The Brief

At the crack of dawn in California’s Central Valley, birds sing their morning songs and critters chirp unabashedly. In a shady grove next to a river, an owl swoops down from the spindling branches of an oak tree that has stood its ground for centuries.

A few feet above the tree’s base, its massive trunk is lined with a white ring, indicating how high the San Joaquin River rose during a flood last year. Dos Rios is supposed to flood — it’s a floodplain, recently transformed into California's newest state park.

The park opened this summer, emerging among the never-ending rows of agriculture the valley is known for. It's a lush 2.5 square miles now bursting with hundreds of thousands of native trees, bushes and animals.

Dos Rios, named for the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers that meet at the edge of the park, is the first new California state park in more than a decade.

But it isn’t like most state parks. In addition to bringing much-needed green space to an underserved area, its unusual design uses nature-based climate solutions that reinvigorate native wildlife.

By restoring the natural floodplain, the park will also help mitigate flooding that threatens residents in the area.

Sunflowers in the Oak grove photographed June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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Transforming farms fields back to a floodplain

Dos Rios is like a time machine. Just 15 years ago, this plot of land looked much like its surroundings.

“These floodplains were once laser-leveled fields that grew alfalfa, or a rotation of corn and winter wheat, which would be harvested and moved over to where the dairies are to feed the cows,” says conservationist Julie Rentner.

Now, the land looks more like it did hundreds of years ago, before farms and towns cropped up, before the Central Valley became an agricultural hub of America.

Julie Rentner, President of River Partner, a nonprofit that restores ecosystems back to their native state. photographed in June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California.

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Rentner is president of the nonprofit organization River Partners, which began the process of purchasing the plot from a farming family back in 2008. Since then, her team has been transforming the land to return it to some semblance of the floodplain it naturally was.

“Most of the critters here, the willows, the cottonwoods, the mugwort and the gum plants are actually stimulated by occasional flooding,” she says.

In the summer months, the San Joaquin and Tuolumne rivers flow lazily around the edges of this park, but in the spring and early summer, when snow melts in the Sierras, the rivers take on a forceful character, rampaging through this land, swelling above their banks and flooding this area.

Last year, the rivers rose about 20 feet higher than they are now. At the time, River Partners was giving boat tours through the area, as floodwaters brought back animals like river otters, beavers and waterfowl.

San Joaquin River, June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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Working with nature to tame floodwater risk

While flooding is now welcome at Dos Rios, for Central Valley farmers and residents, it has long been a demon. It destroys crops and homes.

A 2018 report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its state partners said that Stockton, a large metropolitan city about 30 miles north of Dos Rios, faced an “unacceptably high risk of flooding from levee failure.” Dos Rios is meant to be an escape valve, before torrents of water threaten levees in nearby places like Stockton.

“This place is reducing flood risk for downstream communities by absorbing floodwaters as they pour out of the Sierra Nevadas,” Rentner says.

Reengineering Dos Rios involved cutting holes into berms and levees, and allowing the rivers to flood instead of attempting to constrain them. The floodwaters then soak into the ground, sparing nearby communities, and recharging groundwater. These, Rentner says, are solutions designed to work with nature instead of against it.

Lilia Lomeli-Gil, Assistant Manager, United Community Foundation & Director, Grayson Community Services District Board photographed in June 27, 2024 inside Grayson Community Center, Patterson California.

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Another community that could benefit from Dos Rios is Grayson, a small, unincorporated area just a few miles west of the park. Lilia Lomeli-Gil, a community leader there, remembers suffering from the devastating floods of 1997. At the time, she was living in Modesto, just east of Dos Rios.

“It still brings tears to my eyes,” she says, as she recalls her house swamped with 3 to 4 feet of water. “We had to start over, we were homeless.”

Eventually, Lomeli-Gil and her husband were able to relocate back to Grayson, where she has spent most of her life. Now she says she is relieved that Dos Rios is in Grayson’s backyard — not only because of flood-risk mitigation, but also because it’s a new place to recreate.

“A place to go barbecue, join other family members,” and it’s a place to appreciate nature for local community members, she says. “I think that emotionally, it’s going to be very good for their mental health.”

Grayson is a tiny, 4-by-5-block farming community. Most of the residents are agricultural workers. The community center Lomeli-Gil runs is the only gathering place in town for residents, other than the gas station market next door.

“We need more, we need a variety, not just one place,” she says.

Dos Rios mural signage, photographed June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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A new place to enjoy nature

At 8:30 on a recent Friday morning, Lomeli-Gil had gathered a group of parents, teenagers and young children from Grayson around some picnic benches on the edge of an old riverbank at Dos Rios. Everyone in the group speaks Spanish, like most of the surrounding community, so their tour guides, Eduardo Gonzalez and Julian Morin, lead the group through a portion of the park in English and Spanish.

