Big Butte Creek

Big Butte Creek's watershed was originally settled over 8,000 years ago by the Klamath, Upper Umpqua, and Takelma tribes of Native Americans.

Big Butte Springs, located in the watershed, provides clean drinking water to more than 115,000 residents of the Rogue Valley.

The water quality of the Big Butte Creek watershed is generally high, and it supports several species of trout and salmon.

The Poverty Flats region was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management in 1995 to protect several rare species of plants.

[6] Fourbit Creek begins near Mount McLoughlin, where massive faults may allow water to seep into it from nearby Fourmile Lake in the Klamath River watershed.

[12] Big Butte Creek's mouth is about one mile southwest of William L. Jess Dam, and Oregon Route 62 passes just north of it.

[6][12] The United States Geological Survey monitors the flow of Big Butte Creek at three different stream gauges: two on the South Fork, and one on the main stem.

[19] The watershed contains the largest groundwater source in the entire Rogue River basin; one major outlet is at Big Butte Springs.

Several invasive species have been reported in the Big Butte Creek watershed, such as Kentucky bluegrass, common bent, drooping brome, and redtop.

[4] Sensitive species that grow in the watershed include Howell's yampah, Egg Lake monkeyflower, clustered lady's slipper, green-flowered ginger, Mount Mazama collomia, and Detling's microseris.

The Poverty Flats Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is home to several rare species of plants, including Bellinger's meadowfoam, Howell's yampah, and Rocky Mountain woodsia.

[21][22] Black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, cougars, and black bears are the most common of the 63 species of mammals found in the watershed.

Other sensitive species include the wolverine, the western pond turtle, the sandhill crane, and Townsend's big-eared bat.

[4] Rainbow trout, chinook and coho salmon, and Pacific Lamprey are the most common anadromous fish that inhabit Big Butte Creek.

[4] Overall, the number of fish in the Big Butte Creek watershed has declined in recent years, possibly due to the clearing of riparian zones and rising water temperatures.

[4] The Klamath, Upper Umpqua, Takelma, and Latgawa tribes of Native Americans inhabited the watershed until they were driven out in the Rogue River Wars of the 1850s.

Eighteen Native American men were killed, all the women and children were captured, and the camp was burned to the ground.

It delivers about 40 cubic feet per second (1.1 m3/s) of drinking water from Big Butte Springs south to the Bear Creek watershed.

[4] In 1995, the Poverty Flats region was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) by the Bureau of Land Management.

Located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Butte Falls, the ACEC is home to several rare species of plants.

[32] A 160-foot (49 m) portion of the Eagle Point Irrigation Canal failed on October 2, 2011, sending 86 cubic feet per second (2.4 m3/s) of muddy water down a hillside, across a road, and into lower Big Butte Creek, a vital salmon spawning area.

A stream gauge on the Rogue River about 15 miles (24 km) downstream reported turbidity levels twenty times higher than before the breach.

The entire main stem exceeded the standard level for temperature, oxygen saturation, and E. coli, a type of bacteria.

[4] Popular recreational activities in the Big Butte Creek watershed include hunting, camping, hiking, and horseback riding.

The loop starts in Butte Falls, and has several stops for hiking and viewing the landscape, including Mount McLoughlin.

The North Fork begins on Rustler Peak. It flows southwest, then west, gathering many small tributaries. The South Fork begins at the confluence of Rancheria and Twincheria creeks, flowing generally west. One of its main tributaries is Willow Creek, whose headwaters are on Mount McLoughlin. It is impounded by Willow Dam, creating Willow Lake. Big Butte Springs is also located on Willow Creek. The two forks merge at Butte Falls. Big Butte Creek flows northwest until it enters the Rogue River near Lost Creek Lake. The Big Butte Creek watershed is located almost entirely within Jackson County, with a small eastern portion in Klamath County.
A map of the Big Butte Creek watershed
A midsized bird perched on a moss covered limb. It has brown feathers, covered with white to tan spots. Its eyes are round and black, and its beak is short and curved downward.
The northern spotted owl , a rare species that inhabits the watershed
A short, wide, moderate-sized waterfall surrounded by vegetation
Butte Falls, located on the South Fork of Big Butte Creek
The loop, shaped somewhat like a figure eight, begins in the town of Butte Falls. It travels east, passing the Butte Falls Fish Hatchery, then turns northeast near Mount McLoughlin. The third and fourth stops are the Whiskey Springs Interpretive Site and the Logging Arch. The loop passes the Cat Hill Burn site, and then has scenic views of Mount McLoughlin. It turns southeast to the Lower South Fork Trailhead, then northwest Imnaha Guard Station. The trail loops around to travel southeast, passing the Giant Sugar Pine and the South Fork Bridge. It turns southwest, passing the Lodgepole Kiosk and finally returning to Butte Falls.
A map of the Butte Falls Discovery Loop Tour, which passes through scenic areas of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest