Indigenous Peoples have lived in this region since time immemorial. Members of the Great Basin tribes are known to have settled in the area thousands of years ago, and the Mi-Wuk later settled in the area, mostly on sites occupied by their predecessors. The Mi-Wuk intensified the use of acorn as a staple food and utilized milling stations with multiple grinding holes. Due to the discovery of gold and a growing population, game virtually disappeared and most Mi-Wuk were forced out of the favorable village locations to more remote sites, many of them along the ditch systems, as water was a necessity for survival.