“We want to continue to increase accessibility to parks, they're out here for everybody,” says Morin. “Language barriers shouldn't be why people can't get out and enjoy state parks and experience everything they have to offer.”

Gonzalez leads the group on a walking path that, in a way, divides the past and future of this park: An old almond orchard is on one side, and a lush landscape of bushes, trees, birds and animals on the other.

Grayson community members joining a tour in Dos Rios, June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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In Spanish, Gonzalez says, “12 years ago this was all pure orchard, and [River Partners] removed them.” Pointing to the other side of the path, where birds are chirping loudly, he says, “And they began to plant more native plants that were here before agriculture.”

He tells the group that like the rest of the park, that almond orchard will eventually become a campground or a place for families to gather. The park will also offer family events like group campfires and stargazing nights. When school is in session, the park plans to organize educational visits for students.

Opening up the land to indigenous people, as a place to gather plants

The Dos Rios team has also consulted with Indigenous tribes about how this new park can benefit their communities. Austin Stevenot, the San Joaquin field manager for River Partners, first came across the organization a few years ago when they invited his extended family to visit the park.

Stevenot and his family are members of the Northern Sierra Miwok tribe. Stevenot consulted his mother and aunts, founding members of the California Indian Basketweavers’ Association. They put together planting palettes of native plants — like a mood board for plants — that would be beneficial to the habitat, but also for Indigenous medicinal and cultural practices.

“All the things we were like, ‘It would be great to gather this here!’”

Austin Stevenot, San Joaquin Valley Field Manager for River Partners. photographed in June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California.

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Stevenot brought members of local tribes to plant native shrubs like Valley Sedge, which is used for basket weaving, or mugwort, used as a natural bug repellent. Now, a 3-acre Native Use Garden is blooming at Dos Rios.

A century ago, he says, his people were forcibly removed from their ancestral village, about 60 miles from here. So it means a lot to him to have a piece of this land his family and other Indigenous people can use as their own.

“It looks like a big weed patch right now. But there's a lot here. There's a lot of meaning here,” he says.

Though removing plants from public lands is typically illegal, a 2016 rule permits parks to enter into plant-gathering agreements with Native American tribes. Stevenot says tribal members can reach out to the park to inquire about accessing the Native Use Garden now, but their goal is for the park to eventually implement a formal permitting process for tribal members to gather anywhere in Dos Rios.

“We need thousands more acres just like this,” he says. “Not just not for just water, not for habitat, but for the people of the land, for the people that were here long before anybody else.”

Native use garden, photographed June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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"10 more Dos Rioses" in the next 10 years

Dos Rios holds great promise for the Central Valley — it provides new recreational space, restores native habitat, protects against flood damage and recharges dwindling groundwater in the Central Valley. But it’s only about 2½ square miles in a vast region dominated by agricultural farms, and even restoring that much land has been no easy task.

“Here in the Central Valley, we have a history of fighting over water, really being at odds with the environmental movement,” says Julie Rentner. But she adds that over the years, the community surrounding Dos Rios has shown great excitement about its multiple benefits.

Austin Stevenot holding a mugwort, photographed June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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“You talk to anybody in this neighborhood and you realize, oh my gosh, we all want the same things,” she says. “We want clean, healthy communities to live in. We want beautiful places to be able to take our kids and grandkids.”

And she says California’s state government is on board with more projects like Dos Rios, as evidenced by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2020 executive order, which has been dubbed the “30 x 30” initiative, because it aims to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by the year 2030. “And that encouraged us to think, how do you scale all of this?”

Rentner is optimistic. “We’ve done the planning, we’ve done the mapping,” she says, “We’re thinking about doing 10 more Dos Rioses just in the next decade. Maybe more.”

Oak Tree Grove, photographed June 28, 2024 in Dos Rios located in Modesto, California

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Copyright NPR 2024

When you’re drinking a glass of water, you might not think about the potential for microplastics floating around inside the cup.

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed new standards for monitoring our drinking water, a move that lays the groundwork for future safety regulation.

But microplastics aren't included on the list — and many advocacy groups are concerned.

More than 250 health professionals added their names to a May letter to the EPA that called microplastics "a public health crisis that can no longer be ignored."

“It is estimated that the average person consumes 4,000 or more microplastic particles annually from drinking water alone,” the letter continued.

The EPA released a statement to LAist Wednesday saying the agency "acknowledges the interest in and concern for microplastics in drinking water" and is in the process of taking steps to prioritize the needed research.

Why it matters

The proposed new testing program would require public water facilities to test for a list of up to 30 chemicals and contaminants such as pesticides and PFAS — dubbed "forever chemicals" — which are found in products like nonstick cookware.

Water safety advocates say it’s important to test for those chemicals because they can seep into water systems by runoff, factory leaching and landfill leakages. Experts say testing the substances helps identify what contaminants pose a health risk, and how much is present in water systems.

Safety advocates say they want microplastics added to the list because research has shown that ingesting them is potentially harmful to humans.

Over the past few years, governors, attorneys general and almost 200 organizations sent letters to the EPA urging the agency to include microplastics on the test list.

Among them is California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is part of a 14-state coalition petitioning to add microplastics to the proposed new screening list, known formally as the UCMR 6.

“Microplastics clearly warrant further monitoring and regulation due to their prevalence throughout the environment and the rapidly growing evidence of their negative impact on the environment and public health,” Bonta and others stated in a joint letter to the EPA last month.

So what’s the challenge?

It takes time to develop, test and approve methods for testing certain contaminants in water so that public systems can uniformly and consistently measure them. With microplastics, the research just isn’t there yet, according to EPA officials.

“There is no validated EPA or consensus drinking water analytical method with the proper quality control data, accuracy, and precision that could be used for UCMR 6,” agency officials said in a filing published early this month in the Federal Register.

What this means locally

The good news for Southern California residents concerned about microplastics is that the state has pulled ahead of the federal government in microplastic screenings. A law passed in 2018, Senate Bill 1422, called on regulators to implement a testing plan for microplastics in large community water systems.

Implementation of the law is still in its early stages, so only certain providers are required to test for microplastics. The state chose departments based on water supply, size of agency and forms of treatment.

Once more analysis is done with these agencies, the law is designed to expand its reach to all water departments.

The Irvine Ranch Water District is one of the agencies selected by the state to perform testing.

Although validated methods have not yet emerged, Jim Colston, the district's director of water quality and regulatory compliance, said he is confident that the area’s water is safe.

“There are many pervasive sources of microplastics in the environment, but the public water supply has not been shown to be a significant source,” Colston said.

LAist spoke to authorities at several Southern California water departments, and all said that consumers should not worry about their drinking water.

“Our drinking water is safe,” said Pat Versluis, director of water quality for the Orange County Water District, which serves 2.5 million people in the central and North Orange County area.

“I'd say the state of California's process, it's been methodical for several years," Versluis said. "They seem to be getting closer to a more refined sample collection, sample analysis, and kind of process for monitoring water sources.

"And we're following that closely.”

Where you come in

• The UCMR 6 program still needs to be finalized by the end of the year.
• Once it goes into effect in January 2028, the list of substances will be tested in a three-year sample period. The process of examining the research can then take two or more years after that.
• The EPA is accepting public comments on this issue until Aug. 31.
• If you want to weigh in on microplastics testing, you can contact local government representatives or the EPA. (Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit advocacy group, provides templates for people who don’t know where to begin.)

For a city that has more than its fair share of movie shoots — from Barbie’s high-speed chase along Chestnut Place to serving as Hollywood’s budget-friendly stand-in for Miami and San Diego — it’s high time that Long Beach sets aside time to celebrate it.

The inaugural Long Beach Film Festival will run Aug. 29–30, mooring its first-year slate at the historic Art Theatre on Retro Row with four feature films, multiple short film blocks and industry panel discussions.

The idea, according to organizers, came together exactly where one assumes — a kids’ birthday party at a Signal Hill playground. Festival board president Teodor Todorov struck up a conversation with local filmmaker Hunter Stiebel after spotting him with a Sundance T-shirt.

At first, Stiebel refused; it’s difficult to put together, he said, and hardly worth the headache. “It’s so much work,” he continued. But he quickly reconsidered, thinking how he’s always wanted a stronger local cinephile presence since moving to the city. “How best to find it rather than make it yourself?” said Stiebel, who now serves as the festival’s director of programming.

The festival’s four main narrative features span genres from psychological horror to romantic science fiction. Leading the slate is “Downbeat,” a 91-minute South by Southwest entry directed by Danny Madden (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) that follows a musician caught between personal relationships and artistic ambition. The lineup also includes “Ugly Cry,” a 94-minute psychological horror film directed by Emily Robinson that explores an actor’s dangerous obsession with perfection following a devastating audition.

Rounding out the feature selections are “Again Again,” a time-loop romantic sci-fi feature written by and starring Mia Moore and executive produced by Lilly Wachowski (“The Matrix”) about a woman facing the terrifying uncertainty of a new day after escaping a decade-long loop, and “Rescued,” written, directed by, and starring local filmmaker DJ Hale alongside Lindsay Shaw (“Pretty Little Liars”). There will also be four 90-minute segments of short films.

Filmed on location in Long Beach, “Rescued” explores homelessness and redemption through the story of a man whose life transforms after adopting a stray dog.

