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144-560: On July 26, the fire jumped the Sacramento River , making its way into the city of Redding , causing the evacuation of 38,000 people. Evacuations also took place in Summit City , Keswick , Lewiston , Shasta Lake City , Igo , Ono , and French Gulch . Eight people died in the fire, including three firefighters. The Carr Fire was reported on the afternoon of July 23, 2018, at the intersection of Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road, in

288-450: A car and were unable to evacuate. A sixth fatality was reported on July 29. An evacuation order was issued to the victim, but they did not evacuate. The victim was recovering from heart surgery, which possibly prevented him from leaving. On August 4, a PG&E employee was killed in a vehicle incident. On August 9, a Cal Fire heavy equipment mechanic was killed in a traffic incident. The fire affected recreational activities. At early stages,

432-560: A chance to return for spawning. According to UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences these rice fields adjacent to the Sacramento River will serve as potential nurseries for salmon. UC Davis also concluded from past experimental releases of salmon, that the Yolo Bypass floodway could have up to 57,000 acres of a productive breeding habitat with almost no cost to farmers. The Nigiri project has demonstrated off-season agriculture fields such as

576-731: A cooperative weather station in Weaverville since 1894. Based on those records, average January temperatures are a maximum of 47.2 °F (8.4 °C) and a minimum of 27.4 °F (−2.6 °C), while July temperatures average a maximum of 94.1 °F (34.5 °C) and a minimum of 49.1 °F (9.5 °C). There are an average of 77.3 afternoons with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher, plus an average of 126.8 mornings with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, although only two afternoons every three years fail to rise above freezing, and only one morning every three years will fall to 0 °F (−18 °C) or below. The record high temperature

720-617: A great network of pumps and canals that would take water from the Sacramento River in the north, and transport it to drought-prone central and southern California, especially the San Joaquin Valley. The Sacramento River basin receives "two-thirds to three-quarters of northern California's precipitation though it has only one-third to one-quarter of the land. The San Joaquin River watershed occupies two-thirds to three-quarters of northern California's land, but only collects one-third to one-quarter of

864-413: A large portion of the habitat currently used by migrating birds. Native bird populations have been declining steadily since the 19th century. Species that were once common but now are endangered or gone include the southwestern willow flycatcher , western yellow-billed cuckoo , least Bell's vireo , and warbling vireo . Another reason for dropping numbers are the introduction of non-native species, such as

1008-564: A large proportion of their population within a few decades of the arrival of Sutter and the following settlers, the start of the gold rush , not to mention the numerous battles fought between the settlers and native bands as well as the forced relocation of some of the tribes to Indian reservations in several places scattered around the Sacramento Valley, mainly in the Coast Ranges. In the early 1850s, several treaties were signed between

1152-637: A part in the formation of the 300-mile (480 km) Monterey Submarine Canyon when sea levels were lower during the Ice Ages. The Monterey Bay outlet of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers was blocked off by uplift about 2 million years ago, and runoff from the Sierra began to transform the Central Valley into a gigantic lake, called Lake Clyde . This lake stretched 500 miles (800 km) north to south and

1296-403: A plethora of massive changes to the environment beginning in the 20th century. An early project was undertaken to raise the entire city of Sacramento about 11 feet (3.4 m) above its original elevation. This was followed by much bigger engineering projects to control and store the floodwaters of the Sacramento River; the building of these public works would radically transform the river during

1440-474: A priority as east and west winds converged and created challenges for firefighters. Repopulation efforts continued, starting on the morning of July 31 for areas of western Redding, Summit City, Buckeye , and Happy Valley. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri provided food for evacuees in Redding. By the evening of July 31, the fire had burned 112,888 acres (45,684 ha) and was 30 percent contained. Crews were challenged by

1584-488: A pumping station (which replaced the Red Bluff Diversion Dam ) removes water for irrigation. Beyond Red Bluff the river reaches the low floodplain of the Sacramento Valley, receiving Mill Creek from the east and Thomes Creek from the west near Los Molinos , then Deer Creek from the east near Vina . Southeast of Corning , the Sacramento forms the boundary of Tehama County to the west and Butte County to

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1728-600: A total of over 3,000 cubic feet per second (85 m /s) of water to irrigate some 150,000 acres (610 km ). In 1960, construction began on the State Water Project, whose primary purpose was to deliver water to Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. Oroville Dam – the tallest dam in the U.S. – was built on the Sacramento's largest tributary, the Feather River. A series of channels were enlarged in

1872-475: A turning point in the history of the Sacramento Valley, and California as a whole. In 1841, Sutter and his men built a fortress at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers and the Mexican government granted him almost 50,000 acres (200 km ) of land surrounding the two rivers. Naming it New Helvetia, he created an agricultural empire in the lower Sacramento Valley, attracting several hundred settlers to

2016-468: A vast tidal estuary and inverted river delta of over 1,000 square miles (2,600 km ) which receives the entire run-off of the Central Valley, a region covering a third of California. The Sacramento is by far the largest contributor of fresh water to the Delta; in an average year, it accounts for more than 80 percent of the fresh water inflow. At Walnut Grove , the manmade Delta Cross Channel connects

2160-603: A vehicle incident. By August 9, the fire grew to 178,752 acres (72,338 ha), with 49 percent containment. Early that morning, a Cal Fire heavy equipment mechanic was killed in a traffic incident, bringing the total number of fatalities to eight. During the evening of August 30, the Carr Fire was reported to be 100% contained, at 229,651 acres (92,936 ha). The Carr Fire is the ninth-most destructive wildfire in California history. It caused evacuations of over 36,000 people in

2304-424: Is 43 miles (69 km) long and is maintained to a depth of 30 feet (9.1 m). The Sacramento River and its drainage basin once supported extensive riparian habitat and marshes , in both the Sacramento Valley and the Delta, home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. Due to the reclamation of land for agriculture and the regulation of seasonal flooding, the amount of water-based habitat declined greatly during

2448-399: Is an original building from the 1850's and displays gold rush equipment, tools, photos and memorabilia. The Diggins Saloon and New York Saloon are still open and welcoming customers since the gold rush era. Historically, Trinity Lake (off Highway 3 just 15 minutes from Weaverville) is a man-made lake providing water to nearby Whiskeytown Lake in neighboring Shasta County, and farmers as far as

