Headwaters of the Cultus River

The headwaters of the Cultus River Research Natural Area occupies approximately 333 acres (134.8 ha) in the High Cascades physiographic province (Franklin and Dyrness 1973) and the East Cascades Ecoregion of Oregon (Oregon Natural Heritage Program 2003), and lies within the Deschutes National Forest. The RNA is located near the western edge of the Central Oregon pumice plateau, an area of numerous small cinder cones, extensive pumice deposits, young lava flows and lakes. The RNA contains the headwaters and upper reaches of the Cultus River which arises from a large, perennial, upwelling cold spring emerging from the base of Bench Mark Butte.

Old growth ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed conifer forest grows on the slopes of the south portion of Bench Mark Butte. Moist bottomland Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) forest grows in the lowlands along the river and riparian and upland lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forest occupies the remainder of the RNA. The RNA represents the natural heritage elements of flowing and pooled cold springs, and Engelmann spruce bottomland forest with ponderosa and lodgepole pine.