ly , ▁navigation ▁and ▁reg ulation ▁works ▁by ▁various ▁federal ▁ag encies , ▁which ▁have ▁dram atically ▁reduced ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Name ▁The ▁river ▁was ▁called ▁many ▁different ▁names ; ▁at ▁times ▁different ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁were ▁known ▁by ▁different ▁names . ▁The ▁present ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁dates ▁to ▁ 1 8 0 5 – 1 8 0 8 , ▁when ▁Spanish ▁expl orer ▁Gabriel ▁Mor aga ▁was ▁surve ying ▁east ▁from ▁Mission ▁San ▁José ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁find ▁possible ▁sites ▁for ▁a ▁mission . ▁Mor aga ▁named ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁( it ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁which ▁one ) ▁for ▁Saint ▁Jo achim , ▁husband ▁of ▁Saint ▁Anne ▁and ▁father ▁of ▁Mary , ▁the ▁mother ▁of ▁Jesus . ▁The ▁name ▁Mor aga ▁chose ▁was ▁later ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁entire ▁river ; ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁common ▁use ▁by ▁ 1 8 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁Jed edia h ▁Smith ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁journal ▁that ▁an ▁unknown ▁group ▁of ▁Native ▁Americans ▁called ▁the ▁river ▁the ▁Pet icut ry , ▁a ▁name ▁which ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁an ▁official ▁variant ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Ge ological ▁Survey ▁( US GS ) ▁Geographic ▁Names ▁Information ▁System . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Mon o ▁language , ▁the ▁river ▁is ▁called ▁typ ici ▁h ▁hu u '' ', ▁which ▁means ▁" important ▁or ▁great ▁river ." ▁ ▁An ▁earlier ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁lower ▁section ▁of