2592-511: Is housed in Weaverville's Historic District, right downtown. The Trinity Journal publishes weekly on Wednesdays. Also unique to Weaverville is its electrical grid. Weaverville created its own power company (Trinity PUD) so it could be independent of PG&E and have the ability to create power from local hydro sources. Weaverville is located at 40°44′12″N 122°56′10″W  /  40.73667°N 122.93611°W  / 40.73667; -122.93611 (40.736687, -122.936208). According to

2736-628: Is now more known for its robust trail system and quaint historic downtown. The Trinity Alps Basin Trails system starts in Weaverville and is a network of professionally maintained hiking and biking trails ranging in difficulty in and around Trinity Alps and its majestic lakes. Weaverville has notable and unusual original gold rush historical architecture, like its iconic spiral staircases on Main St., an old Bandstand, and red Courthouse. The Jake Jackson Museum on Main Street

2880-614: Is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains , the river flows south for 400 miles (640 km) before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay . The river drains about 26,500 square miles (69,000 km ) in 19 California counties , mostly within the fertile agricultural region bounded by

3024-430: Is used to flood the fields for most of this experiment adjacent to the Sacramento River. The water is eventually flushed back into the Delta ecosystem through agricultural canals. Weaverville, California Weaverville ( Chimariko : Ho'raqtu ) is a census-designated place and the county seat of Trinity County, California , United States. Its population is 3,667 as of the 2020 census, up from 3,600 from

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3168-462: The 2010 census Weaverville had a population of 3,600. The population density was 345.4 inhabitants per square mile (133.4/km ). The racial makeup of Weaverville was 3,162 (87.8%) White, 11 (0.3%) African American, 152 (4.2%) Native American, 41 (1.1%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 38 (1.1%) from other races, and 195 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 255 people (7.1%). The census reported that 3,473 people (96.5% of

3312-482: The Blessed Sacrament ". In the following years, two more Spanish expeditions traversed the lower part of the river, the last one in 1817. The next visitors were Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) fur trappers exploring southwards from the disputed Oregon Country , starting in the 1820s. The first organized expedition, led by Peter Skene Ogden , arrived in the area of Mount Shasta in 1826. By this time, California

3456-600: The California Coast Ranges , enclosing the Sacramento Valley and forcing the streams within to flow south instead of west, forming the ancestral Sacramento River. (The Klamath Mountains , which enclose the northwest part of the Sacramento Basin, were formed in the same way but are much older, dating back 7.5 million years.) It is possible that the river once had its outlet in Monterey Bay , and may have played

3600-651: The Carquinez Strait into San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay , joining the Pacific at the Golden Gate . Following the Columbia River , the Sacramento is the largest river by discharge on the Pacific coast of the continental United States. The natural runoff of the river is 22 million acre-feet (27 km ) per year, or about 30,000 cubic feet per second (850 m /s). Before dams were built on its tributaries,

3744-683: The Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada known as the Sacramento Valley , but also extending as far as the volcanic plateaus of Northeastern California. Historically, its watershed has reached as far north as south-central Oregon where the now, primarily, endorheic (closed) Goose Lake rarely experiences southerly outflow into the Pit River , the most northerly tributary of the Sacramento. The Sacramento and its wide natural floodplain were once abundant in fish and other aquatic creatures, notably one of

3888-577: The Gulf of California just south of the US-Mexico border near the southeast part of the state, is far larger than the Sacramento in terms of length and drainage area but has a slightly smaller flow. The Sacramento, when combined with the Pit, is also one of the longest rivers in the United States entirely within one state—after Alaska 's Kuskokwim and Texas ' Trinity . The major drainage basins bordering that of

4032-690: The Klamath Diversion , proposed to send the entire flow of the Klamath River into the Sacramento River through a system of large reservoirs, canals, pumping stations and tunnels. Similarly, the Dos Rios Dam project would have diverted a considerable portion of the Eel River to the Sacramento. Both projects were defeated by local resistance, opposition from environmentalists, as well as the high capital cost. The Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel

4176-558: The Oregon –California border, occasionally overflows into the Pit River during wet years, although this has not happened since 1881. The Goose Lake watershed is the only part of the Sacramento River basin extending into another state. Unlike most California rivers, the Pit and the McCloud Rivers are predominantly spring-fed, ensuring a large and consistent flow in even the driest of summers. At

4320-640: The Redding Fire Department , was killed and it was reported that three firefighters from Marin County sustained burns. They were defending a structure when a heat blast from the flames came towards them. All three were released, with one being evaluated at the University of California, Davis Burn Center for burns on his face, hands and ears. By the evening of July 27, the fire had destroyed 500 structures and threatened almost 5,000. CrossPointe Community Church

4464-709: The Shasta , Modoc , and Achomawi /Pit River Tribes of the volcanic plateaus in the north; the Wintu and Hupa in the northern Klamath and Trinity mountains; the Nomlaki , Yuki , Patwin , and Pomo of the Coast Ranges; the Yana , Atsugewi , Maidu , Konkow , and Nisenan in the Sierra and their western foothills; and the Miwok in the south. Most of the Sacramento Valley's native peoples relied on hunting, gathering and fishing, although agriculture

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4608-522: The Snake – Columbia River systems; geologic evidence indicates that the two were connected by a series of wetlands and channels about 4-5 million years ago. Located along the Pacific Flyway , the sprawling wetlands of the Sacramento Valley are an important stop for migratory birds; however, only a fraction of the historic wetlands remain. Seasonally flooded rice paddies in the Sacramento Valley comprise

4752-534: The Tehachapi Mountains via four large pumping stations. The project irrigates 750,000 acres (300,000 ha) of land in the San Joaquin Valley and serves 22 million people in Central and Southern California. Over the years, several other plans materialized to divert rivers from California's North Coast into the Sacramento watershed, as future demand was projected to exceed supply. The only one to be built

4896-521: The Trinity River . It then swings east through Redding , the largest city of the Shasta Cascade region, and turns southeast, entering Tehama County . East of Cottonwood it receives Cottonwood Creek – the largest undammed tributary – from the west, then Battle Creek a short distance downstream. Below Battle Creek it carves its last gorge, Iron Canyon, emerging from the hills at Red Bluff , where

5040-545: The United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 10.4 square miles (27 km ), all of it land. Weaverville has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa, bordering on Csb ), though owing to its inland valley location the town is wetter and observes much larger diurnal temperature variations , creating colder mornings, than considered prototypical for the climate type. The National Weather Service has had

5184-437: The foothill yellow-legged frog and western spadefoot are listed as endangered species. Riparian and wetlands areas along the Sacramento once totaled more than 500,000 acres (2,000 km ); today only about 10,000 acres (40 km ) remains. Much of this consists of restored stretches and artificially constructed wetlands. Levee construction has prevented the river from changing course during winter and spring floods, which

