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76-761: The river is colloquially divided into the Upper Mokelumne River , which stretches from the headwaters to Pardee Reservoir in the Sierra foothills, and the Lower Mokelumne River , which refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam . In its lower course, the Mokelumne is used heavily for irrigation and also provides water for the east San Francisco Bay Area through the Mokelumne Aqueduct . Several major tributaries of

152-706: A Great Basin tribe , inhabited the Sierra Nevada on the California – Nevada boundary, with the Hung A Lel Ti band populating the Diamond Valley including what would become Alpine County. Kit Carson and John C. Frémont were among the first explorers to bring nationwide attention to the Sierra Nevada region in their winter 1844 expedition , though the first known westerners to actually explore

228-804: A 5+-mile Class II-III run. It begins just below the Electra Powerhouse, passes under Highway 49 south of Jackson, CA and ends at the Middle Bar Bridge. The Mokelumne is also a popular site for fishing, camping, water play, birding, picnics, gold panning, spring wildflower watching, and other activities. Electra Road, just east of Highway 49, is a popular place to run, walk, and enjoy the river. The large granite domes, Calaveras Dome and Hammer Dome , near Salt Springs Reservoir, are popular for technical rock climbing. Three campgrounds are also located near Salt Springs: Mokelumne River, White Azalea, and Moore Creek. Above Salt Springs Reservoir,

304-562: A Class V+, 26-mile wilderness reach, runs from below Highway 4 in Alpine County to the backwaters of Salt Springs Reservoir. Devil's Nose, Class IV-V, runs 17 miles from Salt Springs Dams to Tiger Creek Powerhouse. Below Tiger Creek Dam is the Tiger Creek Dam Whitewater run, a scenic, 3 mile Class IV run. The Ponderosa run goes from Ponderosa Way to Electra Powerhouse. The westernmost run is Electra-Middle Bar,

380-686: A beneficial use. North San Joaquin Water Conservation District has the authority to work on this but many other nearby water districts do not. In its original 2040 long-range water plan, issued in 2009, the East Bay Municipal Utility District approved an optional expansion of Pardee Reservoir [1] . The expansion would have flooded more than a mile of the river as well as unique cultural and historic sites. A broad coalition of local governments, conservation, recreation and fishery advocates opposed

456-562: A confluence of tributaries can be a true river source, though both often provide the starting point for the portion of a river carrying a single name. For example, National Geographic and virtually every other geographic authority and atlas define the source of the Nile River not as Lake Victoria 's outlet where the name "Nile" first appears, which would reduce the Nile's length by over 900 km (560 mi) (dropping it to fourth or fifth on

532-404: A household in the county was $ 41,875, and the median income for a family was $ 50,250. Males had a median income of $ 36,544 versus $ 25,800 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,431. About 12.0% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over. Throughout the 20th century, Alpine County

608-689: A pair of distributaries , the North and South Mokelumne River (not to be confused with the North and South Forks in the Mokelumne headwaters) which together encircle the 9,100 acres (3,700 ha) of Staten Island . About 7 miles (11 km) downstream the branches rejoin, and two miles (3.2 km) below this point the Mokelumne flows into the San Joaquin River. The Mokelumne River watershed drains 2,143 square miles (5,550 km) in parts of Alpine , Amador , Calaveras , San Joaquin , and Sacramento Counties. Elevations range from sea level at

684-551: A safe eating advisory for Lower Mokelumne River based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in fish caught from this water body. The first diversions of the Mokelumne were made during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1850s to provide water for placer and hydraulic mining . The first irrigation scheme was organized by a local collective, the Mokelumne Ditch and Irrigation Company, in 1875, but their dam

760-459: A simple airstrip with an apron for small light aircraft to park. The airport has no buildings, no lights, and is rarely used. The airport is popular with astronomers due to the clear, dark skies. All communities in Alpine County are unincorporated : The only other counties in California with no incorporated cities are Mariposa and Trinity . The population ranking of the following table

