335

 Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Areas of High Ecological

Significance

The problem, then, is how to bring about a striving for harmony

with land among a people many of whom have forgotten that there

is any such thing as land, among whom education and culture have

become almost synonymous with landlessness.

— Aldo Leopold, 1949

Key Questions

• Which areas have particularly high

ecological significance and what

makes them significant?

• What factors threaten the ecological

integrity of these areas?

This final chapter identifies areas of particularly high ecological significance in each

of the assessment area’s nine mountain regions. These “key places” include critical

habitats for rare and vulnerable species, areas

of high ecological integrity, and locations with

unique ecological associations. Primarily they

are places where a number of ecologically significant features overlap. Thus, the need for

effective stewardship of these areas is particularly important.

The areas identified in this chapter clearly

do not represent all areas of ecological importance and should not be interpreted as

such. The purpose of highlighting these places

is to increase public and agency awareness of

their regional significance. They are key parts

of the ecological heritage of southern California and should be recognized as such.

San Diego Ranges

The mountains and foothills of San Diego County contain a large number of rare

species and habitats. The list of key ecological areas for this region is dominated by some

of the best remaining occurrences of low-elevation ecosystems (e.g., riparian woodland,

coastal sage scrub, grassland, and Engelmann

oak woodland) that are poorly represented on

public lands and declining in the southern part

of the assessment area (fig. 7.1).

Public lands and habitat reserves are patchily distributed in the San Diego ranges. As

development intensifies in the foothills, farsighted planning is needed to ensure that

habitat connectivity is maintained between the

mountains and the remaining natural areas in

the coastal and inland valleys.

Upper San Luis Rey River

and the Warner Basin

An approximately 4-mile stretch of riparian habitat along the San Luis Rey River below

Lake Henshaw supports the largest southwestern willow flycatcher population in southern

California. Above the lake, there are significant populations of arroyo toad and arroyo

chub in the West Fork, North Fork, and Agua

Caliente Creek. Extensive grasslands in the

Warner Basin are occupied by Stephens kangaroo rat. The basin is also one of the few areas

in southern California where the red-sided

garter snake has recently been observed. Lake

Henshaw supports a wintering population of

approximately four to ten bald eagles. Gray

vireos occur in redshank chaparral habitats on

the north end of the basin.

Factors affecting the ecological integrity

of this area include surface and groundwater

extraction on private lands above Lake

Henshaw. The San Luis Rey River below the

lake is regulated by water releases from the

dam. Much of the Warner Basin is intensively

grazed by cattle. Brown-headed cowbirds are

common in the area. Several roads and developed
Figure 7.1. Areas of high ecological significance in the San Diego ranges.
337

 Chapter 7

recreation sites are located in riparian habitats

occupied by willow flycatchers and arroyo toads.

Pine Valley and Cottonwood Creeks

Pine Valley and Cottonwood creeks are

adjacent drainages that come together at

Barrett Lake. Both have high-quality riparian

habitat and significant populations of arroyo

toads, least Bell’s vireos, and pond turtles. The

pond turtle population on Pine Valley Creek

is one of the largest remaining in southern

California (D. Holland, pers. comm.). The

arroyo toad population on upper Pine Valley

Creek is probably the largest aggregation of

this species on the Cleveland National Forest.

The population of least Bell’s vireos on Cottonwood Creek is the largest on the Cleveland

National Forest. Pine Valley Creek is

undammed and one of the longest free-flowing, low-elevation streams in the assessment

area. The lower portion of the creek is in a

designated wilderness area.

Factors affecting ecological integrity include high recreation use, livestock grazing,

and non-native species. The upper portions

of Pine Valley and Cottonwood creeks are

popular recreation areas. A recreation residence

tract occurs along Pine Valley Creek as do several popular trails and trailhead facilities. These

are popular areas for mountain bike and horseback riding. Several cattle grazing allotments

exist in the area. Stream flows on Cottonwood

Creek are regulated by dams at Morena and

Barrett lakes. Invasive non-native species such

as tamarisk, bullfrogs, sunfish, and cowbirds

are a problem in some areas.