5328-443: The 1950s the watershed has been intensely developed for water supply and the generation of hydroelectric power . Today, large dams impound the river and almost all of its major tributaries. The Sacramento River is used heavily for irrigation and serves much of Central and Southern California through the canals of giant state and federal water projects. While it is now providing water to over half of California's population and supporting

5472-470: The 2010 census. Founded in 1850, Weaverville is a historic California Gold Rush town. Located at the foot of the current Trinity Alps Wilderness Area, Weaverville was once home to approximately 2,000 Chinese gold miners and had its own Chinatown. Many of these miners left once the gold rush ended, and the majority of the Chinatown burned down in a 1911 fire. Historical monuments and architecture throughout

5616-417: The 20th century. From the late 19th century through the 20th century, California experienced an economic boom that led to the rapid expansion of both agriculture and urban areas. The Central Valley was becoming a heavily developed irrigation farming region, and cities along the state's Pacific coast and the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers were growing rapidly, requiring river control to prevent flooding on

5760-419: The 20th century. Other human impacts include the heavy water consumption for agriculture and urban areas, and pollution caused by pesticides , nitrates , mine tailings , acid mine drainage and urban runoff . The Sacramento supports 40–60 species of fish, and 218 species of birds. The basin also has a number of endemic amphibian and fish species. Many Sacramento River fish species are similar to those in

5904-649: The Cascades; its headwaters rise on the western extreme of the Basin and Range Province , east of major Cascade volcanoes such as Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak . The other two are the Klamath River and Columbia River . By discharge, it is the second-largest contiguous U.S. river draining into the Pacific, after only the Columbia River, which has almost ten times the flow of the Sacramento. The Colorado River , which reaches

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6048-473: The Central Valley of California. It became a popular secret recreation area for campers, boaters, and motorcyclists in the 1970's and continues its popularity in non-drought years. Weaverville has relied on the Trinity Journal as its main source of county news, event calendar, and business advertisements since 1856. It is one of California's oldest newspapers still in print. The office of the Trinity Journal

6192-559: The Delta to facilitate water flow from the Sacramento to the Banks Pumping Plant and the California Aqueduct , which can carry as much as 4.2 million acre-feet (5.2 km ) of water each year. From its origin at the Delta the canal runs 444 miles (715 km) southwards through the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, providing irrigation water to farmlands along its length, and lifted almost 3,000 feet (910 m) over

6336-509: The Knaggs Ranch property within the Yolo Bypass by Sacramento River for four consecutive winters. UC Davis shares their results produced the fastest growth of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Central Valley to ever be recorded. The Nigiri project attempted to see if these floodplains as surrogate wetlands which can be controlled to copy the Sacramento River system's annual natural flooding cycle the native fish depend on. Runoff water from agriculture

6480-547: The North Market Street Bridge which connects downtown Redding to the Benton Tract neighborhood. Highway 273 was closed in many areas. Access to Keswick Dam was restricted and the surrounding areas were evacuated as a result of the fire. Access to the remains of the historic ghost town of Gas Point was restricted due to the fire. A 2008 fire had destroyed the historic town. The historic town of French Gulch

6624-552: The Pit and McCloud Rivers provided the majority of river flow in dry summers when the Upper Sacramento and other tributaries slowed to a trickle. Monthly combined discharge of Sacramento River at Freeport and Yolo Bypass near Woodland (cfs) The Sacramento River's watershed is the largest entirely in California, covering much of the northern part of the state. The endorheic (closed) Goose Lake drainage basin in southern Oregon , however, has been known to overflow into

6768-531: The Red Cross, and one at Grace Baptist Church, were opened. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for the state of California due to this fire and other fires burning in the state. The communities of Happy Valley and Anderson , as well as other areas, were put under mandatory evacuation in the mid-morning. A woman and two children, who were reported missing on July 26 due to the fire, were reported dead. More buildings were evaluated for damage, bringing

6912-458: The Sacramento River system during particularly wet years. The Sacramento River basin generally lies between the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range on the east and the Coast Ranges and Klamath Mountains in the west, although the part of the basin drained by the Pit River extends east of the Cascades. The Pit River, has the distinction of being one of three rivers that cut through the main crest of

7056-475: The Sacramento River system is the Pit River, which is by far the largest of the three rivers flowing into Shasta Lake. At the USGS Montgomery Creek gauge, the average flow of the Pit River was 4,760 cu ft/s (135 m /s) for the period 1966–2013. By comparison, the Sacramento River at Delta gauge, a few miles above Shasta Lake, recorded an average of 1,191 cu ft/s (33.7 m /s) for

7200-517: The Sacramento River, although not all of them are currently operational. The ones currently in operation are at Delta, California (near the source at Mount Shasta), at Keswick (near Redding), Colusa (about halfway down the river), Verona , and Freeport . The Freeport gauge, which sits just downstream of Sacramento, provides a relatively good metric of the annual outflow from the Sacramento River Basin. The average flow between 1949 and 2013

7344-512: The Sacramento Valley is below 300 feet (91 m) in elevation; in its lower course, the Sacramento River drops only about 1 foot (0.30 m) per mile. Between the bajadas or alluvial slopes extending from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, are the low floodplains of the Sacramento River. The river flows at an elevation somewhat higher than the surrounding terrain due to deposits of sediment over millennia that created raised banks (essentially natural levees ). The banks separate

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7488-519: The Sacramento and Feather Rivers into the Yolo Bypass , which parallels the Sacramento River down the west side of the valley. Cache Creek and Putah Creek , two major tributaries which formerly joined the Sacramento River from the west, are now intercepted by the Yolo Bypass via man-made channels. The main channel of the Sacramento flows south, forming the Yolo– Sacramento County line. As

7632-658: The Sacramento are that of the Klamath in the north, the San Joaquin and Mokelumne to the south and the Eel River in the west. The Russian River also lies to the west and the endorheic (closed) Honey Lake and Eagle Lake basins to the north. On the east side are many endorheic watersheds of the Great Basin including the Truckee River and Carson River . Parts of the Sacramento watershed come very close to, but do not extend past,

7776-692: The Sacramento to the Mokelumne River channel, allowing a portion of the water to be pumped south toward Clifton Court Forebay , the receiving reservoir for the main CVP and State Water Project aqueducts which irrigate millions of acres and supply water to over 23 million people in the San Joaquin Valley , the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles . Although river levels are tidally influenced here and occasionally as far north as Verona,

