sites yielded more than 3,000 pounds of trash, an impressive haul that now will not find its way to our bays and the Pacific Ocean. This kind of local community building on our shared waterway is an important step toward helping us recognize and honor inherent connections.

Fueling the future health of our planet were young people who made up at least one third of the volunteers, and were members of big groups like the Casa Grande Interact Club.

Although it hasn’t reached the downtown turning basin yet, Pacific Maritime’s electric dredge is making its way into the heart of the city.

Since the last dredge was 20 years ago, some newer residents may have thought “Siltigan’s Island”, the mud pile that’s grown year after year between TAPS Restaurant and Tasting Room and the Petaluma Yacht Club, was a permanent land mass.

By:  Maggie Hohle
Source: Petaluma Argus-Courier

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