Trinity River (California)
Encyclopedia
The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River
, approximately 165 miles (265.5 km) long, in northwestern California
in the United States
. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains
, northwest of the Sacramento Valley
. Considered especially scenic, along most of its course it flows swiftly through tight canyon
s and mountain meadows.
name for the Trinity River was the Hoopah River. It was also known as the Indian Scalp River when first crossed by the Jedediah Smith
fur-trapper's party heading northwards up the coast on May 25, 1828.
Jerry García
's father drowned in the river.
, in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest
along the east side of the Scott Mountains
, a subrange of the Klamath Mountains. It flows south-southwest along the west side of the Trinity Mountains
into Trinity Lake
(20 miles (32.2 km) long) formed on the river by the Trinity Dam
, then immediately into the smaller Lewiston Lake
, formed by the Lewiston Dam at Lewiston
. From the reservoir it flows generally west-northwest past Weaverville
and along the southern side of the Trinity Alps
. It receives the New River
from the north at Burnt Ranch
and the South Fork Trinity River
from the south along the Humboldt
-Trinity county line. From the confluence with the South Fork it flows generally north-northwest through the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
and joins the Klamath from the south in northern Humboldt County at Weitchpec
, approximately 20 miles (32 km) from the Pacific
coast. Both Trinity Lake and Lake Lewiston are within Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
.
, including large-scale hydraulic mining
, since the days of the California Gold Rush
. The river's swift current make it a popular destination for whitewater rafting and kayak
ing. The creation of the Central Valley Project
in the 1960s and the construction of Trinity Dam
and Lewiston Dam diverted most of the Trinity's water to the Sacramento Valley
, but a minimum annual flow has since been established.
and steelhead
maintained in part by hatcheries. In 1981 the United States Congress
designated the entire river downstream from the Lewiston Dam to its mouth on the Klamath, as well as portions of the river's tributaries, as the Trinity Wild and Scenic River
.
In 1828, the Jedediah Smith expedition was helped across the Trinity River by the Yurok and camped on the east side of the Trinity River. His clerk, Harrison G. Rogers wrote, "Mr. Smith purchases all the beaver furs he can from them", suggesting that beaver were then plentiful on the Trinity. Joseph Grinnell
in his "Fur-bearing Mammals of California" noted a beaver specimen collected historically on the Klamath near its confluence with the Trinity River
, and further cited a Fish and Game
report of beaver from 1915-1917 at the mouth of the Klamath River near Requa, California
.
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 165 miles (265.5 km) long, in northwestern 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 an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern 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...
, northwest of the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
. Considered especially scenic, along most of its course it flows swiftly through tight 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...
s and mountain meadows.
History
The original HupaHupa
Hupa, also spelled Hoopa, are a Native American tribe in northwestern California. Their autonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinookwa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return." The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe; however, some Hupa are...
name for the Trinity River was the Hoopah River. It was also known as the Indian Scalp River when first crossed by the Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer, cattleman, and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the American West Coast and the Southwest during the 19th century...
fur-trapper's party heading northwards up the coast on May 25, 1828.
Jerry García
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
's father drowned in the river.
Course
It rises in northeastern Trinity CountyTrinity County, California
Trinity County is a large, rugged and mountainous, heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California, along the Trinity River and within the Salmon/Klamath Mountains. It covers an area of over two million acres , and as of the 2010 census its population...
, in 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...
along the east side of the Scott Mountains
Scott Mountains (California)
The Scott Mountains are a mountain range in Siskiyou County, California....
, a subrange of the Klamath Mountains. It flows south-southwest along the west side of the Trinity Mountains
Trinity Mountains
The Trinity Mountains are found in northern California, USA, between Trinity Lake and Lake Shasta. The range lies in a southwest-northeasterly direction about 17 miles northwest of Redding, and stretches over a distance of 30 to 35 miles. The Chapple-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area lies between the...
into Trinity Lake
Trinity Lake
Trinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is a lake on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California, The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake has a capacity of , making it one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake's...
(20 miles (32.2 km) long) formed on the river by the Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam is an earth dam on the Trinity River that forms Trinity Lake near Weaverville, California. Trinity Lake was previously called Clair Engle Lake. The earthfill dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Construction was completed in 1962. Trinity Lake has a capacity of , making it...
, then immediately into the smaller Lewiston Lake
Lewiston Lake
Lewiston Lake is a reservoir created by Lewiston Dam on the Trinity River, near the towns of Weaverville and Lewiston in Trinity County, California. It is used for transbasin diversion to the Sacramento River and flood control, as well as for hydroelectric generation, and is a popular destination...
, formed by the Lewiston Dam at Lewiston
Lewiston, California
Lewiston is a census-designated place in Trinity County, California, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2010 census, down from 1,305 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lewiston is located at ....
. From the reservoir it flows generally west-northwest past Weaverville
Weaverville, California
Weaverville is a census-designated place and the county seat of Trinity County, California. The population was 3,600 at the 2010 census, up from 3,554 at the 2000 census.-History:Founded in 1850, Weaverville is a historic California Gold Rush town...
and along the southern side of the Trinity Alps
Trinity Alps
The Trinity Alps are mountains in Northern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, located to the northwest of Redding. Elevations there range from to at Thompson Peak. The Trinity Alps Wilderness covers , making it the second largest wilderness area in California...
. It receives the New River
New River (Trinity River)
The New River is a tributary of the Trinity River in northern California. Running through Denny and Hoboken, it is a good place for advanced kayak and rafting enthusiasts to test their skills. The New River contains rapids ranging from class I to almost class V, with flows ranging from 400-1000+...
from the north at Burnt Ranch
Burnt Ranch, California
Burnt Ranch is a census-designated place in Trinity County, California. It has a school and a post office. The ZIP Code is 95527. The community is inside area code 530. Burnt Ranch sits at an elevation of...
and the South Fork Trinity River
South Fork Trinity River
The South Fork Trinity River is a major tributary of the Trinity River, in the northern part of the U.S. state of California.It is part of the Klamath River drainage basin. It flows generally northwest from its source in the Klamath Mountains, draining about of mountainous terrain...
from the south along the Humboldt
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
-Trinity county line. From the confluence with the South Fork it flows generally north-northwest through the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
Hupa
Hupa, also spelled Hoopa, are a Native American tribe in northwestern California. Their autonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinookwa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return." The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe; however, some Hupa are...
and joins the Klamath from the south in northern Humboldt County at Weitchpec
Weitchpec, California
Weitchpec is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 361 feet...
, approximately 20 miles (32 km) from the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast. Both Trinity Lake and Lake Lewiston are within Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area
The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area in northern California. It has a total of of land, which is divided into three units, Whiskeytown, Shasta and Trinity. The recreation area was established in 1965 by the United States Congress. The...
.
Watershed
The river has been the scene of placer gold miningPlacer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
, including large-scale hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
, since the days of the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. The river's swift current make it a popular destination for whitewater rafting and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing. The creation of the Central Valley Project
Central Valley Project
The Central Valley Project is a Bureau of Reclamation federal water project in the U.S. state of California. It was devised in 1933 in order to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California's Central Valley—by regulating and storing water in reservoirs in the water-rich northern...
in the 1960s and the construction of Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam
Trinity Dam is an earth dam on the Trinity River that forms Trinity Lake near Weaverville, California. Trinity Lake was previously called Clair Engle Lake. The earthfill dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Construction was completed in 1962. Trinity Lake has a capacity of , making it...
and Lewiston Dam diverted most of the Trinity's water to the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
, but a minimum annual flow has since been established.
Ecology and Conservation
The river is also known for its runs of salmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and steelhead
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
maintained in part by hatcheries. In 1981 the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
designated the entire river downstream from the Lewiston Dam to its mouth on the Klamath, as well as portions of the river's tributaries, as the Trinity Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
.
In 1828, the Jedediah Smith expedition was helped across the Trinity River by the Yurok and camped on the east side of the Trinity River. His clerk, Harrison G. Rogers wrote, "Mr. Smith purchases all the beaver furs he can from them", suggesting that beaver were then plentiful on the Trinity. Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell was a field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known as the Grinnell System...
in his "Fur-bearing Mammals of California" noted a beaver specimen collected historically on the Klamath near its confluence with the Trinity River
Trinity River
Trinity River may refer to:*Trinity River *Trinity River...
, and further cited a Fish and Game
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
report of beaver from 1915-1917 at the mouth of the Klamath River near Requa, California
Requa, California
Requa is an unincorporated community in Del Norte County, California. It is on the north bank of the Klamath River less than a mile from its mouth, at an elevation of 125 feet ....
.
External links
- BOR: Trinity River Restoration Program
- Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group
- Friends of the Trinity River
- NPS: Trinity Wild and Scenic River
- Hoopa Valley Tribe
- Yurok Tribe
- TrinityCounty Planning Department: Natural Resources Division
- California Department of Water Resources: Trinity River and Tributaries Up-to-Date Flow Data
- BOR: Central Valley Operations Office
- Trinity County Resource Conservation District
- Trinity River Rafting