Feather River (Middle Fork)
Map SatelliteThe Middle Fork of the Feather River, which rises in the mountains surrounding Sierra Valley, has been designated a Wild and Scenic River. The portion included here runs from Lake Oroville to the Kennedy Butte region.
The dominant vegetation in the area is a mixed evergreen, with Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana, madrone, Arbutus menziesii, and some scattered California nutmeg, Torreya californica, among others. A portion of the area supports chaparral, with Arctostaphylos spp., Ceanothus spp. and scrub oak, Quercus berberidifolia.
Animal life is typical and abundant.
Most of the terrain is quite steep and the river has cut a deep canyon through the Mesozoic granite which underlies much of the area. There are, however, outcrops of other rocks, including Paleozoic marine meta-sedimentaries and limestone, early Triassic-Jurassic metavolcanics and serpentine.
Integrity: There has been some logging but, with the exception of a dirt road, there is no development and the area is virtually undisturbed. A portion of the area from the vicinity of Mountain Spring House Ridge west and south lies in the Feather Falls Scenic Area.
Use: Research, educational, observational, present.
August 1977
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman