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Place Name
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American River
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Place Status (Type)
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river
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Location
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Placer County, California (CA), United States, North America
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Latitude
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unknown
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Longitude
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unknown
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American River
, c.30 mi/48 km long,
formed in N central Calif., by joining of North Fork and South Fork
Amer. rivers at Folsom L. reservoir,
20 mi/32 km NE of Sacramento; flows SW through
suburban Sacramento, enters Sacramento R. N of downtown Sacramento.
North Fork Amer. R. (c.85 mi/137 km long)
rises in E Placer co. in Sierra Nevada, near Squaw Peak,
9 mi/14.5 km WNW of Tahoe City, in Tahoe Natl.
Forest; flows W, then SW, passes SE of Colfax and through North Fork
Reservoir, receives Middle Fork from E
4 mi/6.4 km below dam, then continues past
Auburn to Folsom L. reservoir. South Fork Amer. R. (c.
90 mi/145 km long) rises
10 mi/16 km SE of South L. Tahoe in E El
Dorado co., in Sierra Nevada E of Pyramid Peak, in El Dorado Natl.
Forest; flows W, receives Silver Creek from NE, flows past Coloma
(Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park is here), turns SW and
receives Weber Creek from E before re-entering Folsom L. reservoir.
Middle Fork Amer. R. (c.65 mi/105 km) rises in
E Placer co., in Sierra Nevada, 8 mi/12.9 km W
of Tahoe City at Squaw Peak, about 1 mi/1.6 km
S of source of North Fork Amer.; flows generally WSW through French
Meadows Reservoir, receives Rubicon R. from SE, then continues, forming
Placer-El Dorado co. line, to North Fork Amer. R.
3 mi/4.8 km NE of Auburn. The discovery of
gold at Sutter's Mill along the river in 1848 led to the Calif. gold
rush of 1849 and played an important part in U.S. history.
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