7920-479: The Sacramento with a portion of its historic flood plain, which it would have naturally flooded had the levee system not been in place. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the first concrete proposals for a statewide water engineering project emerged, but when the state government could not sell the necessary bonds to fund the project, the federal government took over. The Central Valley Project , one of

8064-466: The Sacramento's main tributaries, enabling the regulation of water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. Starting in the late 1950s, two major canals were extended to irrigate the western side of the Sacramento Valley – the Tehama-Colusa and Corning Canals . Starting at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam on the Sacramento, the canals are 111 and 21 mi (179 and 34 km) long respectively, and divert

8208-529: The Sierra Nevada. The watershed also has Lassen Volcanic National Park , which covers 106,000 acres (430 km ) centered on Lassen Peak, the southernmost Cascade volcano. Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area , which is over 200,000 acres (810 km ) in size, straddles much of the upper Sacramento and Trinity Rivers, and is named for the three local reservoirs (Shasta Lake, Trinity Lake and Whiskeytown Lake ) which are popular tourist areas. Many other state parks and recreation areas lie within

8352-613: The U.S. government and the Native Americans involving their relocation onto a reservation in the Sierra foothills; this promise was broken. Therefore, in 1863, the tribes from the area surrounding the middle Sacramento and Feather rivers , the Konkow group, were removed and marched forcibly to the Round Valley Indian Reservation near the Eel River . A total of 461 people were forced from their homes, but only 277 made it to

8496-479: The United States, Sutter and other large landholders in California held on to their properties. In 1848 Sutter assigned James W. Marshall to build a sawmill on the South Fork American River at Coloma , where Marshall discovered gold. Although Sutter and Marshall originally intended to keep the find a secret, news soon broke attracting three hundred thousand hopefuls from all over North America, and even

8640-608: The Whiskeytown district of the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area , in Shasta County, California , near French Gulch . The fire was believed to have been started accidentally by a vehicle towing a dual-axle travel trailer . One of the tires on the trailer blew out , causing the steel rim to scrape along the pavement, generating sparks that ignited dry vegetation along the edge of

8784-421: The Yolo Bypass in the rice field floodplains adjacent to the Sacramento River. The name comes from a form of Japanese sushi which contains a slice of fish on top of a compressed wedge of vinegared rice. Salmon migrate from the Central Valley rivers to the ocean where they increase in size for one to three years then return to rivers to spawn, if a young fish is larger when they enter the ocean, they will have more of

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8928-402: The access to Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area was halted, specifically in Shasta County, including access to Whiskey Creek and Whiskeytown Lake . The area surrounding Shasta Dam and the dam's visitors center were evacuated and closed. Lake Redding Park and the adjacent golf course were closed due to the fire after it jumped the Sacramento River, destroying close to 40 homes in

9072-470: The age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.3% of households were one person and 13.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.85. The age distribution was 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% 65 or older. The median age

9216-412: The ancient path of the Siskiyou Trail, in the 1880s and 1890s. Many parts of the railroad were treacherous, especially in the mountainous areas north of Dunsmuir . It was not long after Sacramento surpassed a population of 10,000, then the Great Flood of 1862 swept away much of it (and almost everything else along the Sacramento River) and put the rest under water. The flood waters were exacerbated by

9360-429: The area, and relied on Native American labor to maintain his domain. Sutter had something of a two-faced relationship with the many Native American groups in the area. He was friendly with some of the tribes, and paid their leaders handsomely for supplying workers, but others he seized by force to labor in the fields. After the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 and the Mexican–American War , in which California became part of

9504-431: The base of the Montezuma Hills , forming the border of Solano and Sacramento Counties. This part of the river is dredged for navigation by large oceangoing vessels and averages three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) across. North of Antioch and Pittsburg , the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers join at the head of Suisun Bay , marking the official end of both rivers. The combined waters flow west through Suisun Bay and

9648-494: The border of California and Nevada . The basin's diverse geography ranges from the glacier-carved, snowcapped peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the sea-level (and often lower) marshes and farmlands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The highest point is 14,104 feet (4,299 m) at Mount Shasta , a dormant stratovolcano near the headwaters of the Sacramento River. The Sierra Nevada peaks generally decrease in height from south to north—from over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in

9792-430: The bypass recorded an average throughput of 4,809 cubic feet per second (136.2 m /s) between 1939 and 2013, mostly from December–March. The highest recorded flow was 374,000 cubic feet per second (10,600 m /s) on February 20, 1986. During the dry season of July through September, the bypass carries low to zero flow. Although the Sacramento River nominally begins near Mount Shasta, the true hydrological source of

9936-434: The center of an agricultural empire that provided food to feed the thousands of miners working in the hills as well as a place of financial exchange of all the gold that was mined. Sacramento was officially established in 1850 and was recognized as the state capital in 1854. As the economy of the Sacramento Valley grew, the Southern Pacific Railroad established tracks along the river to connect California with Oregon following

10080-535: The communities of French Gulch, Igo, Ono, Lewiston, Douglas City, Shasta , Shasta Lake City, Summit City, and the City of Redding , and caused closures of portions of California State Route 299 . The fire directly impacted the water sources Keswick Dam and Shasta Dam. The Carr Fire Pet Rescue and Reunification network was established after the fire was contained and coordinates with the Tubbs Fire Pet Rescue and Reunification network to help captured pets that were lost during evacuations. The Shasta State Historic Park

10224-449: The confluence of North, Middle and South Forks in the Trinity Mountains of Siskiyou County . It flows east into a small reservoir, Lake Siskiyou , before turning south. The river flows through a canyon for about 60 miles (97 km), past Dunsmuir and Castella , before emptying into Shasta Lake near Lakehead in Shasta County . The McCloud River rises on the east slope of Mount Shasta and flows south for 77 miles (124 km) through

10368-503: The counties. Many of the mountainous regions of the watershed are administered by the U.S. Forest Service . The Sacramento River watershed includes large areas of coniferous forests in the Mendocino and Trinity National Forests in the Coast Ranges, Shasta and Lassen National Forests in the southern Cascades and the Plumas , Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests on the western slopes of

10512-549: The delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. However, due to their vantage point, neither Fages nor any of his men saw the Sacramento clearly. They assumed that the San Joaquin, coming from the south, was the largest of the merging rivers they saw. In 1808, explorer Gabriel Moraga , on a journey to find suitable sites for the construction of missions, became the first foreigner to see the river clearly. Judging its huge breadth and power he named it Rio de los Sacramentos , or "River of