Upper San Diego River

The San Diego River canyon above El

Capitan Lake contains extensive stands of

coastal sage scrub vegetation that support a

population (twenty to thirty pairs) of California gnatcatchers. Along the river are several

stretches of high-quality riparian woodland

and populations of arroyo toad and southwestern pond turtle. Coastal rosy boas, horned

lizards, orange-throated whiptails, and twostriped garter snakes also occur in this area.

Factors affecting ecological integrity in the

upper San Diego River include housing developments along the canyon’s rim, increased fire

starts, and non-native species. The area has burned

several times in the last eight years, resulting in

degradation of coastal sage scrub habitat.

Pamo Valley

Pamo Valley is a broad foothill valley that

surrounds the confluence of Temescal and

Santa Ysabel creeks. The area supports a large

arroyo toad population and also contains highquality riparian woodland, Engelmann oak

woodland, and some coastal sage scrub. Least

Bell’s vireos, California gnatcatchers, and

golden eagles occur in this valley. Red-legged

frogs historically occurred in this area.

Most of Pamo Valley is owned by the City

of San Diego, although the surrounding hills

are part of the Cleveland National Forest. Factors affecting the ecological integrity of this

area include year-round cattle grazing, unauthorized and unmanaged recreation use, illegal

dumping of trash, and high numbers of invasive, non-native species. Aquatic habitats along

Santa Ysabel Creek are highly impacted by

bullfrogs, sunfish, bass, and crayfish.

Guejito Valley

Guejito Valley lies just to the west of Pamo

Valley and is another broad foothill valley that

contains extensive Engelmann oak savanna,

grassland, and low-elevation riparian habitat.

Arroyo toads, Stephen’s kangaroo rats, and

golden eagles occur here. The valley is privately

owned and is heavily grazed by cattle.

Mesa Grande-Santa Ysabel ValleyPine Hills Oak Woodlands

This area supports the largest remaining

expanse of Engelmann oak woodland habitat

in southern California. Most of this area is

private or Indian land and the primary factor

affecting its ecological integrity is the likelihood of increased subdivision and

development of those lands. Cattle ranching

is a common use of land in this area. Nonnative annuals are the dominant grasses in the

oak savannas and grasslands.
338

Mendenhall Valley

In this valley near the top of Palomar

Mountain there is a large montane meadow

that supports the largest known population

of the Laguna Mountain skipper butterfly.

Populations of Parish’s meadowfoam and San

Bernardino bluegrass also occur here. This

valley is the headwaters for the West Fork of

the San Luis Rey River. Downstream resources

include arroyo toads, arroyo chub, and a selfsustaining wild trout fishery.

The primary land uses in Mendenhall

Valley are cattle grazing and several private

residences (over half of the valley is in private

ownership). Altered fire regimes and nonnative grasses and forbs may be affecting plant

species composition in the meadow. Bullfrogs

occur in several ponds within the valley and undoubtedly affect native amphibian populations.

Laguna Meadow

On top of Laguna Mountain is an extensive montane meadow that supports a number

of rare plant species and the Laguna Mountain skipper butterfly. It is one of the few large

montane meadows in the mountains of San

Diego County that is predominately on public lands. Pine-oak forests surrounding the

meadow contain spotted owls. Ecological integrity on Laguna Mountain is affected

primarily by high levels of recreation use and

cattle grazing.

Viejas, Poser, and Guatay Mountains

and King Creek

These areas have gabbro soils that support

several unique, endemic plants. The largest

population of San Diego thorn-mint

(Acanthomintha ilicifolia) occurs on Viejas

Mountain. Monardella hypoleuca lanata and

Nolina cismontana occur on Viejas and Poser

mountains. Tecate cypress is found on Guatay

Mountain and Cuyamaca cypress occurs along

upper King Creek on the southwest flank of

Cuyamaca Peak. Overly frequent fire is a threat

to some of these plants, particularly cypress

forests.

