Klamath River, California
Encyclopedia
Klamath River is an unincorporated community
in Siskiyou County
, California
, United States
, situated on the Klamath River
. It is located on State Route 96
, near the Oregon
border. The name "Klamath" was derived from an Indian word Tlamatl which means "swiftness" in Chinook
. The community of Klamath River is about 11 miles long and includes both sides of the river from Gottville to Kohl Creek. The population is 190.
, Modoc, and Yurok Indian tribes. Native Americans relied on the river for its abundance of salmon and trout.
The California Gold Rush
of 1848–1855 brought many miners to the Klamath River watershed. The miners caused disruption in the lives of the Native Americans of the area by damming and diverting water for mining purposes, which made it difficult for spawning salmon and other fish populations to survive. There are remnants of old mining sites along the river. The town of Happy Camp, first settled in 1851, was named for its fruitful yields of gold. The Klamath River was used by the Quicksilver Mining Co. in the late 19th century where they extracted mercury and cinnabar located up Beaver Creek. Tunnels that were dug to extract gold were later used by bootleggers of whiskey.
The weather in Siskiyou County varies with the seasons, with summer temperatures of 75 to 105 °F (23.9 to 40.6 C), while in the winter, it can drop as low as 15 °F (-9.4 °C) with a high of 65 °F (18.3 °C).
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, situated on the Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
. It is located on State Route 96
California State Route 96
State Route 96 follows the Trinity and Klamath Rivers in Northern California. For most of the route it goes through the Karuk Tribal Reservation, the Yurok Tribal Reservation, and the Hoopa Tribal Reservation...
, near the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
border. The name "Klamath" was derived from an Indian word Tlamatl which means "swiftness" in Chinook
Chinookan languages
Chinookan is a small family of languages spoken in Oregon and Washington along the Columbia River by Chinook peoples.-Family division:Chinookan languages consists of three languages with multiple varieties. There is some dispute over classification, and there are two ISO 639-3 codes assigned: and...
. The community of Klamath River is about 11 miles long and includes both sides of the river from Gottville to Kohl Creek. The population is 190.
History
The Klamath River area was home to the Hoopa, KarukKaruk
Karuk is an indigenous people of California in the United States.The tribal headquarters, located off State Route 96, is in the town of Happy Camp, California. Currently the tribe has three tribal board meeting places, in Yreka, Happy Camp, and Orleans...
, Modoc, and Yurok Indian tribes. Native Americans relied on the river for its abundance of salmon and trout.
The California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
of 1848–1855 brought many miners to the Klamath River watershed. The miners caused disruption in the lives of the Native Americans of the area by damming and diverting water for mining purposes, which made it difficult for spawning salmon and other fish populations to survive. There are remnants of old mining sites along the river. The town of Happy Camp, first settled in 1851, was named for its fruitful yields of gold. The Klamath River was used by the Quicksilver Mining Co. in the late 19th century where they extracted mercury and cinnabar located up Beaver Creek. Tunnels that were dug to extract gold were later used by bootleggers of whiskey.
Wildlife and the environment
Klamath River hosts the largest deer herd in California, and the largest concentrations of ducks and geese on the North American continent. There are also many black bear, elk, bobcat, mountain lion, raccoon, quail, grouse, pheasant, squirrel, kit fox, river otter, beaver, badger, porcupine, weasel, skunks, coyotes, a variety of toads and frogs, blue herons, bald and American eagles, along with over 200 species of birds. Historically, the Klamath River was the 3rd largest salmon water-shed on the west coast.The weather in Siskiyou County varies with the seasons, with summer temperatures of 75 to 105 °F (23.9 to 40.6 C), while in the winter, it can drop as low as 15 °F (-9.4 °C) with a high of 65 °F (18.3 °C).