Middle Fork American River
| Middle Fork American River | |
|---|---|
Middle Fork flowing through the Auburn State Recreation Area | |
Map of the American River drainage basin | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Granite Chief Wilderness |
| • location | Placer County |
| • coordinates | 39°11′39″N 120°16′49″W / 39.19417°N 120.28028°W |
| • elevation | 8,382 ft (2,555 m) |
| Mouth | North Fork American River |
• location | near Auburn |
• coordinates | 38°54′55″N 121°02′14″W / 38.91528°N 121.03722°W |
• elevation | 538 ft (164 m) |
| Length | 62.3 mi (100.3 km) |
| Basin size | 616 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Auburn |
| • average | 1,332 cu ft/s (37.7 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 23.2 cu ft/s (0.66 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 253,000 cu ft/s (7,200 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Rubicon River, Otter Creek, Canyon Creek |
| • right | Duncan Creek, North Fork Middle Fork American River |
The Middle Fork American River is one of three forks that form the American River in Northern California. It drains a large watershed in the high Sierra Nevada west of Lake Tahoe and northeast of Sacramento in Placer and El Dorado Counties, between the watersheds of the North Fork American River and South Fork American River. The Middle Fork joins with the North Fork near Auburn and they continue downstream to Folsom Lake as the North Fork, even though the Middle Fork carries a larger volume of water.
The Middle Fork was one of the richest gold mining areas during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, and is still recreationally mined today. The river is dammed extensively to produce hydroelectricity and provide domestic water supply. Although long stretches of the Middle Fork have been dewatered by diversions, the portion of the river and canyon in the Auburn State Recreation Area is one of the state's most popular whitewater runs. Professional whitewater rafting companies offer guided trips on the Middle Fork American river from May to October. The Middle Fork canyon also has an extensive system of hiking and riding trails including the Western States Trail, which stretches 100 miles (160 km) from Auburn to Lake Tahoe.