Butte Creek Ecological Reserve

Butte Creek Ecological Reserve east of Chico in northern California protects several management units along Butte Creek that preserve vital creek habitat for Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, as well as fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Its importance centers on the creek’s role in sustaining the largest and one of the few remaining self-sustaining populations of threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon. The protected lands also support shaded riverine and aquatic habitat for wildlife including bald eagle, Swainson’s hawk, beaver, and western pond turtle. Preservation and restoration followed decades of mining, failed development proposals, flood damage, habitat improvements, and invasive plant control.

Butte Meadows, California · United States