10656-510: The driest from July 1990 to June 1991 with 19.02 inches (483 mm) – although the 1976–77 "rain year" with many days in May missing had a recorded total of only 12.73 inches (323 mm). The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.5 inches (140 mm) on January 4, 1982. Average annual snowfall is 8.7 inches (22 cm). The most snowfall in one month was 75.3 inches (191 cm) in January 1950. At

10800-596: The east. A few miles downstream it forms the border of Butte County and Glenn County to the west. Stony Creek joins from the west in Glenn County, near Hamilton City and about 15 miles (24 km) west of Chico . The river then forms the Glenn– Colusa County line for a short distance before crossing entirely into Colusa County. It passes by the Sutter Buttes , a group of volcanic hills that rise abruptly from

10944-460: The eastern boundary of the Yolo Bypass . The manually operated Sacramento Weir, located across from downtown Sacramento on the west side of the river, serves to relieve floodwater pressure from the American River by allowing it to drain west into the Yolo Bypass instead of continuing down the Sacramento River. Downstream of Sacramento, the river enters the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta ,

11088-535: The fire along the western edge, where the fire burned in high terrain with strong winds and dry fuels. A powerful fire whirl with winds estimated in excess of 143 mph (230 km/h)—equivalent to an EF3 tornado—developed within the Carr Fire in Redding, California , on July 26. Remaining on the ground from 7:30–8:00 p.m., the fire whirl reached an estimated height of 18,000 ft (5,500 m) and caused extensive tornado-like damage while spreading

11232-573: The fire burned into August 1. Late morning, evacuation orders were lifted for the Mary Lake Subdivision and, later in the day, residents were allowed back to Plateau Road. The City of Redding shut down their Carr Fire-related missing persons hotline as all missing people were accounted for. Shasta College, which served as an evacuation center, resumed normal services. Six people were reported as arrested for alleged looting or illegally being in evacuated areas. The area west of Lakehead, California ,

11376-530: The fire. The winds toppled transmission towers , shredded foliage, and debarked and uprooted trees. The smoke plume from the whirl dominated the site of the wildfire. Substantial damage occurred in areas untouched by fire, including signs of ground scouring. Three people were killed inside their Redding home after the structure's walls were blown out and the roof collapsed on the occupants. Several other homes suffered significant roof damage. The fire grew over 2,000 acres (809 ha) and to 35 percent containment, as

11520-517: The geographically similar Colusa Basin is located to the west. The Sutter Bypass begins at Colusa and runs parallel to the east side of the Sacramento River until reaching the confluence with the Feather River . The Yolo Bypass, located on the west side of the river, starts at the confluence of the Feather and rejoins the Sacramento in the Delta. Although termed "bypasses", the system essentially reconnects

11664-425: The gold fields. As the miners expanded their diggings deeper into the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains, Native Americans were pushed off their land and a long series of skirmishes and fights began that continued until intervention by the state and national governments. The influx of migrants brought foreign diseases like malaria and smallpox , which American Indians had no immunity to. These diseases killed off

11808-426: The gold fields. By the late part of the century mining had ceased to be a major part of the economy, and many immigrants turned to farming and ranching. Many populous communities were established along the Sacramento River, including the state capital of Sacramento . Intensive agriculture and mining contributed to pollution in the Sacramento River, and significant changes to the river's hydrology and environment. Since

11952-597: The headwaters of the American River near Lake Tahoe , to 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,500 to 2,100 m) in Lassen County where they adjoin the Cascade Range. On the west side, the Coast Ranges are the opposite, increasing in height to almost 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the north. The arid volcanic plateaus in the northeast, which are characterized by alternating hills and large sedimentary basins, typically lie at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet (910 to 1,520 m). Most of

12096-436: The highway. Wind caused the fire to spread quickly. Hot conditions and steep, inaccessible terrain presented challenges for fire crews as they strengthened containment lines. Highway 299 was closed and French Gulch was placed under mandatory evacuation. Overnight from July 25 to 26, the fire grew to 20,000 acres (8,094 ha) in total area burned. By the evening of July 26, the fire had burned 28,763 acres (11,640 ha) and

12240-1090: The land in the delta to gradually sink since the late 19th century. Many of the delta islands would be underwater if not for the maintenance of the levees and pumps that keep them dry. Some of the "islands" are now up to 25 feet (7.6 m) below the adjacent channels and sloughs. The Sacramento River watershed is home to about 2.8 million people; more than two-thirds live within the Sacramento metropolitan area . Other important cities are Chico , Redding , Davis and Woodland . The Sacramento River watershed covers all or most of Shasta , Tehama , Glenn , Butte , Plumas , Yuba , Sutter , Lake and Yolo Counties. It also extends into portions of Siskiyou , Modoc , Lassen , Lake (in Oregon), Sierra , Nevada , Placer , El Dorado , Sacramento , Solano and Contra Costa Counties. The river itself flows through Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, Yolo, Sacramento, Solano and Contra Costa, often forming boundaries between

12384-538: The land was probably submerged under the Pacific), they were worn by erosion , and the present-day range only formed about 4 million years ago. The northern part of the Sacramento watershed is more ancient, and was formed by intense volcanic activity over 25 million years ago, resulting in lava flows that covered and created the Modoc Plateau, through which the Pit River flows. Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak are among

12528-471: The land. Most of the villages were small. Although it was once commonly believed that the original natives lived as tribes , they actually lived as bands , family groups as small as twenty to thirty people. The Sacramento Valley was first settled by humans about 12,000 years ago, but permanent villages were not established until about 8,000 years ago. Historians have organized the numerous separate original native groups into several "tribes". These are known as

12672-476: The largest irrigation projects in the world, was constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation beginning in 1935. Ultimately, the system would distribute 7 million acre-feet (8.6 km ) to irrigate 3 million acres (1.2 million ha) of land in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Construction of Shasta Dam, the principal water storage facility in the Sacramento River system, started in 1938 and

12816-550: The late 1700s. The Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river Rio de los Sacramentos in 1808, later shortened and anglicized into Sacramento . In the 19th century, gold was discovered on a tributary of the Sacramento River, starting the California Gold Rush and an enormous population influx to the state. Overland trails such as the California Trail and Siskiyou Trail guided hundreds of thousands of people to

12960-543: The lower end of Shasta Lake is Shasta Dam , which impounds the Sacramento River for flood control, irrigation and hydropower generation. Before the construction of Shasta Dam, the McCloud River emptied into the Pit River, which joined the Sacramento near the former mining town of Kennett , submerged when Shasta Lake was filled. The Pit River Bridge , which carries Interstate 5 and the Union Pacific Railroad over

