Editing Three Rivers, California

{{Short description|Census-designated place in California, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the table at Template:Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of their usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
 | name                     = 
 | official_name            = Three Rivers, California
 | settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
 | other_name               = 
 | native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
 | nickname                 = 
 | motto                    = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
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 | image_caption            = 
 | image_map                = Tulare_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Three_Rivers_Highlighted.svg
 | mapsize                  = 250x200px
 | map_caption              = Location in [[Tulare County, California|Tulare County]] and the state of [[California]]
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 | map_caption1             = 
 | pushpin_map              = USA California Northern#California#USA
 | pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
 | pushpin_label            = Three Rivers
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 | pushpin_relief           = 1
<!-- Location ------------------>
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 | subdivision_name         = {{flagu|United States}}
 | subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
 | subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California}}
 | subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
 | subdivision_name2        = [[Tulare County, California|Tulare]]
<!-- Politics ----------------->
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | government_type          = 
 | established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
 | established_date         = 
<!-- Area------------------>
 | unit_pref                = US
 | area_footnotes           = <ref>{{Cite US Gazetteer|2010|places|CA}}</ref>
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 44.505
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 44.505
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0
 | area_total_km2           = 115.269
 | area_land_km2            = 115.269
 | area_water_km2           = 0
 | area_water_percent       = 0
 | area_metro_km2           = 
 | area_metro_sq_mi         = 
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|1661569|Three Rivers|access-date=February 25, 2015}}</ref>
 | elevation_ft             = 843
 | elevation_m              = 257
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
 | population_footnotes     = <ref name="US Census Bureau 2020 Three Rivers, CA Population">{{cite web |title=US Census Bureau |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Three%20Rivers%20CDP,%20California |website=www.census.gov |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref>
 | population_note          = 
 | population_total         = 2053
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 | population_density_metro_km2   = 
 | population_density_metro_sq_mi = 
<!-- General information  --------------->
 | timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]]
 | utc_offset               = &minus;8
 | timezone_DST             = [[Pacific Daylight Time|PDT]]
 | utc_offset_DST           = &minus;7
 | coordinates              = {{coord|36|27|15|N|118|53|11|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
 | postal_code              = 93271
 | area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
 | area_code                = [[Area code 559|559]]
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
 | blank_info               = {{FIPS|06|78638}}
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature IDs
 | blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1661569}}, {{GNIS 4|2409316}}
}}

'''Three Rivers''' is an [[unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Tulare County, California]], United States. Located in the foothills of the [[Sierra Nevada]] at the edge of the [[San Joaquin Valley]], the town is near the entrance to the [[list of national parks of the United States|national parks]] of [[Sequoia National Park|Sequoia]] and [[Kings Canyon National Park|Kings Canyon]]. The town's name comes from its location near the junction of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the [[Kaweah River]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bears-20161219-story.html |title=A black bear boom has a California town wondering how residents would get along with grizzlies |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Louis |last=Sahagun |date= December 23, 2016 |access-date=January 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-baby-bear-boom-20151109-story.html |title=Baby bear boom brings many of them to streets of Three Rivers, Calif. |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first1=Veronica |last1=Rocha |first2=Joseph |last2=Serna |date=November 9, 2015 |access-date=January 2, 2017}}</ref>

The population was 2,053 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], down from 2,182 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]]. The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.

The two national parks, which border the town to the northeast, are the prime attraction of Three Rivers.

