The Behavior of Rivers 5 1 



of the Sierra Nevada Range in California. Their general direc- 

 tion toward the west down the broad slope of the mountain 

 range suggests that they are subsequent streams, following the 

 broad topography of the land. They flow from the crest of 

 the highest mountain range in the United States, where snows 

 accumulate and precipitation is heavy. The streams are thus 

 fed at their sources. They tear down the steep mountain slopes 

 with torrential force in their upper courses. Starting from 

 snow-covered crests 11,000 to 13,000 feet above the sea they 

 descend with terrific force till their velocities are checked in 

 the axis of the Great Valley of California, only a little above 

 sea level. In their mad careers down the mountain slope they 

 have eroded great trenches in the hard rocks, the gorges of 

 Kern, King, Merced, Mokelumne, American, and Feather being 

 among the grandest and most impressive of any rivers on the 

 North American continent. 



In the Great Valley of California are embraced two great 

 river systems, the Sacramento in the north and the San Joaquin 

 in the south. These can hardly be called drainage systems. 

 They are escape systems for waters that fall as rains and snows 

 in the high mountain regions that constitute the eastern rim of 

 the great basin of the interior of California. In their lower 

 courses they are sluggish subsequent streams. The tributaries 

 of these two great rivers deliver the waters from the western 

 slope of the Sierras to the axis of the Great Valley where they 

 pool their way to the Golden Gate, or are lost in the accumu- 

 lated sands and debris which have been borne from the Sierra 

 slopes and deposited on the floor of the Great Valley. 



Far to the north is the Sacramento, coming south from Mt. 

 Shasta. The Sacramento is joined far north by the Pit, which 

 should be regarded as the upper Sacramento. The Pit comes 

 from the extreme northeast corner of the State, bringing water 

 from Goose Lake, which is on the arid plain of the Great Basin 

 east of the Sierra Range. It crosses the vast lava plain which 

 connects the Sierra Range with the Cascade Range of northern 



