Merced River
The
Merced River (pronounced "Mer-SED") is in
California. Its headwaters are in the southern half of
Yosemite National Park. The river flows into the
Yosemite Valley. Much of the water is stored behind the
New Exchequer dam in
Lake McClure, and diverted by the
Merced Irrigation District at the
Crocker-Huffman diversion dam. The remainder of the water flows southwest through foothills, and then across the
San Joaquin Valley to join the
San Joaquin River.
Much of the length of the river has been improved, to facilitate fish spawning.
A map of the Merced River watershed and Merced Irrigation District canals is available at:
http://www.mercedid.org/_images/watershed_map.pdf . This map shows the irrigation district's main canals; it does not show the small canals and pipelines that serve most farms. The map also shows creeks that collect stormwater runoff.
Towns along the Merced River include:
*
Wawona (on the South Fork)
*
Yosemite*
Merced Falls (a largely abandoned community)
*
Snelling (a former gold mining town)
*
Ballico (a "fanciful history" of this town has been posted at: http://www.folds.net/Haney/ballico.html )
*
Cressey*
Delhi*
Livingston*
HilmarIf the Merced River took the most direct path to the San Joaquin River, it would follow Bear Creek through mostly-clay soils.
The
Ice Ages severely affected the Merced River. A glacier carved out the Yosemite Valley, grinding mountains into sand. Half Dome and El Capitan are remnants of those mountains. Since the Ice Ages, the Merced River has flowed past Livingston, leaving sandy soil in its wake.
The river was named
El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy) in
1806 by an expedition, headed by
Gabriel Moraga, which came upon it at the end of a hot dusty ride.
Yosemite-
Mono Lake Paiutes would camp yearly along the Merced River.
*
Yosemite Valley*
List of California rivers*
Livingston, California*
Merced Irrigation District*
http://www.mercedid.org/_images/watershed_map.pdf