Santa Ana Mountains

The Santa Ana Mountains region is an island of wildland habitat that is nearly

surrounded by urban development. It contains

a number of important ecological areas. From

an ecosystem conservation standpoint, the

most significant areas are probably along the

base of the mountains where imperiled lowelevation habitats extend up into the foothills.

These habitats include Engelmann oak-grassland savanna, low-elevation riparian, and

coastal sage scrub (fig. 7.2).

San Mateo Creek

and Surrounding Uplands

San Mateo Creek is probably the most

pristine coastal stream south of the Santa

Monica Mountains. It flows unimpeded into

the ocean. The upper watershed is mostly

unroaded and primarily within the San Mateo

Canyon Wilderness Area. Its lower reaches run

through Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base

and San Onofre State Beach. The creek and

its principal tributaries contain significant

populations of arroyo toads, pond turtles, and

California newts. In 1999, juvenile southern

steelhead were documented in San Mateo

Creek (A. Vejar, CDFG, pers. comm.).

Factors affecting ecological integrity include recreation use, military activities, and

exotic species. However, this may be one of

the few streams where conditions are conducive for extirpating aquatic exotic species.

Santa Rosa Plateau

The Santa Rosa Plateau contains a large

expanse of undeveloped, Engelmann oak savanna that is well managed and in good

condition. In this area is the only remaining

red-legged frog population south of Los Angeles County. Several large vernal pools support

fairy shrimp and a number of rare plant species.

The primary factor affecting ecological

integrity in this area is the subdivision and

development of private land on and around

the Santa Rosa Plateau. Exotic species such as

European grasses and bullfrogs are also a

threat.
Figure 7.2. Areas of high ecological significance in the Santa Ana Mountains.
340

Unique soils in this area support a number of rare plants, including several large Tecate

cypress groves. This area is also a key part of

an important habitat corridor between the

Santa Ana Mountains and the Chino Hills.

Development on private lands in Cole Canyon threatens this unique habitat area. Overly

frequent fire is also a threat.

San Juan Creek

This area contains significant populations

of arroyo toad, Dudleya viscida, and Tetracoccus

dioicus. At low elevations, coastal sage scrub is

common along the slopes of San Juan Canyon. California gnatcatchers, cactus wrens, and

orange-throated whiptails occur in the lower

canyon. Recreation use, a major state highway, and non-native species are the primary

factors affecting ecological integrity.

San Jacinto Mountains

This range contains a large expanse of

montane wildland habitat that is becoming

increasingly surrounded by urban development. The San Jacinto Mountains (and the

adjoining higher peaks of the Santa Rosa

Mountains) lie between the San Bernardino

Mountains to the north and Palomar and Hot

Springs mountains to the south. There are sizeable gaps in the distribution of public lands

between these ranges, and coordinated land

use planning will be needed to ensure that

habitat connectivity between them is maintained. Another key issue is the establishment

of wildland linkages that “connect” the San

Jacinto Mountains to the habitat reserves being created in western Riverside County and

Coachella Valley. Within the mountains themselves, areas of high ecological significance

include montane meadows and habitats utilized by the mountain yellow-legged frog and

the Peninsular Ranges’ bighorn sheep (fig. 7.3).

North Fork, San Jacinto River

The North Fork of the San Jacinto River

and its upper tributaries contain high-quality

mixed conifer and bigcone Douglas-fir forest

and hold some of the last remaining mountain yellow-legged frog populations in

southern California. The watershed also contains four to five pairs of spotted owls, and

the southernmost population of southern rubber boas.

Factors affecting ecological integrity in this

area include concentrated recreation use, expanding development on private lands in the

Pine Cove and Idyllwild areas, and altered fire

regimes. Mixed conifer forests in this area have

become increasingly dense over the last eighty

years, prompting fears that the area is now

more susceptible to a large stand-replacing fire.

