Shasta River
Encyclopedia
The Shasta River is a tributary of the Klamath River
, approximately 58 miles (93.3 km) long, in northern California
in the United States
. It drains the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta
in the Cascade Range
.
The river rises in southern Siskiyou County
on the edge of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Weed
. It flows generally northwest through the Shasta Valley, past Weed, through Lake Shastina, and past Montague
. It joins the Klamath from the south approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) north-northeast of Yreka
.
The Shasta Valley is dominated by nearby Mount Shasta and underlain with volcanic
basalt
from eruptions of the mountain in recent geologic
time. Pluto's Cave
is an example of voids remaining after highly fluid lava
drained from underground conduits which were fed by volcanic vents to the east. The Shasta Valley is covered with small hillocks extending from the base of Mt. Shasta north to just beyond the city of Montague, that are the debris from the liquefication of the ancestral Mount Shasta sometime within the past 400,000 years.
several miles west of Mount Shasta and about 25 miles (40.2 km) northwest of Shasta Lake
, the Shasta River immediately proceeds to flow through a wide agricultural valley. Running north, parallel to Interstate 5
, for the next few miles, the Shasta receives its first important tributary, Eddy Creek, from the left, 37 miles (59.5 km) from the mouth. It then crosses under the interstate, winds past a ridge, and passes the town of Weed
. It then turns northeast into Lake Shastina, an artificial lake formed by a dam at its north end, and turns northwest.
Bypassing Big Springs 30 miles (48.3 km) from the mouth, the river picks up more agricultural runoff as it meanders north between irrigated fields. The river then passes between Yreka
and Montague
, 10 miles (16.1 km) from the mouth, crossed by California State Route 3 and Interstate 5 for the final time. It then enters a canyon in the Klamath Mountains
, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the mouth, and begins to parallel California State Route 263
. Its mouth is on the left bank of the Klamath River, at the junction of State Route 263 and State Route 96
.
. It is adjacent to the Scott River
on the west, Butte Creek on the east, and the main Klamath River on the north. The watershed is located east of the Klamath Mountains and northeast of Mount Shasta. Some towns in the watershed include Weed
, Edgewood
, Gazelle
, Big Springs, Grenada
, Montague
, and Yreka
. Major bodies of water include Lake Shastina, Dwinnell Reservoir and Trout Lake.
Receiving just 14 inches (35.6 cm) of rain yearly on average, the 30 miles (48.3 km)-wide Shasta River Valley receives most of its surface water flow from groundwater, and now, agricultural return flows. It also receives some water from snow runoff at Mount Shasta - which flows out of lava tubes as springs and feeds east-side Shasta River tributaries such as Big Springs Creek.
and rafting can be done in the wintertime on the last 7 miles (11.3 km) of the Shasta River before it joins the Klamath River.
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
, approximately 58 miles (93.3 km) long, in northern 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...
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 the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
in the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
.
The river rises in southern Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
on the edge of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, USA. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the United States Forest Service. The 2.2-million acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and of...
, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Weed
Weed, California
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 at the 2000 census. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho...
. It flows generally northwest through the Shasta Valley, past Weed, through Lake Shastina, and past Montague
Montague, California
Montague is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2010 census, down from 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montague is located at ....
. It joins the Klamath from the south approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) north-northeast of Yreka
Yreka, California
Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 7,765 at the 2010 census, up from 7,290 at the 2000 census.- History:...
.
The Shasta Valley is dominated by nearby Mount Shasta and underlain with volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
from eruptions of the mountain in recent geologic
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
time. Pluto's Cave
Pluto's Cave
Pluto's Cave is a partially collapsed lava tube on the northern outskirts of Mount Shasta. The lava tube is roughly 190,000 years old which is pretty old for a lava tube since they normally collapse rather soon with they're ceilings being only a few meters thick. However Pluto's Cave is located in...
is an example of voids remaining after highly fluid lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
drained from underground conduits which were fed by volcanic vents to the east. The Shasta Valley is covered with small hillocks extending from the base of Mt. Shasta north to just beyond the city of Montague, that are the debris from the liquefication of the ancestral Mount Shasta sometime within the past 400,000 years.
