Sierra Nevada

views updated May 29 2018

Sierra Nevada Mountain system in e California, USA. In the e it rises steeply from the Great Basin, while the w edge slopes more gently down to the Central Valley of California. The snow-fed rivers are used to irrigate the Central Valley and also to provide hydroelectric power. Mount Whitney, 4418m (14,494ft), is the highest peak. The range is 650km (400mi) long.