836-506: A single county. The group fielded a candidate for sheriff and registered fictitious voters using post office boxes and vacant lots as their addresses. Six people were prosecuted for voter fraud, the false registrations were thrown out, and the incumbent sheriff was re-elected. Alpine County Airport is a general aviation airport in the Eastern Sierra about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the town of Markleeville . The airport consists of

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912-474: A state study before the Mokelumne could be designated a California Wild and Scenic River. After a number of amendments were made to the bill, it was adopted by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill mandated a state wild and scenic river suitability study of the Mokelumne and provided interim protections for the river from Salt Springs Dam to Pardee Reservoir. The compromise bill

988-399: A working group to explore restoring salmon and steelhead above Camanche and Pardee reservoirs. The group's work is in progress. Headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the point on each of its tributaries upstream from its mouth / estuary into a lake / sea or its confluence with another river. Each headwater is considered one of the river's sources , as it is

1064-493: Is considered a linear geographic feature, with only one mouth and one source. For an example, the Mississippi River and Missouri River sources are officially defined as follows: The verb "rise" can be used to express the general region of a river's source, and is often qualified with an adverbial expression of place. For example: The word "source", when applied to lakes rather than rivers or streams, refers to

1140-525: Is situated principally in Alpine, Amador and Calaveras Counties and consists mostly of wilderness managed under various federal designations. Most of the Mokelumne and Cosumnes River headwaters lie within the Stanislaus and Eldorado National Forests. Much of the upper watershed is also protected under the 105,165-acre (42,559 ha) Mokelumne Wilderness . The Salt Springs State Game Refuge is located along

1216-592: Is the largest, originating at Highland Lakes at an elevation of 8,584 feet (2,616 m). From its source it flows north then west for 28 miles (45 km) to Salt Springs Reservoir . Below Salt Springs it receives the Bear River from the north and then passes through the smaller Tiger Creek Reservoir before joining with the Middle Fork southeast of Pine Grove . The lower portion of the North Fork defines

1292-583: The Churn — although not without contention. When not listing river lengths, however, alternative definitions may be used. The Missouri River's source is named by some USGS and other federal and state agency sources, following Lewis and Clark 's naming convention, as the confluence of the Madison and Jefferson rivers, rather than the source of its longest tributary (the Jefferson). This contradicts

1368-633: The Smithsonian Institution , is also used by the National Geographic Society when pinpointing the source of rivers such as the Amazon or Nile . A definition given by the state of Montana agrees, stating that a river source is never a confluence but is "in a location that is the farthest, along water miles, from where that river ends." Under this definition, neither a lake (excepting lakes with no inflows) nor

1444-502: The census of 2000, there were 1,208 people, 483 households, and 295 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km ). There were 1,514 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 73.7% White , 0.6% Black or African American , 18.9% Native American , 0.3% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.4% from other races , and 5.1% from two or more races. 7.8% of

1520-600: The 695,098-acre total), Stanislaus (119,805 acres, or 13.32% of the 899,427 acre-total) and Humboldt–Toiyabe (233,962 acres, or 3.72% of the 6,290,945 acre-total). American Indian and Alaska Native The 2010 United States Census reported that Alpine County had a population of 1,175. The racial makeup of Alpine County was 881 (75.0%) White , 0 (0.0%) African American , 240 (20.4%) Native American , 7 (0.6%) Asian , 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 19 (1.6%) from other races , and 28 (2.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 84 persons (7.1%). As of

1596-534: The California State Senate to designate the river as Wild and Scenic from Salt Springs to Pardee Reservoir. The legislation was co-sponsored by Foothill Conservancy and Friends of the River, and supported by Calaveras County and a number of conservation, fish, community and tribal groups. It was opposed by Amador County and local water agencies. The East Bay Municipal Utility District initially opposed

