The Sacramento Valley is the northern component of California 's
Central Valley (complimenting the San Joaquin Valley ). About
200 miles long, it extends from Shasta Dam in the north to the
Sacramento River Delta in the south. On the west, the valley is
bordered by the Coast Range, including tbe Mendoncino National
Forest . On the east, the valley is defined by the volcanic
northern portion of the Sierra Nevada Through the middle of the
valley runs the Sacramento River, the largest river in
California. The Feather River also runs along much of the length
of the valley, and the American, Yuba, and Bear rivers enter it
from the east. From the west, Stony Creek, Cache Creek, and
Putah Creek enter the valley, rivers in their own right. Exactly
in the center of the valley, the Sutter Buttes rise out of flat
farmland. Touted as the 'world's smallest mountain range', they
reach over 1000 feet in height but are only a few miles across
and nearly perfectly round when viewed from above. The Sutter
Buttes are a long dea