The theory was that the porous, dry ground would suck down a lot of water. We don't know. Vorster and others will begin to analyze findings this week, he said. Many questions are still unanswered, including how much water would be needed to make the river run from Mendota Pool to western Merced County. For now, Vorster said scientists are trying to determine what kind of vegetation existed between Gravelly Ford and Mendota Pool in the 1930s and 1940s.
Some experts believe the area was barren.
But that's not what farmer Walt Shubin says. We camped in the moonlight near the shallow areas and the salmon would run at night. You could see giant sycamores and willows. But it's all gone now. Every bit of it died when the water stopped.