Palm Canyon

Palm Canyon, on the desert side of the

mountains, provides important habitat for the

Peninsular Ranges’ bighorn sheep. Several factors threaten the survival of this sheep

population, including disease and excessive

predation by mountain lions, but development

on private lands in and around the community of Palm Desert is of particular concern.

As its name implies, Palm Canyon also contains several highly localized and rare palm

oases.

Garner Valley

This large montane meadow contains several sensitive plant populations. It is also an

important deer fawning area and productive

habitat for many species. Housing developments on private land in the valley, water

extraction and diversion, and non-native species are the primary factors affecting ecological

integrity in this area.

Bautista Creek

This low-elevation stream contains some

high-quality riparian habitat. Arroyo toads historically occurred in this drainage and may still

be there. Swainson thrush and yellow-breasted

chat are riparian-dependent birds that occur

in this drainage. The greenest tiger beetle is a

rare invertebrate that was collected along

Bautista Creek in the 1970s and may still occur in the area.

Sierra Peak/Cole Canyon Area
Figure 7.3. Areas of high ecological significance in the San Jacinto Mountains.
342

San Bernardino Mountains

The San Bernardino Mountains are the

highest and most extensively forested range in

the assessment area. This range contains an

unusually large number of endemic plants as

well as many rare animals. There are many

areas of high ecological significance in this

range (fig. 7.4), reflecting many unique

vegetation associations and rare species occurrences.

Unique Habitats in the Big BearBaldwin Lake-Holcomb Valley Area

Pebble plains, carbonate outcrops, montane meadows, pinyon and Joshua tree

woodlands, and a large ephemeral lake, all in

close proximity to one another, combine to

make this a unique and highly significant area.

This area contains the largest concentration

of endemic plants in California, eleven of

which are now federally listed as threatened

or endangered. Big Bear Lake supports the

largest wintering population of bald eagles in

southern California. Baldwin Lake and its primary tributary, Shay Creek, are home to a

isolated and highly imperiled population of

unarmored threespine stickleback fish. The

Dammer’s blue butterfly is endemic to the

Baldwin Lake area and nearby Coxey Meadow

supports one of the few known populations

of the vernal blue butterfly. This area is also

one of the few places in the assessment area

where common nighthawks, gray vireos, and

gray flycatchers breed. Nelson’s bighorn sheep

also occur on the northern edge of this area.

Big Bear and Holcomb valleys are popular recreation areas. There are many developed

facilities and maintained roads that attract

large numbers of recreationists. Mining is a

major land use activity in high-grade carbonate deposits that extend from the north side

of Holcomb Valley to the desert’s edge.

Mid-Elevation Conifer Forests from

Cedarpines Park to Barton Flats

The San Bernardino Mountains contain

by far the largest expanse of coniferous forest

in southern California. Of particular significance are the mesic mid-elevation (4,500 to

7,000 feet) forests on the coastal side of the

mountains. These productive pine- and firdominated forests are key habitats for the

California spotted owl, San Bernardino flying squirrel, southern rubber boa, flammulated

owl, and many other forest-dependent species.

The large spotted owl population in the San

Bernardino Mountains is reported to be critical

to the continued viability of this species in southern California (Noon and McKelvey 1992).

The primary factor affecting the ecological integrity of these forests is an altered fire

regime. The almost complete exclusion of fires

in these forests for over eighty years has led to

changes in stand structure, shifts in species

composition, and an increased vulnerability

to large stand-replacing fires. The area also

receives a high level of recreation use and is

interspersed with private lands that are becoming increasingly developed.

Deep Creek

This desert-flowing stream contains highquality aquatic and riparian habitat. A

population of arroyo toads and a hybridized

population of Mojave chub occur in the lower

portions of this drainage. Deep Creek is also a

popular trout fishery and has been designated

by CDFG as a wild trout stream.

