Antelope Creek Lakes

The area covers 544 acres (220 ha). Elevations range from about 6000 ft (1829 m) in the valley of Butte Creek to 7361 ft (2244 m) at a high point along the ridge dividing the Antelope and the Butte Creek drainages. Four permanent lakes are included within the boundary. They are glacially formed and rest in cirques at the head of the aforementioned drainages. Slopes range from very gradual at the valley bottoms to very steep at the headwalls. Slopes are predominantly western, northern, and eastern facing.

Meadow Vegetation: The meadows, although small in area, are diverse and include about half of the meadow types described for the Sierra Nevada (Ratliff 1985). They include stringer types along creeks and lake-margin types.

Rare and Uncommon Vertebrates: Wolverine (Gulo gulo, State-listed threatened species), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis, State-listed species of special concern, Forest Service-listed sensitive species), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos, State-listed species of special concern), and prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus, State-listed species of special concern) have been sighted in the area.

Well-Developed Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and Shasta Red Fir (Abies magnifica var. shastensis) Forests: The mountain hemlock forests range from dense young stands in avalanche or high snow accumulation areas to large mature trees of 4 ft (1.2 m) dbh in sheltered areas. Shasta red fir forest occupies relatively xeric exposures and is also represented by a range of types from young to senescent.

Rare Flora: One rare species, Polystichum lonchitis (CNPS List 3), is known from the area.

Low Elevation Subalpine Vegetation: Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) forest occurs as low as 6900 ft (2103 m) along ridgetops in the area. This is the lowest elevation whitebark pine forest represented in the California RNA system. Associated with this forest in shady crevices and on talus slopes are several plant species characteristic of high elevation subalpine or alpine zones in the South Cascades. 

Association Types

This discussion of associations follows the arrangement in the draft establishment record, because more attention is given to the target element and other forest types than in the ecological survey. The sampling (point center-quarter method) of the mountain hemlock (34 points) and Shasta red fir (7 points) forests was all done in conjunction with the ecological survey. 

Whitebark Pine-Mountain Hemlock Forest (86210, 86600): 245 acres (99 ha). This forest is divided into two subtypes: mountain hemlock and whitebark pine. The mountain hemlock forest occurs on most slopes in the north of western and eastern aspects above 6200 ft (1890 m). This subtype has sparse understory vegetation and less litter and duff than typical red fir forest. Reproduction occurs mainly in areas of disturbance such as avalanche sites or heavy snow accumulation sites. In a mixed red fir-mountain hemlock sample, mountain hemlock has 83 percent frequency, 59 percent cover, and a mean distance of 15.3 ft (4.7 m) between trunks. The mean diameter is 14.8 inches (37.6 cm). Other trees in the sample include Shasta red fir (57 percent frequency) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana) (three percent frequency).

The whitebark pine subtype occurs in a narrow strip along the southern boundary ridge. Whitebark pine is often dominant, but occasionally it codominates with mountain hemlock and Shasta red fir. The trees are typically widely spaced, wind-flagged, and stunted. The open understory has scattered individuals of Chrysolepis sempervirens, Arctostaphylos patula, Haplopappus bloomeri, and Stipa occidentalis.

Shasta Red Fir Forest (85310): 194 acres (79 ha). This forest occurs on west- and southwest-facing slopes in the Butte Creek drainage and on steep east-southeast-facing slopes in the northeast portion of the site. Typically it is even-aged with trees 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) dbh and 140-160 ft (43-49 m) tall. There is little understory vegetation, and reproduction is most prolific in tree fall gaps. A young (approximately 90-yearold) stand on southwest-facing slopes is a result of crown fire. Samples indicate a mean cover of 90 percent for fir with 10 percent for hemlock and an average distance between trees of 20 ft (6.1 m). Mean dbh for red fir is 20.4 inches (51.8 cm), and for hemlock it is 18.7 inches (47.5 cm). However, there are two distinct cohorts of both species, the older averaging 33 inches (84 cm) dbh and the younger 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) dbh. Fir is present at 100 percent of the samples, whereas hemlock occurs at only 14.3 percent.

Alpine Talus and Scree Slope (91200): 47 acres (19 ha). On north-facing slopes of the southern boundary, ridge outcrops and active talus areas support populations of several high-montane species. Cover is light, precluded by boulders, scree, and bedrock. The following species are characteristic: Cryptogramma acrostichoides, Phyllodoce breweri, Oxyria digyna, Cardamine bellidifolia, Arnica longifolia ssp. myriadenia, Epilobium angustifolium, Sambucus microbotrys, Athyrium alpestre var. americanum, Solidago multiradiata, and Potentilla glandulosa ssp. pseudoruprestris. Wet Montane Meadow (45100, 45210): 27 acres (11 ha). Ten subtypes of meadow are discussed in the establishment record. These are named by their dominant species and include Deschampsia caespitosa, Carex rostrata, Phyllodoce breweriLigusticum grayi, Calamagrostis canadensis, Heleocharis acicularis, sedge meadow, Muhlenbergia filiformis, Trifolium longipes, Trifolium monanthum, and Mimulus guttatus.

Montane Chaparral (37510): 16 acres (7 ha). This may be broken into two subtypes. The most extensive is the Holodiscus microphyllus-Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. albicaulis subtype. It occurs on stabilized talus and ridgetops at high elevations, up to 7361 ft (2244 m), in the north part of the RNA. Other species include Eriogonum umbellatum, Haplopappus bloomeri, Purshia tridentata, and Chrysolepis sempervirens. The Arctostaphylos patula-Ceanothus velutinus subtype occupies small openings in red fir forest. On southwest-facing slopes Ceanothus velutinus often dominates. Other species include Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Chrysolepis sempervirens, and Monardella odoratissima ssp. pallida. This subtype is successional except on rocky ridgetops.

Montane Freshwater Marsh (52430): 10 acres (4 ha). This vegetation is not well developed; it occurs sporadically at all four lakes. The most characteristic species are Sparganium multipedunculatum, Carex rostrata, and Potamogeton richardsonii. Montane Riparian Scrub (63500): 5 acres (2 ha). This association is dominated by Alnus tenuifolia. It occurs around springs, rivulets, and in patches along the main Butte Creek channel. Associated species include several willows (Salix spp.), Sorbus cascadensis, Senecio triangularis, Aquilegia formosa var. truncata, and Aconitum columbianum.

Plant Diversity

One hundred sixty-two taxa are listed in the establishment record.

Conflicting Impacts

Cattle grazing in the stringer meadows along Butte Creek is the major impact, although it is not severe. Grazing is not apparent around the lake margin meadows. Few other impacts occur except the periodic stocking of the streams and lakes. Recreational impact associated with fishing is light.