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1672-729: The Central Valley, while the Carson flows eastwards into the Great Basin . Drainage within the Mokelumne watershed generally occurs from east to west with all of the perennial streams originating in the Sierra Nevada. The Mokelumne River and its headwater forks above Lodi drain the southernmost part of the basin. The part of the basin above Pardee Dam is referred to as the Upper Mokelumne River Basin and drains about 550 square miles (1,400 km), or 25.7% of

1748-552: The Central Valley. Grapes are the major crop grown in the Mokelumne River watershed; as of 2001, vineyards comprised 51% of the basin's farmland. Of the remaining land, 31% is used for livestock , 9% for orchards, and 8% for annual crops. About 90,000 acres (36,000 ha) in the lower basin are part of the Mokelumne River AVA . In May 2021, it was reported that a trove of 5- to 10-million-year-old fossils

1824-540: The Delta via the Mokelumne, San Joaquin, Old River and Middle River . The Mokelumne River provides habitat for Pacific salmon and steelhead trout spawning runs. These fish were historically able to migrate upstream of the present site of Pardee Dam, before a natural waterfall prevented further progress. Between 1950 and 1997 the annual fall chinook salmon run has had an estimated average of 3434 fish. The construction of Camanche Dam has blocked access to several miles of

1900-451: The Middle Fork, to join the Middle Fork about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) above the confluence of the North and Middle Forks. The confluence of the North and Middle Forks forms the Mokelumne River proper. The main stem flows west-southwest past Mokelumne Hill into Pardee Reservoir, formed by the 345-foot (105 m)-high Pardee Dam . Below Pardee the river flows directly into Camanche Reservoir , formed by Camanche Dam . The entire stretch of

1976-474: The Mokelumne River near Salt Springs Reservoir. There are also significant private holdings in the upper basin including commercial timber land and protected watershed areas administered by the East Bay Municipal Utility District , which diverts urban and industrial water from Pardee Reservoir. The lower watershed, mainly within San Joaquin and Sacramento Counties, is part of the rich agricultural region of

2052-464: The Mokelumne River. Most of the Gold Rush profits and trade on the Mokelumne River would end up passing through Stockton. Also in 1848, Samuel W. Pearsall found gold at Mokelumne Hill, which by 1850 grew into a boomtown of 15,000 people. The Mokelumne River is home to five notable whitewater kayaking runs: Fantasy Falls, Devil's Nose, Tiger Creek Dam, Ponderosa and Electra-Middle Bar. Fantasy Falls,

2128-530: The Mokelumne River. Pardee is the primary storage facility and diversion point for the 91-mile (146 km) Mokelumne Aqueduct, which provides water to 35 municipalities in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The first water deliveries to the Bay Area were made on June 23, 1929. The dam can store about 215,000 acre-feet (0.265 km) which is slightly over one quarter of

2204-719: The Mokelumne Wilderness challenges those who seek a true wilderness experience. Backpacking in this federally designated wilderness area requires good back-country skills. Downstream, the river is also a popular recreational destination, particularly the day-use area at the base of the Camanche Dam, which includes the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery , and Lodi Lake, a city park in the small town of Lodi . The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed

2280-581: The Mokelumne between the forks and a point just above Camanche Dam defines the Amador—Calaveras county line; below here, it flows westwards into San Joaquin County . The Camanche Dam is the first non-passable barrier for anadromous fish. Below Camanche Dam the Mokelumne meanders 34 miles (55 km) to its confluence with the San Joaquin River, first continuing southwest out of the Sierra foothills past Lockeford and then turning northwest at Lodi , where

2356-499: The Mokelumne's annual flow. Through an agreement between EBMUD and local farmers, Pardee also stabilized the dry season water level in the lower Mokelumne, allowing much greater use of the river for agriculture. As early as 1897, the Mokelumne was utilized for the generation of hydroelectric power at the Blue Lakes powerhouse, near Jackson, to provide power for local communities. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) began to develop

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2432-495: The Mokelumne's major tributary, is one of only a few Sierra rivers without large dams; however, irrigation diversions have also caused problems with fish migration on this river. For water conservation reasons, local agriculture has switched from flood irrigation to drip and sprinkler systems, and thereby become more reliant on groundwater. This is an issue since the State of California currently does not consider groundwater recharge

2508-611: The North Fork and main Mokelumne to the California Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The report's recommendation was incorporated into the natural resources budget trailer bill, Senate Bill 854, which was passed by the state legislature. The bill was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on June 27, 2018. The enactment of the legislation makes the Mokelumne the 15th river included in the California Wild and Scenic Rivers System. In 2014, Foothill Conservancy, other conservation and fish organizations, and federal and state agencies formed

2584-530: The area were Jedediah Smith and Joseph R. Walker . Though gold spurred the infrastructural development of Alpine County, the Comstock Lode found near Virginia City, Nevada and the subsequent silver boom was what triggered Alpine County's growth, even attracting gold miners from neighboring Nevada . This prompted the formation on March 16, 1864, from parts of Amador County , Calaveras County , El Dorado County , Mono County and Tuolumne County . It

2660-786: The bill but supported it with proposed author's amendments late in the legislative process. SB 1199 was passed by the Senate but stalled in the State Assembly, where it was held "in suspense" by the Appropriations Committee after approval by the Natural Resources Committee. In 2015, California Assemblyman Frank Bigelow (R-O'Neals) and Senator Tom Berryhill (R-Twain Harte) co-sponsored state legislation, Assembly Bill 142, which called for completion of

2736-452: The border between Amador and Calaveras Counties. The 28-mile (45 km) Middle Fork rises at 6,800 feet (2,100 m) on the west side of Bailey Ridge, near Ganns . It flows generally west, past Wilseyville and West Point , to its confluence with the North Fork. The South Fork begins at an elevation of 6,380 feet (1,940 m) very near the head of the Middle Fork, and flows west 26 miles (42 km), roughly parallel and south of

2812-400: The combined Missouri—lower Mississippi length figure in lists of lengths of rivers around the world. Most rivers have numerous tributaries and change names often; it is customary to regard the longest tributary or stem as the source, regardless of what name that watercourse may carry on local maps and in local usage. This most commonly identified definition of a river source specifically uses

2888-589: The confluence with the San Joaquin River to 10,400 feet (3,200 m) at the crest of the Sierra Nevada in the headwaters of the North Fork. The Mokelumne watershed divide borders the basins of the American River on the north, the Calaveras and Stanislaus rivers to the south, and the Carson River to the east. The American, Calaveras and Stanislaus rivers, like the Mokelumne, drain westwards into

2964-516: The construction of the Bear Valley and Kirkwood ski resorts in the late 1960s, the latter of which is split with Amador County . The population shot up from 484 in 1970 to 1,097 in 1980 , a 126.65% increase, and has remained around that level. The three national forests ( Eldorado , Humboldt–Toiyabe and Stanislaus ) means 96% of the county is owned by the federal government, providing opportunities for economic development and tourism to

3040-480: The controversial reservoir expansion. On April 24, 2012, the utility's board voted 7–0 to remove the Pardee expansion from its 2040 water plan. In 1999, federal and state agencies joined nonprofit organizations and PG&E in signing a settlement agreement for the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license of PG&E's hydroelectric project on the Mokelumne, known as Project 137. The agreement requires flows from

3116-533: The county is in the 5th Assembly District , represented by Republican Joe Patterson . In the State Senate , the county is in the 1st Senate District , represented by Republican Brian Dahle . Due to its low population density, Alpine County votes entirely by mail , one of two counties in California which do so. In the June 2014 primary elections, about 22% of registered voters statewide went to

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3192-446: The county seat following the discovery of silver nearby by Norwegian miners. Markleeville , established by Jacob Markley in 1861 as a 160-acre claim encompassing a bridge and toll station, became the new county seat in 1875. The collapse of the silver industry and closing of mines was finalized with the demonetization of silver in 1873, and Silver Mountain was abandoned by 1886, with most businesses moving to Markleeville. Following

