▁Jo aqu in ▁is ▁joined ▁by ▁two ▁more ▁trib ut aries : ▁the ▁C ala ver as ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁larger ▁M ok el um ne . ▁The ▁river ▁grows ▁to ▁almost ▁ ▁wide ▁before ▁ending ▁at ▁its ▁confl u ence ▁with ▁the ▁Sac r amento ▁River , ▁in ▁Ant io ch , ▁forming ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Su is un ▁Bay . ▁The ▁combined ▁waters ▁from ▁the ▁two ▁rivers ▁then ▁flow ▁west ▁through ▁the ▁Car qu ine z ▁Stra it ▁and ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁into ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁ ▁D isch ar ge ▁The ▁natural ▁annual ▁dis charge ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁before ▁agricult ural ▁development ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁between ▁ 6 – 7 . 9 ▁million ▁a cre ▁feet ▁( 7 . 4 – 9 . 7 ▁million ▁dam 3 ), ▁equal ing ▁a ▁flow ▁of ▁roughly ▁. ▁Some ▁early ▁estimates ▁even ▁range ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 1 4 ▁million ▁a cre - fe et ▁( 1 7 . 3 ▁million ▁dam 3 ), ▁or ▁more ▁than ▁. ▁The ▁numerous ▁trib ut aries ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁– ▁the ▁F res no , ▁Ch ow ch illa , ▁Mer ced , ▁Tu ol um ne , ▁Mar ip osa ▁Creek , ▁C ala ver as , ▁M ok el um ne , ▁and ▁others ▁– ▁flow ed ▁freely ▁across ▁all uv ial ▁flo od ▁pla ins ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁river . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁trib ut aries ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁origin ate ▁in ▁the ▁Sierra