13104-529: The main channel of the Sacramento. The Sacramento River and the Sutter Bypass flow parallel for over 40 miles (64 km), rejoining on the border of Sutter County and Yolo County near Knights Landing . The Feather River , the largest tributary of the Sacramento, joins from the east at Verona directly below the Sutter Bypass. A second flood control structure, the Fremont Weir, diverts flood waters from both

13248-614: The middle of the Sacramento Valley, where it receives Butte Creek from the east at Colusa . Below Colusa the river flows south-southeast, forming the border of Colusa County and Sutter County to the east. About 20 miles (32 km) further downstream, the Sacramento River reaches the Tisdale Weir. During floods, water overtops the weir and flows east into the Sutter Bypass , the first of two major bypass channels that temporarily store and move floodwaters downstream to reduce pressure on

13392-405: The morning. By August 4, the fire grew to 145,015 acres (58,685 ha) and to 41 percent containment. California Governor Jerry Brown toured the site and announced that he had requested a major disaster declaration, which provides federal assistance. Later that day, President Donald Trump approved the request for Shasta County . A seventh fatality was reported when a PG&E employee died in

13536-515: The most productive agricultural area in the nation, these changes have left the Sacramento greatly modified from its natural state and have caused the decline of its once-abundant fisheries. The Sacramento River originates in the mountains and plateaus of far northern California as three major waterways that flow into Shasta Lake : the Upper Sacramento River, McCloud River and Pit River . The Upper Sacramento begins near Mount Shasta , at

13680-466: The most recent being the Great Flood of 1862 . Dams, levees and floodways constructed during the 20th century have thus far prevented this phenomenon from re-occurring. The Sacramento River and its valley were one of the major Native American population centers of California. The river's abundant flow and the valley's fertile soil and mild climate provided enough resources for hundreds of groups to share

13824-576: The numerous Cascade Range volcanoes that still stand in the area. As the Sierra rose, water erosion and glaciation carved deep canyons, depositing massive amounts of sediment to form a coastal plain between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean. About 3 million years ago, multiple terranes were formed and smashed into the North American Plate from the Pacific Plate, causing the uplift of

13968-403: The occupied units 908 (60.0%) were owner-occupied and 605 (40.0%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 2,089 people (58.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,384 people (38.4%) lived in rental housing units. At the 2000 census there were 3,554 people, 1,513 households, and 960 families in the CDP. The population density

14112-510: The one hand, and to ensure a consistent supply of water on the other. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of California completed reports as early as the 1870s and 1880s which outlined future development of the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and Bear rivers. In 1873, Colonel B.S. Alexander of the Army Corps of Engineers surveyed the Central Valley's hydrology and irrigation systems and proposed

14256-626: The parasitic cowbird , which lays its eggs in the nests of other bird species causing its hatchlings to compete with the others for food. There were once 9 species of amphibians that used the Sacramento River, but some have become extinct and most other populations are declining due to habitat loss caused by agriculture and urban development. Amphibians originally thrived in the marshes, sloughs, side-channels and oxbow lakes because of their warmer water, abundance of vegetation and nutrients, lower predator populations and slower current. This population once included several species of frogs and salamanders;

14400-410: The period 1945–2013. The McCloud River had an average discharge of 775 cu ft/s (21.9 m /s) for the 1967–2013 period. Since the 1960s, the McCloud River flow has been reduced and the Pit River flow increased due to diversion of water for hydropower generation; however the total volume of water entering Shasta Lake remains the same. Before Shasta Dam was built, the volcanic springs feeding

14544-595: The population) lived in households, 61 (1.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 66 (1.8%) were institutionalized. There were 1,513 households, 440 (29.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 622 (41.1%) were married couples living together, 185 (12.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 112 (7.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 145 (9.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 12 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 473 households (31.3%) were one person and 196 (13.0%) had someone living alone who

14688-411: The precipitation." The topography of the Sacramento River watershed makes it particularly prone to flooding. Storm water runs quickly off the steep mountains flanking the Sacramento Valley, but with few exceptions the alluvial valley floor is strikingly flat, slowing down the runoff and causing it to overflow the river banks. Before flood control works were built, the winter floods frequently transformed

14832-478: The pressure of floodwaters on the main channel. The bypasses are then allowed to drain slowly once flood crests have passed. For most of the year, the bypasses remain dry and are used for annual crops such as rice. Some of the principal features are the Butte Basin, Colusa Basin, Sutter Bypass and the Yolo Bypass. The Butte Basin is a large lowland area on the east side of the river between Hamilton City and Colusa ;

14976-436: The reservation; the others perished of disease, starvation or exhaustion. As mining developed from simple methods such as panning and sluicing to a new form of commercialized extraction, hydraulic mining , profits from the petering gold rush made a second leap, earning more profits than placer miners in the early years had ever made. The city of Sacramento , founded on the original site of Sutter's fort, began to flourish as

15120-550: The reservoir, is structurally the highest double-decked bridge in the United States (although most of the bridge piers are submerged under Shasta Lake when the reservoir is full). The Upper Sacramento River canyon also provides the route for I-5 and the railroad between Lakehead and Mount Shasta. Below Shasta Dam the Sacramento River enters the foothills region of the northern Sacramento Valley. It flows through Keswick Dam , where it receives about 1,200,000 acre⋅ft (1.5 × 10  million km ) of water per year diverted from

15264-473: The rice fields under the Yolo Bypass next to Sacramento River can serve as an important floodplain habitat and feeding ground for juvenile or endangered fish. UC Davis noted juveniles grew much bigger and faster within the flooded rice fields when compared to those released in the Sacramento River. Public agencies, conservation groups and landowners have all been working together and conducting experiments since 2011. Experiments conducted on rice fields took place at

15408-491: The rich valley bottom and marsh lands. Before European contact, the indigenous population of the Sacramento Valley has been estimated at 76,000 people. The first outsiders to see the river were probably the members of a Spanish colonial-exploratory venture to Northern California in 1772, led by Captain Pedro Fages . The group ascended a mountain, likely in the hills north of Suisun Bay , and found themselves looking down at

15552-403: The river after use) are about 4.72 million acre-feet (5.82 km ) for irrigation and 491,000 acre-feet (0.606 km ) for urban use. An additional 7.61 million acre-feet (9.39 km ) is reserved for environmental uses, primarily to maintain a minimum fresh water outflow in the Delta to combat salinity. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has stream gauges on 25 locations along

15696-500: The river continues south it approaches the Sacramento metro area, the largest population center in the watershed. Sacramento International Airport is located on the east bank of the river near Fremont. Near downtown Sacramento it receives the American River from the east, then passes under the historic Tower Bridge and Interstate 80 Business . The California State Capitol sits less than zero point five miles (0.80 km) east of

15840-463: The river flooded up to 650,000 cubic feet per second (18,000 m /s) during the rainy season, equal to the flow of the Mississippi River . Late summers of particularly dry years could see flows drop below 1,000 cubic feet per second (28 m /s). Large volumes of water are withdrawn from the Sacramento River for irrigation, industry and urban supplies. Annual depletions (water not returned to

15984-415: The river from the lowlands to the east and west that once served as vast overflow basins during winter storms, creating large areas of seasonal wetlands . Since the 19th century, artificial levee systems have been constructed to enable farming in the fertile flood plain. Today there are 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km ) of irrigated farmland in the Sacramento Valley. Due to the reduction of the floodplain area,

16128-521: The river where the Tower Bridge crosses it. Shortly downstream, the Port of Sacramento is located on the west side of the Sacramento, connected to the river by a lock. The Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel provides access to the port from the Pacific, bypassing about 42 miles (68 km) of the winding lower Sacramento. The channel runs parallel to the Sacramento several miles to the west, and also forms

16272-493: The sediments washed down by the millions of tons by hydraulic mining, which filled the beds of the Sacramento, Feather and American rivers up to 7 feet (2.1 m) in Sacramento and also covered thousands of acres of Central Valley lands. A flood in 1875 covered the city of Marysville and when it subsided the town's streets were filled with debris and rocks washed down from the "hydraulicking" going on upstream. Repeated floods and increased demand for Sacramento River water saw

16416-538: The southern Cascade Range , roughly parallel to the Upper Sacramento, eventually to reach the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake. The Pit River, by far the largest of the three, begins in Modoc County in the northeastern corner of California. Draining a vast and remote volcanic highlands area, it flows southwest for nearly 300 miles (480 km) before emptying into Shasta Lake near Montgomery Creek . Goose Lake , straddling

16560-509: The southernmost large runs of chinook salmon in North America. For about 12,000 years, humans have depended on the vast natural resources of the watershed, which had one of the densest Native American populations in California. The river has provided a route for trade and travel since ancient times. Hundreds of tribes sharing regional customs and traditions have inhabited the Sacramento Valley, first coming into contact with European explorers in

16704-499: The speed of flood flow in the Sacramento River has increased, creating a significant hazard for the farms and towns along its course. By the early 20th century engineers had realized not all the floodplains could be safely reclaimed, leading to the intentional creation of flood bypasses where development is limited to annual crops and recreational uses. Further south, much of the delta region is actually below sea level: subsidence caused by wind erosion and intensive farming have caused

16848-486: The surrounding neighborhood. The Bureau of Land Management closed trails in western Redding. Amtrak service on the Coast Starlight was disrupted between Sacramento and Klamath Falls, Oregon. Amtrak arranged alternative transportation for travelers between those two cities. Large portions of Highway 299 were closed as a result of the fire. Many sections of the highway's route through Redding were closed, including

16992-428: The total up to 536 destroyed and 117 damaged. Winds were erratic, fueled by hot weather, which created spot fires throughout the fire area. Weaverville Elementary School was closed as an evacuation center and a new center was opened at Trinity High School . In the evening, new evacuation orders were put in place for Highway 299 at Trinity Dam Road west to Douglas City and other nearby subdivisions. A sixth fatality

17136-452: The town keep this history alive. The Joss House is California's oldest active Chinese temple, housing Chinese artifacts from the 19th century, and is Weaverville's oldest building, built in 1852. A self-guided walking tour of historic downtown buildings (some said to be haunted) is the best way to experience the ambiance and quaint shops and businesses. Logging and tourism were the economic mainstays of Weaverville for many years. Weaverville

17280-418: The valley into an inland sea. In 1880 State Engineer William H. Hall developed the first flood control plan for the Sacramento River. Hall recognized that with the combination of flat topography and extremely heavy winter runoff volumes, a system of levees alone could not hope to contain flooding, as had been proven time and again in the flood prone city of Sacramento. The Sacramento River Flood Control Project

17424-480: The water stays fresh in all but the driest years. Saltwater intrusion from the Pacific Ocean was one of the main reasons for the construction of the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), whose dams maintain a minimum flow in the Sacramento River to keep seawater at bay. Below Rio Vista , the lower Sacramento River is rejoined by the Deep Water Ship Channel and the Yolo Bypass and curves southwest along

17568-634: The watershed. By geologic standards, the Sacramento is a fairly young river; the borders of its watershed began to form only a few million years ago as magma welling up below the Earth's crust pushed up by the Pacific Plate colliding with the North American Plate caused the formation of the Sierra Nevada . Although mountains had existed as early as 100 million years ago in this region (before then

17712-517: The world, to the Sacramento River in search of fortunes, kicking off the California Gold Rush . People flocked to the region by the Oregon Trail -Siskiyou Trail, California Trail , Southern Emigrant Trail and various land and/or sea routes through the Isthmus of Panama and around southern South America by ship. Steamboats traveled up and down the Sacramento River carrying miners from San Francisco to

17856-431: The years to come, this path, which eventually extended from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon following parts of the Sacramento, Willamette , Klamath , Rogue , and other rivers would become an important trade and travel route. Although just one of thousands of American emigrants that poured into California over the next few years when California became part of the United States, John Augustus Sutter 's arrival marked

18000-505: Was 10 percent contained. It was reported to have destroyed 15 buildings and damaged 5, while remaining a threat to 496 other buildings. The fire jumped the Sacramento River and portions of the western area of Redding were put under mandatory evacuation orders. Power to residents in North Redding was shut off by Redding Electric Utility. A state of emergency was declared by Governor Jerry Brown . The evacuation center at Shasta High School

18144-418: Was 100.4 inhabitants per square mile (38.8/km ). There were 1,653 housing units at an average density of 46.7 per square mile (18.0/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.5% White, 0.3% African American, 2.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3%. Of the 1,513 households 27.9% had children under

18288-530: Was 116 °F (46.7 °C) on August 4, 1932, and the record low temperature was −10 °F (−23.3 °C) on December 9, 1972. Average annual precipitation is 35.45 inches (900 mm), with an average of 83 days annually with measurable precipitation. The most precipitation in one month was 20.86 inches (530 mm) in December 2005, while the wettest "rain year" was from July 1982 to June 1983 with at least 65.82 inches (1,672 mm) (several days missing) and