Concentrated recreation use in portions

of this drainage affects the ecological integrity

of Deep Creek. Impoundments and water diversions in the upper watershed affect stream

flow volume and seasonality. The Willows Fire

in the summer of 1999 burned over 60 percent of this watershed and will trigger high

rates of soil erosion and stream sedimentation

in the next few years.

Onyx Summit

A high-elevation ecotonal area where

desert and coastal influences meet, the Onyx

Summit area contains a unique assemblage of

vegetation types including old-growth western juniper and mountain mahogany mixed

with pinyon and limber pine. There are many

inholdings of private land in this area and

houses are being constructed on some of these.
Figure 7.4. Areas of high ecological significance in the San Bernardino Mountains.
344

Increased development could degrade the

unique habitats in this area and will reduce

fire management options.

Whitewater River

The upper watershed of the Whitewater

River is one of the most remote, unroaded

places in the assessment area. As such, it is relatively pristine and is an important area for

bighorn sheep and mule deer. Arroyo toads

occur on this drainage at low elevations near

the base of the mountains.

San Gorgonio Peak

The tallest peak in southern California, it

is the only place in the region that contains

significant amounts of alpine habitat. The

water pipit potentially breeds here and a variety of sensitive alpine plants occur in this area.

Completely within a designated wilderness

area, the primary threat to this peak is degradation of fragile habitats from overuse of areas

by backcountry hikers.

San Gabriel Mountains

The San Gabriel Mountains are steep and

rugged, with many areas not easily accessible

by road. This has helped maintain a high level

of ecological integrity in some of the upper

canyons. This remote character is probably

why mountain yellow-legged frogs and

Nelson’s bighorn sheep still occur in these

mountains. The range also contains some important aquatic and forest habitats (fig. 7.5).

Upper San Gabriel River

The three primary forks of the San Gabriel

River (West, North, and East forks) and their

tributaries contain highly significant aquatic

habitats. Low-elevation portions of these

streams are key refugia for imperiled native

fish, including the Santa Ana sucker, Santa

Ana speckled dace, and arroyo chub. The West

Fork is a high-quality rainbow trout stream

and supports a large pond turtle population.

High-elevation tributaries in the Sheep Mountain Wilderness Area support several

mountain yellow-legged frog populations.

Moyle et al. (1995) suggested that the upper

San Gabriel River by designated as an “Aquatic

Diversity Management Area” similar to ones

being proposed in the Sierra Nevada.

The primary factors affecting the ecological integrity of these aquatic habitats are (1)

irregular releases of water and sediment from

Cogswell Dam on the West Fork, (2) suction

dredging on the East Fork, and (3) concentrated

recreation use on the East and North forks.

Little Rock Creek

This long, desert-flowing drainage contains a substantial arroyo toad population

along its lower reaches and a mountain yellow-legged frog population near its

headwaters. Little Rock Creek also contains

high-quality riparian habitat. Upper parts of

the drainage are remote and unroaded, which

has helped maintain a high level of ecological

integrity.

Recreation activities are the primary land

uses in this drainage. Camping and OHV use

are popular activities in the lower drainage near

Little Rock Reservoir. Rock climbing and hiking are common activities in the upper

headwaters near the Angeles Crest Highway.

Mount Wilson/Monrovia Peak Area

The steep canyons and north-facing slopes

that extend from west of Mount Wilson to

just east of Monrovia Peak contain the region’s

largest and most continuous stands of bigcone

Douglas-fir, a tree that is endemic to southern California. These forests are highly

productive for spotted owls. The recently discovered San Gabriel Mountain slender

salamander also occupies these forests. Bigcone

Douglas-fir forests are at risk to stand-replacing fire and have been declining in extent over

the last century.

