San Joaquin River

Chain Island is an island in Suisun Bay, downstream of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in northern California, and the westernmost piece of land in Sacramento County. In the late 1800s, it was considered an "obstruction to navigation" on the Sacramento River. As it was built up significantly from hydraulic mining tailings upstream on the river, plans were made in the early 20th century to remove it and recoup costs by mining the debris. However, this never happened; it was sold by the California State Lands Commission to a private individual in 1959, who listed it for sale the next year. In April 2016, the deed for the island was transferred; as of December 2022, Sacramento County assesses its land value at $18,622.

The Sacramento River (Spanish: Río Sacramento) is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for 400 miles (640 km) before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay. The river drains about 26,500 square miles (69,000 km2) in 19 California counties, mostly within the fertile agricultural region bounded by the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada known as the Sacramento Valley, but also extending as far as the volcanic plateaus of Northeastern California. Historically, its watershed has reached as far north as south-central Oregon where the now, primarily, endorheic (closed) Goose Lake rarely experiences southerly outflow into the Pit River, the most northerly tributary of the Sacramento. The Sacramento and its wide natural floodplain were once abundant in fish and other aquatic creatures, notably one of the southernmost large runs of chinook salmon in North America. For about 12,000 years, humans have depended on the vast natural resources of the watershed, which had one of the densest Native American populations in California. The river has provided a route for trade and travel since ancient times. Hundreds of tribes sharing regional customs and traditions have inhabited the Sacramento Valley, first coming into contact with European explorers in the late 1700s. The Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river Rio de los Sacramentos in 1808, later shortened and anglicized into Sacramento. In the 19th century, gold was discovered on a tributary of the Sacramento River, starting the California Gold Rush and an enormous population influx to the state. Overland trails such as the California Trail and Siskiyou Trail guided hundreds of thousands of people to the gold fields. By the late part of the century mining had ceased to be a major part of the economy, and many immigrants turned to farming and ranching. Many populous communities were established along the Sacramento River, including the state capital of Sacramento. Intensive agriculture and mining contributed to pollution in the Sacramento River, and significant changes to the river's hydrology and environment. Since the 1950s the watershed has been intensely developed for water supply and the generation of hydroelectric power. Today, large dams impound the river and almost all of its major tributaries. The Sacramento River is used heavily for irrigation and serves much of Central and Southern California through the canals of giant state and federal water projects. While it is now providing water to over half of California's population and supporting the most productive agricultural area in the nation, these changes have left the Sacramento greatly modified from its natural state and have caused the decline of its once-abundant fisheries.

The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, or California Delta, is an expansive inland river delta and estuary in Northern California. The Delta is formed at the western edge of the Central Valley by the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and lies just east of where the rivers enter Suisun Bay, which flows into San Francisco Bay, then the Pacific Ocean via San Pablo Bay. The Delta is recognized for protection by the California Bays and Estuaries Policy. Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta was designated a National Heritage Area on March 12, 2019. The city of Stockton is located on the San Joaquin River at the eastern edge of the delta. The total area of the Delta, including both land and water, is about 1,100 square miles (2,800 km2). Its population is around 500,000.The Delta was formed by rising sea level following glaciation, leading to the accumulation of Sacramento and San Joaquin River sediments behind the Carquinez Strait, the sole outlet from the Central Valley to San Pablo Bay. The narrowness of the Carquinez Strait coupled with tidal action has caused the sediment to pile up, forming expansive islands. Geologically, the Delta has existed for about 10,000 years, since the end of the Last Glacial Period. In its natural state, the Delta was a large freshwater marsh, consisting of many shallow channels and sloughs surrounding low islands of peat and tule. Since the mid-19th century, most of the region has been gradually claimed for agriculture. Wind erosion and oxidation have led to widespread subsidence on the Central Delta islands; much of the Delta region today sits below sea level, behind levees earning it the nickname "California's Holland". Much of the water supply for Central California and Southern California is also derived from the Delta, via pumps located at the southern end of the Delta. The pumps deliver water for irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley and municipal water supply for Southern California.