==Geography==
Three Rivers is located in the Kaweah River canyon, just above Lake Kaweah. Surrounding terrain is marked by oak woodland forest and foothills. The Kaweah River drainage is a very short river drainage, and quickly terrain climbs from around {{convert|1000|feet}}. ASL in Three Rivers to 3,000-5,000&nbsp;ft ASL on the surrounding hills, and upward to 14,000+ ft ASL at Mt. Whitney, fifty miles to the East. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of {{convert|44.5|sqmi|km2}}, all land.
[[File:Case mountain sequoias.jpg|thumb|Giant Sequoia grove on Case Mountain,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.recreation.gov/recreationalAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=14787&recAreaId=14787&agencyCode=70901|title=Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area, California - Recreation.gov}}</ref> SE of Three Rivers. |left]]
{{Clear}}

===Climate===

According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Three Rivers has a [[hot-summer mediterranean climate]], abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Three Rivers was {{convert|114|F|C|1}} on August 13, 1996, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|16|F|C|1}} on December 22&ndash;23, 1990.<ref name = NOWData />

{{Weather box
|location = Three Rivers, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 79
|Feb record high F = 85
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 100
|May record high F = 106
|Jun record high F = 112
|Jul record high F = 112
|Aug record high F = 114
|Sep record high F = 109
|Oct record high F = 102
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 79

|Jan avg record high F = 70.2
|Feb avg record high F = 74.1
|Mar avg record high F = 79.9
|Apr avg record high F = 87.6
|May avg record high F = 96.3
|Jun avg record high F = 104.1
|Jul avg record high F = 106.3
|Aug avg record high F = 105.0
|Sep avg record high F = 101.5
|Oct avg record high F = 93.0
|Nov avg record high F = 79.4
|Dec avg record high F = 69.6
|year avg record high F = 108.0

|Jan high F = 58.0
|Feb high F = 61.7
|Mar high F = 67.0
|Apr high F = 72.5
|May high F = 81.8
|Jun high F = 91.1
|Jul high F = 97.4
|Aug high F = 96.4
|Sep high F = 91.5
|Oct high F = 79.3
|Nov high F = 65.7
|Dec high F = 57.6
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 47.0
|Feb mean F = 50.0
|Mar mean F = 54.2
|Apr mean F = 58.4
|May mean F = 66.2
|Jun mean F = 74.7
|Jul mean F = 81.2
|Aug mean F = 80.2
|Sep mean F = 74.9
|Oct mean F = 64.2
|Nov mean F = 53.0
|Dec mean F = 46.5
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 36.0
|Feb low F = 38.3
|Mar low F = 41.3
|Apr low F = 44.4
|May low F = 50.7
|Jun low F = 58.4
|Jul low F = 65.0
|Aug low F = 63.9
|Sep low F = 58.3
|Oct low F = 49.1
|Nov low F = 40.3
|Dec low F = 35.4
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 27.4
|Feb avg record low F = 29.7
|Mar avg record low F = 31.3
|Apr avg record low F = 34.6
|May avg record low F = 41.1
|Jun avg record low F = 46.5
|Jul avg record low F = 56.4
|Aug avg record low F = 55.5
|Sep avg record low F = 48.6
|Oct avg record low F = 38.6
|Nov avg record low F = 30.2
|Dec avg record low F = 26.4
|year avg record low F = 24.9

|Jan record low F = 20
|Feb record low F = 19
|Mar record low F = 23
|Apr record low F = 28
|May record low F = 33
|Jun record low F = 39
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 35
|Sep record low F = 39
|Oct record low F = 26
|Nov record low F = 23
|Dec record low F = 16

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.79
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.56
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.05
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.35
|May precipitation inch = 0.98
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.26
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.11
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.01
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.16
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.86
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.71
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.68
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 7.7
|Feb precipitation days = 8.9
|Mar precipitation days = 7.9
|Apr precipitation days = 5.9
|May precipitation days = 2.9
|Jun precipitation days = 0.7
|Jul precipitation days = 0.6
|Aug precipitation days = 0.2
|Sep precipitation days = 0.9
|Oct precipitation days = 2.7
|Nov precipitation days = 4.9
|Dec precipitation days = 7.9

|Jan snow inch = 
|Feb snow inch = 
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|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 
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|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00048917&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Three Rivers Edison PH 1, CA
|access-date = May 27, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=hnx
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Hanford
|access-date = May 27, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==

===2010===
The [[2010 United States Census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0678638|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715033534/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0678638|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Three Rivers CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref> reported that Three Rivers had a population of 2,182. The [[population density]] was {{convert|49.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. The racial make-up was 1,976 (90.6%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 7 (0.3%) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 27 (1.2%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 31 (1.4%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1 (0.0%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 75 (3.4%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]] and 65 (3.0%) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 212 people (9.7%).

