Editing Sacramento River (section)

===Lower river===
As the river continues south it approaches the Sacramento metro area, the largest population center in the watershed. [[Sacramento International Airport]] is located on the east bank of the river near Fremont. Near downtown Sacramento it receives the [[American River]] from the east, then passes under the historic [[Tower Bridge (California)|Tower Bridge]] and [[Interstate 80 Business (Sacramento, California)|Interstate 80 Business]]. The [[California State Capitol]] sits less than {{convert|0.5|mi|km|spell=in}} east of the river where the Tower Bridge crosses it. Shortly downstream, the [[Port of Sacramento]] is located on the west side of the Sacramento, connected to the river by a lock. The [[Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel]] provides access to the port from the Pacific, bypassing about {{convert|42|mi|km}} of the winding lower Sacramento. The channel runs parallel to the Sacramento several miles to the west, and also forms the eastern boundary of the [[Yolo Bypass]].<ref name="ACMEmapper"/> The manually operated Sacramento Weir, located across from downtown Sacramento on the west side of the river, serves to relieve floodwater pressure from the American River by allowing it to drain west into the [[Yolo Bypass]] instead of continuing down the Sacramento River.

[[Image:Islands,_Sacramento_River_Delta,_California.jpg|thumb|left|Aerial view of the Delta region, showing the Sacramento River (above) and the San Joaquin River]]

Downstream of Sacramento, the river enters the [[Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta]], a vast tidal [[estuary]] and [[inverted river delta]] of over {{convert|1000|mi2|km2}} which receives the entire run-off of the Central Valley, a region covering a third of California. The Sacramento is by far the largest contributor of fresh water to the Delta; in an average year, it accounts for more than 80&nbsp;percent of the fresh water inflow. At [[Walnut Grove, California|Walnut Grove]], the manmade [[Delta Cross Channel]] connects the Sacramento to the [[Mokelumne River]] channel, allowing a portion of the water to be pumped south toward [[Clifton Court Forebay]], the receiving reservoir for the main CVP and [[California State Water Project|State Water Project]] aqueducts which irrigate millions of acres and supply water to over 23&nbsp;million people in the [[San Joaquin Valley]], the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and [[Greater Los Angeles Area|Greater Los Angeles]]. Although river levels are tidally influenced here and occasionally as far north as Verona,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/shed/lund/ftp/TurrentineJacksonDeltaReport1977.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=March 11, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911092109/https://watershed.ucdavis.edu/shed/lund/ftp/TurrentineJacksonDeltaReport1977.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2015 }}</ref> the water stays fresh in all but the driest years. [[Saltwater intrusion]] from the Pacific Ocean was one of the main reasons for the construction of the federal [[Central Valley Project]] (CVP), whose dams maintain a minimum flow in the Sacramento River to keep seawater at bay.<ref name="ACMEmapper"/>

Below [[Rio Vista, California|Rio Vista]], the lower Sacramento River is rejoined by the Deep Water Ship Channel and the Yolo Bypass and curves southwest along the base of the [[Montezuma Hills]], forming the border of [[Solano County, California|Solano]] and Sacramento Counties. This part of the river is dredged for navigation by large oceangoing vessels and averages three-quarters of a mile (1.2&nbsp;km) across. North of [[Antioch, California|Antioch]] and [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]], the Sacramento and [[San Joaquin River]]s join at the head of [[Suisun Bay]], marking the official end of both rivers. The combined waters flow west through Suisun Bay and the [[Carquinez Strait]] into [[San Pablo Bay]] and [[San Francisco Bay]], joining the Pacific at the [[Golden Gate]].<ref name="ACMEmapper"/>