The Medicine Lake Highlands (“Sáttítla” to the Pit River Tribe) is a unique area of public lands in northern California with extraordinarily high value for fish and wildlife. Due to its unusual geology and 6000’ elevation, this old shield volcano – the largest in North America -- captures and stores as much water as California’s 200 largest reservoirs and discharges over 1.2 million acre-feet of snowmelt annually.  

But the Medicine Lake Highlands have long been a target for development, especially for geothermal energy production.  

The Fall River and its world-renowned trout fishery are dependent on spring-fed flows from the Medicine Lake Highlands. This 23-mile-long stream is the largest spring creek in California, harbors one of California’s largest populations of wild trout, and has been designated a State Wild and Heritage Trout Water. 

 The Medicine Lake Highlands also provide habitat for game species such as mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn and black bear. The game hunting zones which apply to this area include two of California’s six pronghorn hunt zones, the Siskiyou Rocky Mountain elk hunt zone, and the premium X1 deer hunt zone. 

 TU is committed to better protecting our best remaining freshwater habitats and sources of cold, clean water on public lands. Even among California’s remarkable diversity of landscapes and ecosystems, the Medicine Lake Highlands stand out in this regard.  

As the warming climate continues to degrade aquatic and upland habitats, we must act now to better protect the places that provide productive habitat and supply clean water for people and wildlife. National monument designations help to permanently protect some of the finest sporting opportunities in America. Please help TU and the Pit River Tribe urge President Biden to establish a new national monument that will better conserve and sustain the remarkable habitat and sporting values of the Medicine Lake Highlands.