From ‘cesspool’ to kayak route: San Jose aims to change Guadalupe River’s toxic reputation

YEARS OF NEGLECT and festering pollution problems have left San Jose’s Guadalupe River with a toxic reputation among locals. But one former councilmember says the best days are still to come for the long-benighted waterway — and he’s leading by example.

Local entrepreneur Carl Salas has been waging a quiet crusade over the past decade to restore the Guadalupe River’s good name by leading brief kayak tours on the 14-mile-long river that winds through the heart of San Jose. He wants to help more residents see the Guadalupe and surrounding park areas the way he sees them — as a slice of natural tranquility that could one day be a major downtown attraction.