Sacramento River
Template:Geobox River The Sacramento River is the longest river in the U.S. state of California. Starting at the confluence of the South Fork and Middle Fork Sacramento River, near Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range, the Sacramento flows south for 320 miles (515 km), through the northern Central Valley of California, between the Pacific Coast Range and the Sierra Nevada. Its length including the South Fork is 382 miles (615 km).
Not far downstream from its confluence with the American River, the Sacramento River joins the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento River Delta, which empties into Suisun Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay.
The chief tributaries of the Sacramento River are the Pit, Feather, McCloud and American rivers. The Pit River is the longest of these, but the Feather and American rivers carry larger volumes of water. The Pit River's watershed formerly included Goose Lake, and still does during rare periods of high water.[1]
Course
According to Mt. Shasta Recreation & Parks District, the designated headwaters of the Sacramento River are at about 3600 feet (1100 m) elevation in Mount Shasta City Park (41°19′43″N 122°19′38″W / 41.32874°N 122.32711°W)[2]. The USGS cites the river's source as the confluence of the South Fork Sacramento River and Middle Fork Sacramento River.[3]
Big Springs feeds Big Springs Creek which flows south into Siskiyou Lake. However, feeding Siskiyou Lake from the west are the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Sacramento River which bring water from much higher elevations. The South Fork originates at 5,912 feet (1,802 m) at Cedar Lake (41°12′28″N 122°29′46″W / 41.20791°N 122.49601°W), the Middle Fork originates at 6,359 feet (1,938 m) in several headwater streams near Chipmunk Lake (41°15′08″N 122°29′39″W / 41.25234°N 122.49415°W), and the North Fork originates from springs at about 7,900 feet (2,408 m) near 41°12′28″N 122°29′46″W / 41.20791°N 122.49601°W.
These various headwaters flow into Siskiyou Lake near the city of Mt. Shasta. From there the river flows generally south, closely followed by Interstate 5. Just north of the city of Redding, the river is impounded by Shasta Dam, which creates a reservoir called Shasta Lake. The Pit River and McCloud River tributaries join the Sacramento in Shasta Lake.
Below Shasta Dam, the Sacramento River continues to flow south, passing Redding and collecting many small streams. The river passes by Red Bluff and near Chico. It bends slightly west around Sutter Buttes, then collects the tributary waters of the Feather River just north of the city of Sacramento. In Sacramento, the American River joins the Sacramento River.
Below Sacramento, the river enters the Sacramento River Delta, where it is joined by the San Joquin River. The combined waters then exit into Suisun Bay, San Pablo Bay, and San Francisco Bay, before finally entering the Pacific Ocean at Golden Gate.
Natural history
Marine animals such as gray whales and sea lions are occasionally found far inland after navigating the river for food or refuge and then losing track of how to get back to the Pacific Ocean. In October 1985 a humpback whale affectionately named "Humphrey the humpbacked whale" by television media traveled 69 miles up the Sacramento River before being rescued. Rescuers broadcast humpback whale sounds to draw the whale back to the ocean.[4] In May 2007 two humpback whales were spotted by media and onlookers traveling the deep waters near Rio Vista. The duo, generally believed to be mother and calf, continued to swim upstream later to be seen in the deep waters near West Sacramento. The story remains ongoing with the whales having disappeared and then reappeared further up the river, defying opinions that they would swim back to the San Francisco bay. Concern has continued to mount over the tangling of the larger whale for what appears to be crab pot lines. The story remains ongoing.
Rio Vista, California hosts the annual Bass Festival each October to celebrate the return of bass to the river. ]
History
The Sacramento River helped form the track of a trade and travel route known as the Siskiyou Trail, which stretched from California's Central Valley to the Pacific Northwest. The Siskiyou Trail closely paralleled the Sacramento River and took advantage of the valleys and canyons carved by the river through the rugged terrain of Northern California. Based on the original footpaths of Native Americans, the Siskiyou Trail was expanded by Hudson's Bay Company trappers in the 1830s, and expanded further by California Gold Rush "Forty-Niners" in the 1850s. Today, Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad occupy the path of the ancient Siskiyou Trail.
Economy and control
Man-made channels make the river navigable for 180 miles upstream of San Francisco Bay; ocean-going ships travel as far inland as the City of Sacramento.
The Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is a Joint Powers agency tasked with keeping the Sacramento River within its banks and levees.[5] California Governor Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency in February 2006 in an attempt to repair the levees, whose failure could impact the drinking water quality of two-thirds of California residents.
See also
References
- ^ "Pit River Watershed Alliance".
- ^ "Mt. Shasta Recreation & Parks District".
- ^ Sacramento River, USGS GNIS
- ^ Tokuda, Wendy (1992). Humphrey the Lost Whale: a true story. ISBN 0893463469.
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External links
- USGS Introduction to the Sacramento River
- Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
- Sacramento River Flooding - Online Video from KVIE Public Television