Hale, who based the movie on experiences faced by himself, his friend and producer Dominique Smith, and his mother, says it’s “a tremendous honor” to show the film here. “It feels perfect, it feels like it was supposed to happen,” he said.

Moving to Long Beach in 2020, he started working on the film in late 2022 and finished in January after an eight-month hiatus to get money for production. “(Smith) just randomly got this huge settlement check from a work injury that happened years ago, and he selflessly just put a big chunk of that to restoring the project,” Hale said.

He hopes the film can dispel myths and misconceptions about being homeless, and remind people that anyone can fall into homelessness.

“A lot of times, it’s just people who are literally living paycheck to paycheck, and then something happens that is unforeseen that causes them to get behind,” Hale said. “Hours can get cut, they could lose a job, get sick for an extended period of time, so on and so forth. … It’s just a snowball effect.”

The timing of the festival — in the dead of summer and amid a boon in indie theater attendance — almost couldn’t be better. Kerstin Kansteiner, vice president of the nonprofit Art Theatre, said the venue has a lot more flexibility with its schedule in the summer as opposed to the fall and winter, when major films are shown on studio-mandated terms leading up to the awards season.

And there’s a strong appetite for independent film, she added, saying the theater has had a strong increase in ticket sales she says is tied to event programming over the past couple of years.

“This new generation is embracing film, but it’s more than just film. … I think what they’re looking for is community and an event-based experience,” Kansteiner said, adding that summer programming allows the theater to run unique screenings, Q&A sessions, and local festivals like the Cambodia Town Film Festival and QFilmFest. “It’s been very, very successful.”

Where other festivals, including new ones in Glendale and Santa Monica, have relied on grants for funding, the Long Beach festival is seeded mainly by small monetary gifts and in-kind donations, with an almost entirely volunteer-based workforce.

Organizers say they want the festival, in years ahead, to become a happy medium between a benefit for local talent and a must-stop in the region to see films that dominate the festival circuit.

“A festival that feels both world-class and deeply rooted in Long Beach,” Stiebel said. “So, at this time when film and TV production has been fleeing California, Los Angeles, even the United States … we feel that it’s time that we are able to plant a flag here locally.”

Ahead of the August weekend, festival organizers will host a fundraiser Wednesday at Wine on Second in Naples. The event features a preview of “Rescued,” along with wine and hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds will support LBFF StoryLab, a local youth filmmaking initiative.

Individual screening tickets start at $10, while $150 VIP passes offer access to an opening night party at the Queen Mary, filmmaker mixers, panel sessions, and the festival’s VIP lounge. Tickets and schedule details are available on the festival website.

University of California officials announced Wednesday they have offered admission to a record number of California students. Around 102,000 residents were offered seats, about 1,400 more than last year. UC also admitted about 29,400 California community college transfers, another record high, officials said.

In Southern California, UCLA offered seats to 57% of California residents who applied, UC Irvine 52% and UC Riverside 87%. Around 2,500 of the admitted California students at UCLA are first-generation college students.

“For generations, a University of California education has been one of the state’s most powerful engines of social mobility, opening doors for talented students from every background and region of the state,” said UC President James B. Milliken. “The record number of California students we’re welcoming this year reflects UC's enduring commitment to expanding opportunity while preparing the next generation of leaders, innovators, educators and public servants."

UC has also increased its offer of admissions to out-of-state students and international students.

Why it matters

UCs increasing California student admissions is tied to a deal the university system struck with lawmakers after facing increased complaints from parents and students that the top UC schools — UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego — were so hard to get into.

The deal, UC’s Multi-Year Compact, requires UCs to increase in-state students by 1% every year and make it easier for community college students to transfer. In turn, the state would increase its funding to UCs to make up for the loss of revenue from non-state students — about a 5% increase every year.

The University of California has said it's on track to meet that goal.

Race and ethnicity in admissions

Earlier this year, the Justice Department accused UCLA of “intentionally” selecting students based on their race, favoring Black and Latino students. This is part of a larger trend of the Department of Justice pursuing legal action against the University of California in President Donald Trump’s second term, including suing UCLA over allegations that the university allowed antisemitism on campus. The Justice Department also unsuccessfully demanded a range of concessions to bring UCLA more in line with its ideology, in addition to more than $1 billion in fines. The administration also tried to freeze the university’s research funding, prompting an effort to have the state of California be a backstop.

But admission trends in race stayed mostly the same as in previous years.

Around 6% of California students offered admissions at UC identify as Black, proportional to the state’s Black population, while around 38% of the in-state admitted students are Latino. Around 40% of the state’s population is Latino.

Around 18% of the in-state students offered admissions identified as white and 33% Asian.