Merced River

River in central California; length 240 km/150 mi. It rises in the southern part of Yosemite National Park, near Merced Peak (3,574 m/11,726 ft), and flows in a generally westerly direction until it joins with the San Joaquin River.

On its course, the Merced River passes through the famed Yosemite Valley, before leaving the national park and flowing into Lake McClure, formed by the 149 m/490 ft-high New Exchequer Dam (built in 1966, to replace a 1926 structure). It then proceeds southwest through Merced County (area 5,035 sq km/1,944 sq mi, population (1990) 178,400) and finally flows into the San Joaquin 16 km/10 mi southwest of Turlock. Its route was once the scene of gold panning; nowadays, its principal use is to irrigate orchards and other Central Valley agriculture.