Any semblance of its pristine origin is gone as the river flushes itself out at the Delta. Under a drizzling sky, Sal Ortega baits his hook to fish about a quarter mile from where the city of Stockton dumps treated sewage into the San Joaquin River. I throw them back.
Some people do eat the perch and other small fish.
Near Stockton, the river is nothing more than a canal, its banks cleared of natural habitat. Indistries and cities pump treated waste into the river, whcih also collects farm drainage from upstream. Downstream, the Pacific Ocean sloshes salt up the river and back again with each change of tide. Recreational fishing is slumping, industry officials say. Fish are smaller and less abundant.