Every glass of water in Fresno, Clovis and surrounding communities begins its journey high in the Sierra Nevada.

Winter storms blanket the mountains in snow, storing water naturally until spring. As temperatures rise, snowmelt flows into tributaries that feed the San Joaquin and Kings River systems - key arteries draining the Sierra into the Central Valley.

On average, the San Joaquin River watershed contributes roughly 1.6 – 1.8 million acre-feet of surface runoff per year from its Sierra headwaters, while the Kings River watershed typically yields about 1.8 million acre-feet annually - larger than several neighboring Sierra rivers combined.* (1 acre-foot = ~326,000 gallons)

This seasonal runoff travels downstream into reservoirs behind Friant Dam and Pine Flat Dams and into valley conveyance systems where carefully managed releases supply farms, cities, wildlife, and groundwater recharge across the Central Valley.

These waters support cities, farms, and critical habitats throughout the region, illustrating how Sierra snowpack and river hydrology are foundational to life here in the Valley.

This system - snowpack, rivers, reservoirs, and canals - connects mountain landscapes to valley communities in ways most of us never see, yet depend on every day.

Understanding where our water comes from is the first step toward protecting it—for people, fish, farms, and future generations.

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Your tax-deductible donation supports water education that connects Sierra snowmelt to Valley life—drop by drop, student by student.

*Runoff estimates for the San Joaquin and Kings River watersheds are based on data from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and watershed summaries showing average annual surface runoff in the San Joaquin Basin (~1.6–1.8 maf) and average annual flow from the Kings River (~1.79 maf).