Course
Rising on the east slope of Mount EddyMount Eddy
Mount Eddy is the highest summit in Trinity Mountains of the Klamath Mountains. This California mountain rises to an elevation of west of Mount Shasta City and the massive Mount Shasta volcano. The summit is the highest point in Trinity County and the ninth most prominent peak in California...
several miles west of Mount Shasta and about 25 miles (40.2 km) northwest of Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake, also called Lake Shasta, is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California...
, the Shasta River immediately proceeds to flow through a wide agricultural valley. Running north, parallel to Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
, for the next few miles, the Shasta receives its first important tributary, Eddy Creek, from the left, 37 miles (59.5 km) from the mouth. It then crosses under the interstate, winds past a ridge, and passes the town of Weed
Weed, California
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 at the 2000 census. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho...
. It then turns northeast into Lake Shastina, an artificial lake formed by a dam at its north end, and turns northwest.
Bypassing Big Springs 30 miles (48.3 km) from the mouth, the river picks up more agricultural runoff as it meanders north between irrigated fields. The river then passes between Yreka
Yreka, California
Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 7,765 at the 2010 census, up from 7,290 at the 2000 census.- History:...
and Montague
Montague, California
Montague is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2010 census, down from 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montague is located at ....
, 10 miles (16.1 km) from the mouth, crossed by California State Route 3 and Interstate 5 for the final time. It then enters a canyon in the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) from the mouth, and begins to parallel California State Route 263
California State Route 263
State Route 263 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California in Siskiyou County. It is also part of Business Loop 5 due to being a parallel route of Interstate 5 to the west. Route 263 connects Route 3 near the north city limits of Yreka to Route 96 eight miles north. It was once part of...
. Its mouth is on the left bank of the Klamath River, at the junction of State Route 263 and State Route 96
California State Route 96
State Route 96 follows the Trinity and Klamath Rivers in Northern California. For most of the route it goes through the Karuk Tribal Reservation, the Yurok Tribal Reservation, and the Hoopa Tribal Reservation...
.
Watershed
The roughly 800 mi2 watershed of the Shasta River consists of a semi-arid farming valley entirely in Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
. It is adjacent to the Scott River
Scott River
The Scott River is a river in Siskiyou County, California, United States. It is a tributary of the Klamath River, one of the largest rivers in California....
on the west, Butte Creek on the east, and the main Klamath River on the north. The watershed is located east of the Klamath Mountains and northeast of Mount Shasta. Some towns in the watershed include Weed
Weed, California
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 at the 2000 census. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho...
, Edgewood
Edgewood, California
Edgewood is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 43 at the 2010 census, down from 67 at the 2000 census...
, Gazelle
Gazelle, California
Gazelle is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 70 at the 2010 census, down from 136 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gazelle is located at ....
, Big Springs, Grenada
Grenada, California
Grenada is a census-designated place in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 367 at the 2010 census, up from 351 at the 2000 census...
, Montague
Montague, California
Montague is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,443 at the 2010 census, down from 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montague is located at ....
, and Yreka
Yreka, California
Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 7,765 at the 2010 census, up from 7,290 at the 2000 census.- History:...
. Major bodies of water include Lake Shastina, Dwinnell Reservoir and Trout Lake.
Receiving just 14 inches (35.6 cm) of rain yearly on average, the 30 miles (48.3 km)-wide Shasta River Valley receives most of its surface water flow from groundwater, and now, agricultural return flows. It also receives some water from snow runoff at Mount Shasta - which flows out of lava tubes as springs and feeds east-side Shasta River tributaries such as Big Springs Creek.
Restoration
Efforts are being made to restore the river and to prevent the extinction of its Chinook and Coho salmon run. The Nature Conservancy has purchased two ranches in the watershed in hope of restoring riparian habitat for anadromous fish.Recreation
Whitewater kayakingWhitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
and rafting can be done in the wintertime on the last 7 miles (11.3 km) of the Shasta River before it joins the Klamath River.