Tule River

This article is about the river in Tulare County, California. For the river in Shasta County, California, seeTule River (Shasta County, California).For the tribe, seeTule River Tribe.

Tule River Rio San Pedro
Waterfall on the Tule River
Map of streams and rivers in the Tulare Lake basin including the Tule River
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Cities	Springville,Porterville,Tipton,Corcoran
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of North and Middle Forks
• location	Springville,Tulare County
• coordinates	36°08′17″N118°48′23″W
• elevation	1,037 ft (316 m)
Mouth	Tulare Lakebed
• location	Kings County
• coordinates	36°02′59″N119°49′27″W
• elevation	184 ft (56 m)
Length	71.4 mi (114.9 km)
Basin size	400 sq mi (1,000 km2)
Discharge
• location	belowSuccess Dam
• average	197 cu ft/s (5.6 m3/s)
• minimum	0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
• maximum	32,000 cu ft/s (910 m3/s)
Basin features
River system	Tulare Lakebasin
Tributaries
• left	Middle Fork Tule River,South Fork Tule River
• right	North Fork Tule River

TheTule River,also calledRio de San PedroorRio San Pedro,is a 71.4-mile (114.9 km)riverinTulare Countyin theU.S. stateofCalifornia.The river originates in theSierra Nevadaeast ofPortervilleand consists of three forks, North, Middle and South. The North Fork and Middle Fork meet aboveSpringville.The South Fork meets the others atLake Success.Downstream ofSuccess Dam,the river flows west through Porterville. The river used to empty intoTulare Lake,but its waters have been diverted forirrigation.The river reaches Tulare Lake duringfloods.Tulare Lake is the terminal sink of anendorheic basinthat historically also received theKaweahandKern Riversas well as southern distributaries of theKings.

History

TheYaudanchi,also calledNutaa,of theYokuts peoplesheld Tule River in the foothills, especially the North and Middle Forks.

The Tule River is named for a common bulrush or cattail known as "tule". The present Tule River was namedRio de San PedrobyMoraga'sexpedition in 1806. On Derby's map of 1850 it appears as Tule River orRio San Pedro.

Course

North Fork

The North Fork, 18.9 miles (30.4 km) long,begins high on a ridge facing south towards the Middle Fork Tule River drainage. It plunges southwest down a canyon in theGiant Sequoia National Monument,then is joined at the same time by Kramer Creek and Backbone Creek as it enters a broader and less inclined valley. AtMilo,the river turns southeast and parallels the Springville-Milo Road. Sycamore and Whitney Creeks join the river from the east and west, respectively, before it meets the Middle Fork at Springville.

Middle Fork

The 6.9-mile-long (11.1 km)Middle Fork is formed by the confluence of the short South Fork Middle Fork Tule River and the North Fork Middle Fork Tule River. The South Fork flows northwest and west, parallelingCalifornia State Route 190,from its headwaters nearCamp Nelson.The larger North Fork flows south from insideSequoia National Park,plunges over North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Tule River Falls, and flows southwest to join the South Fork. After the confluence of the North and South forks, the Middle Fork Tule River flows more or less south and southwest, parallel to State Route 190, to join the North Fork and form the Tule River.

South Fork

The 27.8-mile-long (44.7 km)South Fork Tule River joins the mainstem Tule River at Lake Success. The South Fork Tule Riverbegins at 9,100 feet (2,800 m) on the western side of Slate Mountain'speak. The "Painted Rock" is a cavern under a large boulder with a remarkable set of pictographs along the South Fork Tule River, at 1,608 feet (490 m) on the Tule Indian Reservation, just above the Pigeon Creek confluence.Pigeon Creek, Blue Creek, Rocky Creek, and Bond Creek all join the South Fork Tule River mainstem nearSoda Springs,then the river winds west-southwest through a narrow canyon. It then bends northwest, receiving Long Branch Creek from the left and Crew Creek from the right. It then forms an arm of Lake Success, which is crossed by State Route 190.

Mainstem

From the confluence, the Tule River flows about 10 miles (16 km) south and west, still following State Route 190, to Lake Success. Before emptying into the lake, it is joined by Campbell Creek from the north, and Graham Creek from the east. The South Fork of the Tule River joins the river in Lake Success. The river then exits the Success Dam and flows west intoPorterville,and winds west to the former bed of Tulare Lake. It passes the cities ofTiptonandCorcoran,and splits into many channels, eventually disappearing into multiple agricultural irrigation and drainage channels. The river terminates about 9 miles (14 km) east-northeast ofKettleman CityinKings Countyat a junction with a canal carrying water from theKings River.

Ecology

North American beaver(Castor canadensis) were returned to the river for the first time in over 100 years by theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlife(CDFW) and theTule River tribein June, 2024. Kenneth McDarment, a Tule River Tribe member and past tribal councilman, led the effort with CDFW to return beaver for their potential to improve habitat conditions for endangered amphibians and birds that live in the area, including foothill and southern mountain yellow-legged frogs, western pond turtles, least Bell’s vireo and southwestern willow flycatchers. These initial releases were to two tributaries of the South Fork Tule River, Eagle Creek and Miner Creek.

References

• The Tule River

External links

• Media related toTule Riverat Wikimedia Commons