▁Nev ada ; ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁streams ▁that ▁start ▁in ▁the ▁Coast ▁Range ▁are ▁inter mitt ent , ▁and ▁contribute ▁little ▁to ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in . ▁During ▁the ▁winter , ▁spring , ▁and ▁early ▁summer , ▁storm s ▁and ▁snow m elt ▁sw ell ▁the ▁river ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁– ▁before ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁major ▁d ams ▁and ▁ir rig ation ▁divers ions ▁– ▁the ▁California ▁Department ▁of ▁Engineering ▁estimated ▁the ▁river ' s ▁flow ▁in ▁full ▁flo od ▁at ▁. ▁In ▁late ▁summer ▁and ▁aut umn , ▁there ▁is ▁little ▁water ▁left ▁over ▁to ▁re pl en ish ▁stream ▁flow . ▁Histor ically , ▁ground water ▁se ep age ▁from ▁Tul are ▁Lake ▁maintained ▁a ▁significant ▁base ▁flow ▁in ▁the ▁river ▁during ▁the ▁dry ▁months ▁– ▁some ▁accounts ▁suggest ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁percent . ▁ ▁The ▁present ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁at ▁Fri ant ▁Dam , ▁the ▁average ▁dis charge ▁was ▁, ▁or ▁ 0 . 2 3 4 ▁million ▁a cre - fe et ▁per ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁highest ▁average ▁dis charge ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁when ▁the ▁dis charge ▁was ▁, ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁of ▁those ▁years ▁of ▁. ▁▁ ▁The ▁water ▁temperature ▁range ▁from ▁ 7 ° ▁Cel si us ▁( 4 4 . 5   ° F ) ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁to ▁a ▁high