The 272-mile long Kings River drops sharply in elevation from its headwaters high in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range on its way to the Central Valley, flowing just south-east of Fresno.

The dramatic descent generates electric power for dams and the river also helps irrigate cropland and provides fresh water to Central Valley communities.

The South Fork of Kings River terminates at Tulare Lake Basin. The North Fork passes through Fresno County via the James Bypass and ends at the confluence of the San Joaquin River at Mendota Pool. [See also Delta Mendota Canal.]

Historically prone to flooding, control structures such as the Pine Flat Dam upstream and the James Bypass on the North Fork now help offset the risk. At Mendota Pool, Kings River flood waters are carried to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean by the San Joaquin River, though the Kings River was not a natural San Joaquin tributary in the past.