3268-569: The county's vote. However, Alpine has become more of a Democratic county in recent elections. It was carried by John Kerry in 2004 and has stayed in the Democratic column since. No Republican has won a majority in the county since 1988. In November 2008, Alpine was one of just three counties in California's interior in which voters rejected Proposition 8 , the ballot initiative to amend the California Constitution to reject

3344-443: The devastating collapse of the silver industry, the population began quickly declining until the 1950s, falling to an all-time low of 241 in 1930 . During this time, its small economy limited the county to serving primarily as a trading center for the local farming and lumber industries, as well as fishing and hunting during the 1930s. Several lots in the county were left vacant. Alpine County finally managed an economic rebound with

3420-566: The distance from the mouth to the most distant headwater source (irrespective of stream name), or from the mouth to the headwaters of the stream commonly known as the source stream". As an example of the second definition above, the USGS at times considers the Missouri River as a tributary of the Mississippi River . But it also follows the first definition above (along with virtually all other geographic authorities and publications) in using

3496-638: The fringe of the Sierra foothills and the eastern edge of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. This area is believed to have been predominantly Plains Miwok ; various subgroups that lived in the Mokelumne River basin included the Mokellos, Lalas, and Machacos. The Miwoks called the river Wakalumitch , possibly meaning "big river". The first European parties to explore the river were likely Spanish military expeditions in Alta California in

3572-621: The highest quality habitat formerly available to salmonids in the Mokelumne River. To compensate for the lost habitat, the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery was built in 1964, a year after the completion of Camanche Dam. The Lower Mokelumne River is home to at least 35 species of fish. In addition to salmon and trout, common native fish include prickly sculpin ( Cottus asper ), and Sacramento sucker ( Catostomus occidentalis ). The non-native western mosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis ), largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) and bluegill ( Lepomis macrochirus ) are also plentiful. The Cosumnes River,

3648-407: The hydroelectric project to follow the natural hydrograph of the river, required the removal or dismantling of three small dams on tributary streams, improved recreational flows and facilities on the river, and incorporated an adaptive management plan with a monitoring program. The removal of West Panther Creek Dam in 2003 was the first removal of a PG&E dam in modern history. Since the signing of

3724-503: The idea to fruition. Once the political theater aspect of the project was exposed, planning for the Alpine County project came to a halt even among demoralized true believers. In the late 1970s, the Posse Comitatus organization attempted to take over Alpine County by settling there and fielding candidates in local elections. The Posse thought winning local elections in Alpine County was their best opportunity to take control of

3800-399: The lake's inflow . Alpine County, California Alpine County is a county in the eastern part of the U.S. state of California located within the Sierra Nevada on the state border with Nevada . As of the 2020 Census , the population was 1,204, making it California's least populous county . The county seat and largest community is Markleeville . The Washoe people ,

3876-414: The late 18th or early 19th century. The name Mokelumne was first recorded by Spanish missionary Narciso Durán as Muquelumnes in 1817. However it was not until 1830 when the first permanent European settlement was established on the Mokelumne River, at Happy Valley near present-day Mokelumne Hill , as an outpost for French fur trappers. John C. Frémont is credited with establishing the modern spelling of

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3952-524: The legal extension of the title of marriage to same-sex couples. Alpine voters rejected Proposition 8 by 56.4 percent to 43.6 percent. The other interior counties in which Proposition 8 failed to receive a majority of votes were neighboring Mono and Yolo counties. Alpine County is in California's 3rd congressional district , represented by Republican Kevin Kiley . In the State Assembly ,

4028-634: The list of world's rivers), but instead use the source of the largest river flowing into the lake, the Kagera River . Likewise, the source of the Amazon River has been determined this way, even though the river changes names numerous times along its course. However, the source of the Thames in England is traditionally reckoned according to the named river Thames rather than its longer tributary,

