The East Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River

Walker River (Nevada)

The Walker River is a river in west central Nevada in the United States, approximately long. It drains an arid portion of the Great Basin southeast of Reno, with a watershed that extends into the Sierra Nevada mountains. It flows within an enclosed basin, providing the principal inflow of Walker...

, approximately 90 miles (144.8 km) long, in eastern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 and western Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It drains part of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in the watershed of Walker Lake

Walker Lake (Nevada)

Walker Lake is a natural lake, 50.3 mi² in area, in the Great Basin in western Nevada in the United States. It is 18 mi long and 7 mi wide, located in northwestern Mineral County along the eastern side of the Wassuk Range, approximately 75 mi southeast of Reno...

 in the Great Basin

Great Basin

The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...

.

It rises from snow melt in the Sierra Nevada of eastern California north of Mono Lake

Mono Lake

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean...

 and near the northeast boundary of Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...

. It flows north through the Bridgeport Valley

Bridgeport Valley

The Bridgeport Valley is a large, fertile mountain basin between the eastern Sierra Nevada and the Bodie Hills of the U.S. state of California. The valley is long and wide, and is used primarily for ranching. The East Walker River is the main stream flowing through the Bridgeport Valley;...

, past Bridgeport

Bridgeport, California

Bridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010...

, where it is impounded to form the Bridgeport Reservoir

Bridgeport Reservoir, California

Bridgeport Reservoir, also known as Bridgeport Lake, is a lake at the lower end of Bridgeport Valley in Mono County, California. Its earth-filled dam was constructed in 1923 by the Walker River Irrigation District, along the East Walker River...

. It crosses into southern Lyon County, Nevada

Lyon County, Nevada

Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...

, passing through a canyon

Canyon

A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...

 to emerge into the Mason Valley, a ranching region. It joins the West Walker River

West Walker River

The West Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River, approximately long, in eastern California and western Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the Sierra Nevada range along the California-Nevada border in the watershed of Walker Lake in the Great Basin.It rises from snowmelt in the...

 approximately 7 mi (13 km) south of Yerington

Yerington, Nevada

Yerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....

 to form the Walker River.

U.S. Highway 395 passes through the southern part of the East Walker River valley, connecting it via Conway Summit

Conway Summit

Conway Summit is a mountain pass in Mono County, California. It is traversed by U.S. Highway 395, which connects Bridgeport and the East Walker River on the north side of the pass to Mono Lake and Lee Vining to the south. It marks the highest point on U.S...

 to the Mono Lake

Mono Lake

Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean...

 area and via Devil's Gate Pass

Devil's Gate Pass

Devil's Gate Pass is a mountain pass in Mono County, California, traversed by U.S. Route 395. The pass is named for the Devils Gate, a granitic formation located west of the summit of the pass.-Location:...

 to the West Walker River

West Walker River

The West Walker River is a tributary of the Walker River, approximately long, in eastern California and western Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the Sierra Nevada range along the California-Nevada border in the watershed of Walker Lake in the Great Basin.It rises from snowmelt in the...

. California State Route 182 (also known as the Sweet Water Road) and its continuation Nevada State Route 338

Nevada State Route 338

State Route 338 is a state highway in Lyon County, Nevada, USA. It connects the towns of Smith and Wellington to the California state line north of Bridgeport, California...

head northeast along the southern East Walker River valley from their terminus on Highway 395 in Bridgeport, but then diverge from the river and head northwest to the West Walker River valley.