Within the boundaries of Yosemite flow the headwaters and significant stream reaches of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers, both of which are tributaries of the San Joaquin River basin. Both of these rivers are also designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
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In Yosemite's case, most precipitation falls as snow that accumulates above 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) during the winter, creating a natural water reservoir. The snowpack slowly releases meltwater through the spring and early summer, nourishing downstream regions well into the dry season.
Be aware that mountain water is extremely cold, despite hot air temperatures. Strong swimmers may quickly become too weak from hypothermia to swim. Even professional swiftwater rescuers wearing layers of insulation sometimes struggle to stay warm!
Yosemite National Park is famous for its spectacular glacially carved landscape. Although glaciers have come and gone many times in the past, there are still two active glaciers near Yosemite's highest peaks.
The name Yosemite is simply a corruption of the term which the southern Miwoks applied to any species of bear and particularly to the grizzly,2 and was given to the valley, as we shall see, because the white people who first came in contact with its native inhabitants called them Yosemites.
Yosemite Creek, which flows over this waterfall, is fed entirely by snow melt. At its peak in late spring, 2,400 gallons per second can flow over the lip of the upper fall. Yosemite Falls usually runs dry by late summer.
In quantity, precipitation varies with altitude and slope exposure: it generally increases with altitude, but it's also more abundant along the western slopes. In Yosemite Village, 930 millimeters (36.5 inches) of rain (or snow) fall per year, with a pronounced minimum in summer, when the rains are very rare.