4104-605: The lower Mokelumne River. The dam is also operated by EBMUD. The Mokelumne River in the Delta forms part of the water pathway for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project , which divert Sacramento River water to a number of aqueducts that supply central and southern California. The Sacramento River is connected to the Mokelumne River by the Delta Cross Channel , which enables the large pump stations near Tracy to draw water south across

4180-620: The melting of glacial ice . Headwater areas are the upstream areas of a watershed , as opposed to the outflow or discharge of a watershed. The river source is often but not always on or quite near the edge of the watershed, or watershed divide. For example, the source of the Colorado River is at the Continental Divide separating the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean watersheds of North America . A river

4256-658: The most common definition, which is, according to a US Army Corps of Engineers official on a USGS site, that "[geographers] generally follow the longest tributary to identify the source of rivers and streams." In the case of the Missouri River, this would have the source be well upstream from Lewis and Clark's confluence, "following the Jefferson River to the Beaverhead River to Red Rock River , then Red Rock Creek to Hell Roaring Creek ." Sometimes

4332-496: The most distant point (along watercourses from the river mouth ) in the drainage basin from which water runs year-around ( perennially ), or, alternatively, as the furthest point from which water could possibly flow ephemerally . The latter definition includes sometimes-dry channels and removes any possible definitions that would have the river source "move around" from month to month depending on precipitation or ground water levels. This definition, from geographer Andrew Johnston of

4408-530: The name Mokelumne circa 1844. During the California Gold Rush , the Mokelumne was a major gold-producing stream. The first person to discover gold in the Mokelumne was likely Charles Weber in 1848. Weber did not stay in the area for long; he moved on to the Coloma diggings on the South Fork American River before establishing a supply center at present-day Stockton , several miles south of

4484-404: The place where surface runoffs from rainwater , meltwater and/or spring water begin accumulating into a more substantial and consistent flow that becomes a first-order tributary of that river. The tributary with the longest course downstream of the headwaters is regarded as the main stem . The United States Geological Survey (USGS) states that a river's "length may be considered to be

4560-542: The polls; in Alpine County, the number was almost 70%, the highest of any county in the state. Gay activist Don Jackson seriously presented an idea for taking over Alpine County at a December 28, 1969, gay liberation conference in Berkeley, California. The project, which eventually became known as Stonewall Nation , was subsequently surreptitiously used by fellow gay activists Morris Kight and Don Kilhefner as an agitation and propaganda tool with no serious plans to bring

4636-556: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.1% were of German , 12.1% Irish , 9.3% English , 6.5% American and 5.7% Italian ancestry. 95.0% spoke English , 3.1% Spanish and 2.0% Washo as their first language. There were 483 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who

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4712-573: The reservoir expansion. Foothill Conservancy , Friends of the River [2] and California Sportfishing Protection Alliance [3] sued EBMUD in November 2009. In April 2011, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley ruled in the groups' favor and voided the EBMUD plan. On December 5, 2011, East Bay Municipal Utility District announced that the soon-to-be released revised draft environmental impact report for its revised water plan would not recommend

4788-523: The river for hydroelectricity in the late 1800s. In 1925, the Mokelumne hydroelectric project was licensed, and its major dam, Salt Springs, was completed on the North Fork of the Mokelumne in 1931. The project also includes two dams on the Bear River , the Tiger Creek Dam, and several smaller reservoirs in the Mokelumne headwaters. The project can provide a maximum output of 206 megawatts of electricity from four powerhouses. In 1963 Camanche Dam

4864-518: The river have been developed for the generation of hydroelectric power . The name is Plains Miwok and is constructed from moke , meaning fishnet , and -umne , a suffix meaning "people of". The town of Mokelumne Hill was named for the river in about 1850. The Mokelumne is formed by the confluence of several forks that rise in the central Sierra Nevada in the Stanislaus National Forest . The 62-mile (100 km) North Fork

4940-508: The settlement and issuance of the FERC license, the signatories have collaboratively managed the project's adaptive management and monitoring program. About 37 miles of the Mokelumne from Salt Springs Powerhouse to just below Highway 49 have been found eligible for National Wild and Scenic River designation by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management as part of those agencies' land management planning responsibilities. In 2014, Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) introduced Senate Bill 1199 in

5016-459: The skiing resorts as well as historical tourism and outdoor recreation. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has an area of 743 square miles (1,920 km ), of which 738 square miles (1,910 km ) is land and 4.8 square miles (12 km ) (0.7%) is water. The federal government owns about 96% of Alpine County, the highest percentage in California, including three national forests : Eldorado (54,318 acres, or 7.81% of

5092-453: The small Woodbridge Dam impounds the river, forming Lodi Lake. The river receives Dry Creek from the east near Thornton and shortly afterwards receives its major tributary, the Cosumnes River , from the northeast. At this point, the river has reached its northernmost point about 25 miles (40 km) south of Sacramento . The river continues west then south into the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta where it becomes tidal and splits into

5168-449: The source of the most remote tributary may be in an area that is more marsh -like, in which the "uppermost" or most remote section of the marsh would be the true source. For example, the source of the River Tees is marshland . The furthest stream is also often called the head stream. Headwaters are often small streams with cool waters because of shade and recently melted ice or snow. They may also be glacial headwaters, waters formed by

5244-442: The total watershed. The Cosumnes River and its own North, Middle and South forks drain about 724 square miles (1,880 km) in the northern part of the basin, or about 33.8% of the total watershed. Dry Creek, which itself is formed by four Sierra streams – Jackson, Sutter, Amador and Rancheria Creeks – drains most of the area between the upper Mokelumne and Cosumnes basins, or about 324 square miles (840 km). The upper watershed

5320-452: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.2 males. The median income for

5396-466: Was a Republican stronghold in presidential and congressional elections. From 1892 until 2004, the only Democrat to carry Alpine County in a presidential election was Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936. In 1964, Alpine was one of only five counties in the state to back Barry Goldwater . It was among the five most Republican counties in the entire nation in 1892, 1908, 1920, and 1928. Warren Harding and Herbert Hoover gained over ninety percent of

5472-519: Was built directly below Pardee to capture additional Mokelumne River runoff. Its primary purpose is to provide flood control for downstream communities, which allows more water to be retained in Pardee Reservoir for the Bay Area's use. Camanche forms the largest reservoir on the Mokelumne with a capacity of 431,000 acre-feet (0.532 km). The dam regulates releases from Pardee for local uses, primarily irrigation, and provides flood control for

5548-525: Was demolished by a flood and never rebuilt. The Woodbridge Canal and Irrigation Company was founded in 1891, and was somewhat more successful at tapping Mokelumne River water, but they were still hampered by damaging spring floods and lack of water in the dry season. In 1929 the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) built the large Pardee Dam several miles upstream from Lodi and the irrigation diversion points on

5624-523: Was named Alpine County due to its resemblance to the Swiss Alps . At its formation, it had a population numbering around 11,000. By 1868, however, the local silver mines had proven unfruitful of replicating the Nevada silver boom and the population fell to about 685 in the 1870 Census , a decline that would steadily continue through the 1950s. Silver Mountain (established as Köngsberg) was designated

5700-806: Was supported by Sierra foothill water agencies, the East Bay Municipal Utility District and river and fish conservation groups. In January 2018, the California Natural Resources Agency released its draft Mokelumne River Wild and Scenic River Study . The study was finalized after extensive, overwhelmingly positive, public comments and with support for final recommendation language from Mokelumne-dependent water agencies, Amador and Calaveras counties, and conservation groups. The final report , issued in April 2018, recommended adding approximately 37 miles of

5776-445: Was unearthed in June 2020 in the Mokelumne River watershed near Valley Springs, California , including a two-tusked mastodon , a four-tusked gomphothere , rhinoceros , camel , horse , tortoise , tapir , bird, fish, and other specimens. The Mokelumne River basin was originally inhabited by Yokuts , Miwok , and Wintun Native American people. The lower (western) basin was the most densely populated, with numerous villages between

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