Collinsville is a rural unincorporated community in Solano County, California, United States. It is located at the mouth of the Sacramento River, on the north side of the river where it debouches into the Suisun Bay. Collinsville is effectively separated from the more intense urban development in Contra Costa County immediately across the river, as no bridge exists connecting the two areas. The area was once proposed for a major chemical plant of the Dow Chemical Company in the 1980s. The community is in ZIP code 94585 and area code 707.

Montezuma Island is an island in Suisun Bay, an embayment of San Francisco Bay, and downstream of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It is part of Sacramento County, California, and not managed by any reclamation district. Its coordinates are 38°04′28″N 121°50′23″W, and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as 7 ft (2.1 m) in 1981. It is labeled "Burnett Island" on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold, and shown (unlabeled) on an 1854 map of the area by Henry Lange.

Spinner Island is an island in Suisun Bay, an embayment of San Francisco Bay, downstream of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. It is part of Solano County, California, and not managed by any reclamation district. Its coordinates are 38°04′11″N 121°52′10″W, and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as 0 ft (0 m) in 1981. It is shown (but not labeled) in an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold, as well as an 1854 map of the area by Henry Lange.

The Hastings Adobe near Collinsville, California is a ranch dwelling made of adobe that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is currently on private property, in a state of disrepair and inaccessible to the public. The structure was erected by Lansford Hastings, a lawyer and the author of The Emigrant's Guide to Oregon and California; Hastings' book promoted the Hastings Cutoff, which was a major factor in the Donner party disaster.It is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Collinsville on the south side of County Road 493.

Winter Island (also known as Ruckels Island) is a 453-acre (183 ha) island in Suisun Bay, in the western Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It is north of Pittsburg, separated from Browns Island to the west by a slough. It was private property, and contained one house. It is used as a duck hunting area, a wetland, and a dredging disposal area. In 2016 Winter Island was purchased by the California Department of Water Resources in order to restore the island as a tidal marsh. Winter Island is part of Contra Costa County, and managed by Reclamation District 2122. It is shown, labeled "Ruckels Island", on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold and an 1854 map of the area by Henry Lange.In 2009, Brusco Tug and Barge, a tugboat company, pled guilty to illegal dredge dumping near the island between 2003 and 2007. In 2014, a large wildfire broke out on the island.

Browns Island (also Gwin Island or Brown Island) is a regional preserve of the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) in Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an island in Suisun Bay, part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, separated from the rest of Pittsburg by New York Slough. The 595-acre (241 ha) island is separated from Winter Island to the east by Middle Slough, and bounded by New York Slough on the south and Suisun Bay on the west and northwest. It is shown, labeled "Gwin Island", on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold and an 1854 map of the area by Henry Lange.The East Bay Regional Park District has published a guide to the wild plants that grow on this island. The island is home to six rare and endangered plant species, and a variety of aquatic birds.

The Columbia Steel Company, sometimes shortened to Columbia Steel, is an American steel company headquartered in the state of Oregon. It had its origins in 1901, but did not officially organize under its current name until 1909.

The Shiloh wind power plant is a wind farm located in the Montezuma Hills of Solano County, California, USA, close to Bird's Landing and Collinsville, 40 miles (64 km) northeast of San Francisco. It has a nameplate capacity of 505 megawatts (MW) of power and was built in four stages between 2005 and 2012. Several additional projects are also located in the Montezuma.

Pittsburg Marina is a marina situated at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers in Pittsburg, California.The Marina is owned and operated by the City of Pittsburg, and serves as the "Gateway to the Delta", providing access to the San Francisco Bay. The Marina, located north of downtown Pittsburg, offers 575 berths, 274 of which are covered.Surrounded by extensive marshes, Browns Island is located across New York Slough from the Marina.