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The sun sets behind a kayaker near Wimpy's Marina on the Mokelumne River. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

The Mokelumne River at a glance

Updated: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 9:53 AM PDT
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The Mokelumne River flows through Lodi, filling Lodi Lake, and into the Delta. It provides power, both drinking and irrigation water and recreation.

Here are some facts:

  • The word Mokelumne comes from the Miwok language and means "people of the fishing net."

  • The river begins at Highland Lake, in the Sierra Nevadas, at an elevation of 8,600 feet.

  • During summer months, the river is popular with rafters and kayakers; a favorite starting point is just below Camanche Dam.

  • In the 1860s, steamboats traveled up the Mokelumne River as far as Clements, delivering goods for mines and stores. The boats returned downriver with produce from area farms.

  • Last year, fisherman Harold Hardin caught a smallmouth bass at Pardee Reservoir, fed by the Mokelumne, weighing 9.98 pounds — a new state record.

  • Since 1848, the Mokelumne has given up huge amounts of gold. An estimated one million ounces were panned during the Gold Rush, as well as a 25-pound nugget that was found in the river in 1848.

  • Copper was discovered along the river east of Lodi and the Penn Mine was operated intensively between 1899 and 1919. It was operated intermittently between 1937 and 1956. Heavy concentrations of metal were discharged into the river until a major cleanup was completed, largely paid for by the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

    Want to learn more about the river? Check out "Searching for the Mokelumne," a special series completed by the News-Sentinel.

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