Lytle and Cajon Washes

Low-elevation, alluvial areas along Lytle

and Cajon creeks and their adjacent floodplain

terraces contain several imperiled species and

vegetation types. The San Bernardino kangaroo rat, California gnatcatcher, slender-horned

spineflower, and Santa Ana woollystar are
Figure 7.5. Areas of high ecological significance in the San Gabriel Mountains.
346

known to occur in this area. It is a historic

locality for the Los Angeles pocket mouse,

coastal black-tailed jackrabbit, and badger, and

these species may still occur here.

Urban development is occurring at a rapid

rate along the border of the national forest in

the uplands surrounding Lytle and Cajon

washes. Sand and gravel mining is also a major activity in portions of these washes.

Big Tujunga Creek

Although this stream is dammed at an elevation of approximately 2,400 feet, there is

still important riparian and aquatic habitat

both upstream and downstream of the reservoir. Big Tujunga Creek continues to support

populations of the Santa Ana sucker and arroyo chub. Santa Ana speckled dace historically

occurred in the drainage but may have been

extirpated. Arroyo toads, pond turtles, and

Swainson’s thrush also occur here.

Introduced red shiners occur below the

reservoir and have been blamed for the decline

of native fish in this drainage and the possible

extirpation of speckled dace. Non-native

aquatic species are a large problem in this

drainage due to the mid-elevation reservoir.

Variable and sometimes extreme releases of

water from the dam are a threat to downstream

fish and aquatic amphibian populations. Recreation use is high along this stream,

particularly in the lower canyon, and has resulted in habitat degradation in some areas.

Upper San Antonio

and Lytle Creek Watershed

The steep slopes around Mount San Antonio (also known as Mount Baldy) and in the

upper forks of Lytle Creek are important habitat for Nelson’s bighorn sheep. The recently

discovered San Gabriel Mountain slender

salmander also occurs in this area.

The remoteness of these upper watershed

areas is critical to the continued existence of

bighorn sheep in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Increased demand for recreation developments

in this area threatens the remote character.

Altered fire regimes also may be changing the

distribution and availability of some habitat

types that are important to bighorn sheep.

Castaic Ranges

The mountains and foothills north of

Castaic are dominated by chaparral-covered

hills, but they also contain several lowelevation streams that have high-quality

riparian and aquatic habitats (fig 7.6). In addition, the upper elevations of Liebre and

Sawmill mountains contain unique and important montane habitats. The geographic

position of this region—between the San Gabriel

Mountains to the east, the Tehachapi Mountains

to the north, and the Los Padres ranges to the

west —makes it a key wildland linkage. A 4- to

6-mile break in the connectivity of public lands

exists between the San Gabriel Mountains and

the westernmost part of this region, the Sierra

Pelona Mountains. Protected habitat corridors

will be needed between these ranges as development intensifies along Interstate 14.

Soledad Canyon

Soledad Canyon contains high-quality riparian and aquatic habitat. Portions of the

upper Santa Clara River in this canyon are

designated as critical habitat for the

unarmored threespine stickleback fish. Santa

Ana suckers, southwestern willow flycatchers,

and summer tanagers also occur in this area.

A principal factor affecting the ecological

integrity of Soledad Canyon is that most of

the area is on private land and subject to increasing development. Invasive, non-native

species are also a problem, particularly arundo

and warm-water fish.

San Francisquito Creek

San Francisquito Creek contains highquality, low-elevation riparian and aquatic

habitat. The unarmored threespine stickleback, California red-legged frog, southwestern

willow flycatcher, Swainson’s thrush, yellowbreasted chat, and Nevin’s barberry all occur

along this drainage.

The primary factors affecting ecological

integrity in the area are water diversions,
Figure 7.6. Areas of high ecological significance in the Castaic Ranges.
348

encroachment of non-native species, and land

uses associated with a major paved road that

runs the length of this canyon.

Castaic Creek

Although much of this creek is now covered by Castaic Lake, there are still areas of

important riparian habitat. Arroyo toads occur upstream and downstream of the lake. A

pond turtle population also exists in the upper reaches of Castaic Creek.

Streamflows below Castaic Lake are controlled by releases from the dam. The lake

contains a wide variety of non-native species

that can disperse both up and down stream.

