Feather, river, 80 mi (129 km) long, rising in three forks in the Sierra Nevada, uniting N of Oroville, Calif., and flowing S into the Sacramento River, N of Sacramento, Calif. The Feather River basin was a rich source of gold in the mid-1800s. The Feather River project (1957–68), which includes Oroville Dam, furnishes central and S California with water and provides flood control, recreation, and hydroelectricity in the river basin.
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