The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Sacramento (river)

SACRAMENTO, a river of California, draining with the San Joaquin the central valley of the state. It rises on the southern slope of Mt. Shasta, in lat. 41° 25' N., and runs principally S. 370 m. to its mouth in Suisun bay, which communicates through San Pablo and San Francisco bays and the Golden Gate with the

Pacific ocean. It is navigable to Sacramento, about 80 m. from Suisun bay, by vessels drawing 3 ft. of water, and to Tehama, 180 m. further, by steamboats drawing 15 in. The chief tributaries are the Pitt, Feather, and American rivers, all coming in from the eastward. Pitt river is longer and larger than the Sacramento at the junction, and is named on some of the maps, but not in common usage, the Upper Sacramento. It rises in the N. E. corner of the state, and in wet seasons is the outlet of Goose lake, the basin of which extends into Oregon.