The Census reported that 2,177 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 5 (0.2%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,018 households, of which 207 (20.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 519 (51.0%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 65 (6.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 33 (3.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 35 (3.4%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 10 (1.0%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 341 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals, and 159 (15.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 617 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (60.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.71.

354 people (16.2%) were under the age of 18, 90 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 369 people (16.9%) aged 25 to 44, 837 people (38.4%) aged 45 to 64 and 532 people (24.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

There were 1,312 housing units at an average density of {{convert|29.5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 741 (72.8%) were owner-occupiedand 277 (27.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%. 1,604 people (73.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 573 people (26.3%) lived in rental housing units.

===2000===
As of the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 2,248 people, 985 households and 659 families residing in the CDP. The [[population density]] was {{convert|49.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of {{convert|26.8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial make-up was 89.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.22% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.29% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.67% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.74% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]] and 4.09% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.58% of the population.

There were 985 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.0% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.75.

20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64 and 22.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The [[median household income]] was $42,727 and the median family income was $48,843. Males had a median income of $39,355 and females $31,875. The [[per capita income]] was $23,475. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

==History==
===Kaweah Colony===
In 1886, a group of [[utopian socialism|utopian socialists]] founded an [[intentional community]] along the upper North Fork of the Kaweah River. Named [[Kaweah Colony]], it was inspired by the ideas of [[Laurence Gronlund]]. When Congress created [[Sequoia National Park]] they lost their timber claims and in 1891 were ordered off the land.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/kaweahcolonyhistory.html| title=The History of Kaweah Colony| publisher=The Kaweah Commonwealth| access-date=March 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415074810/http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/kaweahcolonyhistory.html|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref>

===Rhodesian pioneers===
[[Image:Churchill blicks burnham 1910.jpg|right|thumb|from left to right: [[Winston Spencer Churchill]], Judd Dunning Blick, John Charles Blick, [[Frederick Russell Burnham]]. 1910]]
The Three Rivers cemetery contains the bodies of nine [[Rhodesia]]n pioneers who lived in Africa ''[[wikt:circa|ca.]]'' 1900 and fought in several wars. The Burnham and Blick families started a {{convert|5000|acre|km2|adj=on}} cattle ranch, La Cuesta, in Three Rivers and built homes there. The scenery at Three Rivers is said to be almost identical to that of the Rhodesian kopje country.<ref name="lott1977" >{{cite journal | last = Lott | first = J. "Jack" P |date=March 1977 | title = Major F. R. Burnham, D.S.O | journal=Rhodesiana Magazine | volume = 36 | page = 68 | issn = 0556-9605}}</ref> La Cuesta was sold by John and Judd Blick in 1947 for $90,000.<ref name="latimes8feb1947">{{cite journal |date=February 8, 1947 |title=Ranch Sells for $90,000 |journal=[[Los Angeles Times]] }}</ref>

===Mineral King and Walt Disney===
In the 1960s and 70s, Walt Disney had plans to develop a year-round resort at [[Mineral King]]. Ultimately, these plans were withdrawn when Mineral King was annexed into Sequoia National Park in 1978.

