In the book Of Mice and Men, the story takes place next to what river?

In the novel Of Mice and Men, the story takes place next to the Salinas River.  The river marks the beginning, as well as the end of the story.  It is important to understand that the river is a symbol of life.  At the beginning of the story, George and Lennie take refuge by the river bank, make plans for their future, and Lennie trustingly drinks from it, even though the water may be unsafe to drink.  At the end of the story, the river represents the end of life, as Lennie takes refuge by the river, trusting once again that he is in a safe place, but meets with his demise.