Feather River

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/feather-river

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is the Feather River?Approximately 73 miles (117 km)
2. How big is the Feather River?Approximately 6,200 square miles (16,000 km2)
3. What is the location?Northern California, Sacramento Valley
4. What is the primary water source for?California State Water Project
5. Where does the Feather River start and where does it flow?It begins high in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. The four main forks—South, Middle, North, and West—join together at Lake Oroville to form the main river that flows into the Sacramento.
6. Why was the Feather River important during the Gold Rush?In the 1800s, people found gold in its banks and tributaries. Many miners came, and they dug the river with hydraulic and placer mining, which changed the river and caused erosion.

Tributary: A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or body of water.
Drainage Basin: The entire area of land that drains water into a particular river system.
Hydroelectric Power: Electricity generated from the kinetic energy of moving water, typically via dams.
Sierra Nevada Crest: The highest ridge or summit line of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, forming a continental divide.