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Chickering |
| Contact Information James Kirchner Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences 479 McCone Hall University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-4767 Phone: 510-643-8559 kirchner@geomorph.berkeley.edu |
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| Location Placer County, 5 mi SE Donner Pass on N. Fork of American River. Access is 11 mi past the town of Soda Springs on a dirt track, a drive of approximately one hour. Map Quest |
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| Facilities None; the site is best suited for day use. |
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| Databases Inventory of vertebrates on the reserve; list of all plants on Box Springs Mountain. |
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| Personnel Faculty reserve manager on campus; no on-site personnel. |
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| Size 695 ha (1,720 acres) |
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| Elevation Reserve: 1,830 to 2,470 m (6,000 to 8,100 ft) NFA land: 1,463 to 2,682 m (4,800 to 8,800 ft) |
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| Average Precipitation 125 cm (49 in) per year |
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| Average Snowfall 850 cm (332 in) per year |
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| Average Temperatures January min: -14°C (7°F) July max: 30°C (86°F) |
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 Transect Articles specific to Chickering |
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 Mathias Grant Research specific to Chickering |
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| Site Spec Sheet (PDF) |
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| American River Reserve | Established in 1975 | |
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 Located in the headwaters basin of the North Fork of the American River, the
Chickering American River Reserve is the only NRS site set on the windward
western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. This rugged site has thin soils and a variety of
mountain habitats, including black oak woodlands, montane and subalpine coniferous
forests, aspen groves, willow thickets, mixed riparian woodland, wet and dry
subalpine meadows, montane chaparral, alpine lake margins, and fell fields. The
basin also has scattered soda water springs, which contain a variety of minerals,
primarily calcium bicarbonate.Rich in flora and fauna, the site harbors one thousand plant species. It also lies within the habitat ranges of a variety of mammals, including pika, yellow-bellied marmot, marten, fisher, mule deer, black bear, and mountain lion. One hundred bird species, including northern goshawks and California spotted owls, are among the other inhabitants, along with more than fifteen reptile and amphibian species, including the yellow-legged frog, a declining species. Significant petroglyphic sites thought to be of the people of the Martis complex may date back 3,000 years or more. |
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| Selected Research Since 1975, when the Chickering family granted this land in a long-term conservation easement to the UC NRS, UC work on site has included a botanical checklist, pollination ecology studies, and wolverine surveys. Wasp-mite symbiosis is currently being studied. A broad plant survey was conducted over several decades by landowner Sherman Chickering, along with an investigation of multiple phenotypes in the lily Fritillaria atropurpurea. A plant list synthesized from the works of Chickering and others will be available in spring 2003, along with a bird list now in preparation. |
 Photo Gallery |
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| Research Conditions Heavy snow during winter months generally restricts the research season to June through October. An absence of facilities and the distance from campus make this site best suited for day use. Camping is possible, though limited to 72 hours and to particular locations. This site is specified for environmentally sensitive research. The research area may be extended, through a specific use-agreement, onto 6,000 acres of adjacent land held by the North Fork Association (NFA). No more than six researchers may be working at the reserve at any given time. |
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