American River

The American River, located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in American history for being the site of Sutter's Mill, where gold was found in 1849, leading to the California Gold Rush). It runs from the Sierra Nevada mountains through Sacramento and flows into the Sacramento River on its way to San Francisco Bay. It is known for its whitewater rapids.

Related Topics:
California - Sutter's Mill - Gold - 1849 - California Gold Rush - Sierra Nevada - Sacramento - Sacramento River - San Francisco Bay - Rapid

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American River is divided into the North, Middle, South and Silver Forks before they reach their confluence in Folsom Lake and are popular for their verdant canyons, fishing and white water rafting. Below Folsom Lake, the river passes through an urbanized area but is buffered by a riparian park, the American River Parkway, that runs 23 miles (37 km) from Folsom Lake to the river's confluence with the Sacramento River.

Related Topics:
Confluence - Folsom Lake - American River Parkway

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American River and its tributaries are extensively dammed and diverted for hydroelectricity production. The five power plants on the Middle Fork are owned by the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) owns eight plants on the South Fork. The SMUD plants are run on a peaking basis, although reservoir flood control capacity and minimum flow requirements impose some constraints on their operation. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) owns the Chili Bar power plant on the South Fork downstream from SMUD's plants. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has two hydroelectric plants downstream of the confluence of the four forks at Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation operates Nimbus as a base load plant and Folsom as an intermediate plant. Past Nimbus Dam, which forms Lake Natoma, there are no other power plants or dams on the American River.

Related Topics:
Hydroelectricity - Power plant - Placer County Water Agency - Sacramento Municipal Utility District - Pacific Gas and Electric Company - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Folsom Dam - Nimbus Dam - Base load plant

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~