18432-473: Was 23,330 cubic feet per second (661 m /s). The maximum recorded flow was 115,000 cubic feet per second (3,300 m /s) on February 19, 1986; the lowest was 3,970 cubic feet per second (112 m /s) on October 15, 1977. Flow in the Yolo Bypass , a relief channel designed to carry a portion of the flood waters in order to protect the Sacramento area, is not measured by the Freeport gauge. A separate gauge on

18576-480: Was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median household income was $ 30,319 and the median family income was $ 37,813. Males had a median income of $ 34,091 versus $ 24,722 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 18,297. About 13.2% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. In

18720-575: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.30. There were 919 families (60.7% of households); the average family size was 2.80. The age distribution was 842 people (23.4%) under the age of 18, 247 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 734 people (20.4%) aged 25 to 44, 1,109 people (30.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 668 people (18.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. There were 1,675 housing units at an average density of 160.7 per square mile, of

18864-439: Was also affected, where the 1920s schoolhouse was destroyed and other buildings were damaged. Artifacts had been removed before the fire. Two firefighters were killed in the Carr Fire. One was a contract firefighter, Donald Ray Smith, who was driving a bulldozer when he died. The second was Redding-based fire inspector Jeremy Stoke. On July 28, a great-grandmother and her two great-grandchildren were found dead, as they did not have

19008-522: Was at least 1,000 feet (300 m) deep. About 650,000 years ago the lake catastrophically overflowed, draining into San Francisco Bay and creating the Carquinez Strait , the only major break for hundreds of miles in the Coast Ranges. The narrow outlet trapped some of the sediments of the rivers in the Central Valley, forming the inland Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta . Since then, this inland sea has periodically reformed during times of intense flooding,

19152-416: Was authorized by the federal government in 1917. While it intended to contain minor floods in the river banks by strengthening the existing levee system, the main feature was a series of bypasses, or sections of the valley intentionally designed to flood during high water. Weirs placed at strategic points along the Sacramento River release water into the bypasses when the river reaches a certain stage, relieving

19296-577: Was closed to public access to allow for fire crews' safety. Thus far, the fire had destroyed 1,546 structures, including 1,058 residential and 13 commercial. On the morning of August 2, the fire covered 125,842 acres (50,926 ha) and remained 35 percent contained. Over 1,600 structures remained threatened, due to the fire. The Carr Fire continued to grow as the terrain, wind, and dry fuels continued to create challenges for fire crews. The Sunset West, Sunset Terrace, Ranch Land Acres, Middletown Park neighborhoods, and Centerville were reopened to population in

19440-465: Was completed in 1945. Controlling runoff from the upper 6,600 square miles (17,000 km ) of the Sacramento River watershed, Shasta greatly reduces flood peaks on the middle and lower parts of the Sacramento River. Flood waters are stored for irrigation in dry years as well as navigation and electricity generation. In the following decades, more huge reservoirs – capable of storing a combined 13 × 10 acre-feet (16 km ) of water – were constructed on

19584-400: Was completed in 1963, and was built to facilitate navigation of large oceangoing ships from the Delta to the port of Sacramento. The channel bypasses the winding lower part of the Sacramento River between the state capital and the Delta thus reducing water travel times. It also serves to discharge floodwaters from the lower end of the Yolo Bypass . Built by the Army Corps of Engineers, the canal

19728-434: Was crucial to the renewal of existing wetlands and the creation of new ones. Since the late 19th century the river has been mostly locked in a fixed channel, which once could shift hundreds of feet or even several miles in a year because of floods. In 2010, about 100 miles (160 km) of the river's riparian forests were undergoing restoration. UC Davis initiated a project known as The Nigiri Project which takes place under

19872-541: Was evacuated and closed. This was the second time the community had been evacuated due to a fire, the prior evacuation taking place in August 2004, in which 103 structures burned in the community. The fire affected air quality throughout Northern California and the Central Valley down to Bakersfield, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. Smoke reached as far north as Seattle, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( Spanish : Río Sacramento )

20016-494: Was named the third evacuation place. Amtrak announced that their Coast Starlight service would stop in Sacramento and Klamath Falls with alternative transportation being provided. Containment lines remained the priority for firefighters overnight. Red flag warnings and heat advisories were put in place for the area. By the next morning, over 38,000 individuals had been evacuated. The Shasta College evacuation center reached capacity by July 28 and two more shelters operated by

20160-643: Was practiced in a few areas. Settlement size ranged from small camps to villages of 30–50 permanent structures. Acorns were a staple food , and the Sacramento Valley's riparian zones, which supported seven species of native oaks, provided these in abundance. Native Americans pounded the acorns into flour, which they used to make bread and cakes. Abundant salmon and steelhead runs in the Sacramento River and its tributaries were harvested using fishing weirs, platforms, baskets and nets. The river also provided shellfish, sturgeon, eel and suckerfish They also hunted waterfowl, antelope and deer which all existed in huge numbers in

20304-510: Was relocated to Shasta College . A firefighter was killed while operating a bulldozer . The National Guard was called in to help fight the fire on the night of July 26. The fire remained active overnight, with fire crews continuing to build containment lines. However, crews were stalled in their work due to the fire's extreme behavior. Just after midnight, evacuation orders were put in place for Shasta Dam , Summit City , and neighborhoods in western Redding. A second firefighter, Jeremy Stoke of

20448-508: Was reported on July 29, as the fire moved from densely populated areas and into rural parts of Shasta and Trinity Counties . The community of Lewiston was evacuated. By the evening, fire containment had grown from 5 to 17 percent. The National Guard was assigned to Redding to monitor for looting in evacuated neighborhoods. The next day, repopulation began of areas of western Redding, Shasta Lake, and Happy Valley that had previously been evacuated. Overnight, strengthening containment lines remained

20592-629: Was the Trinity River Project (which would become part of the CVP), sending over 90 percent of the flow of that river into the Sacramento via a tunnel under the Klamath Mountains. Due to environmental damage and fish kills in the Trinity River, the volume of diverted water has been limited by law since the 1990s. Other, larger projects ultimately failed to take root. One of the most notorious,

20736-463: Was under the control of Mexico , although few Mexican settlers had come to what would later become the state, mostly settling in the small pueblos and ranchos along the south and central coast. The HBC mountain men created the Siskiyou Trail out of several Native American paths that ran through the mountains between Oregon's Willamette Valley and the northern part of the Sacramento Valley. In

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