===Artists' colony===
[[File:Three Rivers (California), Western Holiday Lodge, flower.jpg|thumb|Rose at Western Holiday Lodge garden]]
In the 1960s, several local artists held exhibitions in the old Apple House on the North Fork Drive. Some of these artists included Adrian Green, Gene Gray, Caroll Barnes, Frank Treuting, Jean Caulfeild and Pauline Whitsun. Present day artists open their studios every other year for the Three Rivers Artists' Biennial Studio Tour, which was started in 1994 by Elsah Cort (then associated with the Cort Gallery.) More than thirty artists are living and working in Three Rivers, including Mona Fox Selph, James Entz, and Aranga Firstman, who all taught at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. Other well-known artists are Martha Widmann, Rick Badgley, Jana Botkin, Nikki Crain, Tina St. John, Nadi Spencer and [[Martin Pugh]].

The Arts Alliance of Three Rivers is the local arts organization, started in 1985, with many local artists and art patrons as members. It sponsors the annual Redbud Arts and Craft Festival every May. It also established the Lorraine Young Scholarship Fund, which awards art scholarships to local Three Rivers graduating high school students. This fund was established by the Arts Alliance in honor of the many years of service Lorraine gave to both the Arts Alliance and to the community of Three Rivers. The Arts Alliance became a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in 2010.

==Politics==
[[File:Three Rivers CA.JPG|thumb|A 2010 view of Three Rivers from [[California State Route 198]], looking northeast toward [[Sequoia National Park]]. The [[monolith]] looming in the left background is [[Moro Rock]].]]

In the [[California State Legislature|state legislature]], Three Rivers is located in the 18th [[California State Senate|Senate]] District, represented by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Jean Fuller]] and formerly held by Republican [[Roy Ashburn]], and in {{Representative|caad|23|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web
 | url = http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | title = Statewide Database
 | access-date = October 22, 2014
 | publisher = UC Regents
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150201113744/http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html
 | archive-date = February 1, 2015
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Three Rivers is in {{Representative|cacd|23|fmt=district}}.<ref name=GT23>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|23|access-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

==Schools==
* Three Rivers Union School District (K-8, average attendance: 157 students)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcoe.org/Districts/ThreeRivers.shtm|title=School Districts|publisher=Tulare County Office of Education|access-date=February 25, 2015}}</ref>
* Woodlake Union High School (9–12), Three Rivers Students usually go to high school in [[Woodlake, CA]]

Three Rivers is the location of the Diocese of Fresno's St. Anthony Retreat Center and Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center, and of Riata Ranch International, a world-renowned{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Western Performance Arts Training Facility and home of the world famous{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls.

Three Rivers was one site of a handful of U.S. boarding schools run by the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishna]] movement. These schools, called "gurukulas", were closed by the mid-1980s. Other locations included Los Angeles, Moundsville in West Virginia and Dallas.

==Notable people==
*[[Mary Harris (musician)|Mary Harris]] - longtime Three Rivers resident and noted musician.
*[[Curt Siodmak]] (August 10, 1902 – September 2, 2000) was a German-American novelist and screenwriter, who was a longtime resident of Three Rivers with his wife Henrietta (November 14, 1903 - May 10, 2001).<ref>{{Cite news|last=FREYERMUTH|first=GUNDOLF S. FREYERMUTH|date=September 14, 1997|title=Despite His Fate, He Found His Fortune|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-14-ca-32000-story.html|access-date=July 12, 2020|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
*[[Adin Ross]] - American streamer, YouTuber, internet personality

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{wikivoyage|Three Rivers}}
* [http://www.kaweahcommonwealth.com/ The Kaweah Commonwealth: Weekly newspaper and visitor information online]
* [http://threeriversvillage.com/ Three Rivers Village information]
* [http://www.threerivers.com/ Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.threeriverscalifornia.wordpress.com/  Blog about happenings in the Three Rivers area]
* [http://www.nps.gov/seki/  Sequoia and Kings Canyon official website]
* [http://www.3rmuseum.org/ Three Rivers Historical Museum]

{{Tulare County, California}}
{{Sequoia National Park}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Tulare County, California]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Sierra Nevada (United States)]]
[[Category:San Joaquin Valley]]