Sacate Ridge Research Natural Area Establishment Record

The Sacate Ridge Research Natural Area contains excellent representatives of foothill vegetation types such as blue oak woodland, interior live oak woodland, riparian forest, and chaparral. The RNA contains the entire Ross Creek watershed, along with several seasonal streams that drain into Big Creek. The area contains a high concentration of distinctive botanical features including large expanses of blue oak woodland, a diverse type of Ceanothus-dominated chaparral unique to the foothills of eastern Fresno County, two California Native Plant Society (CNPS)-listed rare vascular plants, two CNPS-listed bryophytes, and an area of limestone soils with a population of an uncommon mallow, Malacothamnus fremontii.