Ahjumawi Lava Springs

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=464 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahjumawi_Lava_Springs_State_Park Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is located in remote northeastern Shasta County and is only accessible to the public by boat. The park is 4 miles (6.4 km) in length and no more than 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, and has over 13 miles (21 km) of shoreline. It preserves a wilderness of freshwater springs and geologically recent lava flows. Waterways include the Fall River and associated creeks and lakes. The shoreline has blue bays and tree-studded islets along its length. Near the springs are the remains of fish traps built by Native Californian tribes such as the Achomawi, for whom the park is named. Low rock walls enclose shallow pools where they captured sucker and trout. About two thirds of the park's 5,930 acres (2,400 ha) is covered by jagged black basalt deposited in lava flows within the last two to five thousand years.

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Reachable only by shallow boat, Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is rich with brilliant turquoise bays and tiny, tree-studded islands California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (530) 335-2777. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park N 41.1000° W 121.4120° c / o McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial SP 24898 Highway 89 Burney, CA 96013 (530) 335-2777 © 2012 California State Parks (Rev. 2016) lying off the shores of Horr Pond and Ja She Creek. R emote and wild, Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is the site of one of the nation’s largest systems of underwater springs. Big Lake, the Tule and Fall rivers, and the sparkling Ja She and Lava creeks all meet here in the Fall River Valley basin. At about 3,300 feet elevation, summers are usually hot and dry; temperatures range from 85 to 100 degrees. Evenings average 60 to 70 degrees. Winter months are cold and wet, with occasional snow. Average annual rainfall is 20 inches. park history The Ajumawi (Ah-joo-MAH-wee) people, for whom this park is named, are one of 11 autonomous bands of the federally recognized Pit River Tribe. The Ajumawi have remained in this area, calling this land home for thousands of years. Ajumawi and its spelling variations — Achomawi, Achumawi, and Ahjumawi — refer to the people who have occupied this area from pre-history to the present. English translations of Ajumawi vary from “river people” to “where the waters come together.” The Ajumawi people built rock fish traps near the shoreline that channeled fresh After Harry’s death in the 1960s, Ivy Horr wished to see the land and its resources preserved. In 1975, California State Parks acquired the acreage that is now the park, helped by a generous gift from Mrs. Horr. Stone fish traps near Crystal Springs campground spring water needed to attract trout and Sacramento sucker fish. The traps held the fish in a shallow place that allowed them to be caught while spawning in winter. Once the native people caught their self-imposed limit of fish, the traps functioned as protected spawning grounds, ensuring the successful reproduction of the next generation of fish. Today, descendants of the 11 bands making up the Pit River Tribe still live in an area known as “the hundred-mile square” in parts of Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen counties. They are keeping their cultural traditions alive for future generations. By the 20th century, much of the former Ajumawi homeland in the Fall River Valley had been acquired by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to further electrical power development. In 1944, rancher and former lumberman Harry Horr and his wife Ivy purchased 6,000 acres from PG&E. The Horrs used the land for cattle grazing and leased it to hunting and fishing clubs. Natural history Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is located in the Fall River Valley basin. About two-thirds of the park’s 6,000 acres are blanketed with geologically recent (3,000 to 5,000 years old) lava flows from the Medicine Lake volcano to the north. Basaltic lava features include pit craters, pressure ridges, and small lava tubes. The park is bordered on the north by the Modoc Plateau, built by repeated eruptions and flows of basaltic lava. The plateau contains abundant air bubbles, lava tubes, and spaces that quickly capture, contain, and convey surface water, discharging about 1.2 billion gallons of water a day into springs that feed the valley’s lakes and streams. Plants and Animals The park sits near the border of the Modoc and Klamath / North Coast bioregions. Dominant plants include western juniper, bitterbrush, curl leaf, and birchleaf mountain mahogany, buckbrush ceanothus, Oregon white oak, and transitional hybrids between ponderosa and Jeffrey pine. The abundant spring water also invites great numbers of both resident and migratory bird species. Birds traveling the RECREATION The park is reachable only by a 2.5-mile paddle in your own shallow-draft boat (check for rentals in nearby communities). Camping — Three primitive camping areas sit near Ja She Creek, at Crystal Springs, and at the north shore of Horr Pond. To register, use the self-pay envelopes at each location. Boating — Explore waterways, pools, and lava flows from your canoe or kayak. Hiking — Twenty miles of trails vary from 1.5 miles to more than f