Tuolumne 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/tuolumne-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 Tuolumne River?149 miles (240 km)
2. How big is the Tuolumne River?1,958 square miles (5,070 km2)
3. What is the major dams?Hetch Hetchy Dam, Don Pedro Dam, New Don Pedro Dam
4. What is the historical naming?First named in 1806 by Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga
5. What is the Tuolumne River and where does it start?The Tuolumne River begins above 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada mountains and flows through a 1,958‑square‑mile watershed, carving dramatic canyons as it goes.
6. Why is the Tuolumne River important for farms and cities?Its water is used for irrigation in the Central Valley and for the city of San Francisco, and the river’s dams also produce hydroelectric power for the state.

Anadromous Fish: Fish that migrate from saltwater to freshwater to spawn, like salmon and steelhead trout.
Flow Regime: The natural pattern of water flow in a river, including its volume, timing, and variability.
Resource Management: The process of planning, organizing, and controlling the use of natural resources to meet human needs sustainably.