A Newly Protected Property within the Hat Creek Watershed

We are so excited to announce the protection of 789.3 acres of ancestral grounds and wildlife habitat within the Hat Creek Watershed. This newly conserved area will remain free of development forever as it transfers to the stewardship of the Pit River Tribe.

Shasta Land Trust is particularly thrilled about this project due to the land’s ancestral significance. The Illmawi people of the Pit River Tribe are the original stewards of this land, having foraged, hunted, and traveled throughout its meadows and forests for centuries prior to colonization. Well over a century after this section of Hat Creek Watershed was divided into many small parcels and bought by Pacific Gas & Electric for hydroelectric purposes, it is now returned to its indigenous caretakers. Our partnership with the Pit River Tribe and Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council made this conservation project possible.

In addition to historical and cultural significance, Hat Creek Watershed derives its natural wonder from annual grasslands, wet meadows, mixed chaparral, and several types of forest. Wild oat, wild barley, soft chess, and foxtail fescue of the grasslands are home to many mammals including black-tailed jackrabbit, California ground squirrel, western harvest mouse, and coyote. Meadows consist of various species of wildflowers and grasses and are bordered by dense shrubs such as willow. Forests are dominated by towering ponderosa pine, various native oak species, and gray pine. Each of these forest habitat types is known to provide essential foraging and breeding grounds for wildlife including acorn woodpecker, western gray squirrel, black bear, and mule deer.

The land is in close proximity to Hat Creek, making it an essential conservation zone for aquatic species like blue heron and osprey, as well as a variety of endangered and threatened species like bald eagle, sandhill crane, bank swallow, Shasta crayfish, rainbow trout, and sculpin. In fact, Hat Creek has been a site of restoration for years due to its unique water composition and resulting biological richness. Protection of surrounding areas will help further protect this waterway.

Excitingly, permanent conservation of these lands also offers continued opportunities for public enjoyment and recreation. Several hiking trails run through or nearby the conserved area, including 0.6 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and 1.5 miles of a creek trail. Locals and visitors alike can continue to visit these trails and appreciate the abundance of scenic viewscapes. 

With the protection of these beautiful sections of the Hat Creek Watershed, the Pit River Tribe will now be able to steward these lands to the benefit of their people, the greater public, and the natural ecosystems occurring there. With gratitude, Shasta Land Trust celebrates this accomplishment and recognizes all partners and supporters who make the work we do possible.