Bullfrogs and warm-water fish in particular

are a threat to arroyo toads and pond turtles.

Elizabeth Lake Canyon

Elizabeth Lake Canyon contains some

high-quality riparian and aquatic habitat.

Swainson’s thrush and yellow-breasted chat are

known to occur along this drainage. It is also

a historic locality for the Tehachapi whiteeared pocket mouse and the foothill

yellow-legged frog.

A paved road runs the length of this canyon and several campgrounds are located along

it. The stream flows into Castaic Lake, which

makes it more susceptible to infestations of

bullfrogs and warm-water fish.

Liebre and Sawmill Mountains

Liebre and Sawmill mountains support

several forest types and some unique dry

meadow-grassland habitats. A series of northfacing canyons contain bigcone Douglas-fir/

canyon live oak forests, with a pair of spotted

owls in almost every canyon. Ponderosa pine

and black oak blanket the mountain crest but

are interspersed with large grass-dominated

openings. The only known occurrences of

Forest Camp sandwort (Arenaria macradenia

var. kuschei) are on Liebre Mountain. Bigcone

Douglas-fir stands in this area are at risk to

stand-replacing fires.

Southern Los Padres Ranges

The southern Los Padres region is a large,

highly intact block of natural habitat, with

relatively few areas of human development

within it (see figure 1.4 in chapter 1). This

characteristic, in and of itself, makes the area

unique in coastal southern California and

highly significant from an ecological perspective. In general, the mountains and streams in

this region are less heavily utilized by people

than are the mountain ranges to the south.

Sisquoc River

A relatively large, remote, free-flowing

stream, the Sisquoc River is arguably the most

pristine stream in the assessment area. It has

few exotic species and contains populations

of southern steelhead, California red-legged

frogs, arroyo toads, and pond turtles. A least

Bell’s vireo was also observed along this river in

1999 (K. Cooper, Los Padres NF, pers. comm.).

The Sisquoc River has high ecological integrity because it is unregulated, there is no

road access to most of the drainage, and the

watershed is almost entirely undeveloped and

lightly used public land.

Sespe Creek

Sespe Creek is a major undammed stream

that contains high-quality riparian habitat and

important populations of southern steelhead,

red-legged frogs, pond turtles, and arroyo

toads. It is a tributary of the Santa Clara River,

and its connection to the ocean is affected by

intensive land use along that river. Portions of

Sespe Creek are extremely remote, while others can be easily accessed by roads and contain

several popular developed recreation sites.

Mono Creek, Indian Creek,

and the Upper Santa Ynez River

Mono and Indian creeks are undammed

tributaries of the Santa Ynez River. They support high-quality riparian habitat and contain

important populations of arroyo toads, redlegged frogs, and pond turtles. Mono Creek

is essentially free of bullfrogs and predatory

fish. A substantial least Bell’s vireo population

is concentrated around the confluence of these
Figure 7.7. Areas of high ecological significance in the southern Los Padres ranges.
350

three drainages. This area receives a lot of recreation use, which affects habitat conditions.

Mount Pinos-Mount Abel Area

The high country around Mount Pinos

and Mount Abel is a unique montane island

that supports several endemic taxa and provides an important refugia for other species

associated with montane habitats. The area

supports endemic subspecies of blue grouse,

lodgepole chipmunk, and white-eared pocket

mouse. It also contains a unique population of

rubber boa snakes that are intermediate in morphology and genetic make-up between the

southern and northern subspecies. Montane

meadows in this area support a number of sensitive bird and plant species, and a small northern

goshawk population persists in these mountains.

Recreation activity and altered fire regimes

are the primary factors affecting ecological integrity in the Mount Pinos/Mount Abel area.

Several developed campgrounds are located on

Mount Pinos and also on Mount Abel, but

the high country in between is now within

the Chumash Wilderness Area. Fires have been

effectively suppressed for many years in this

area, spawning concerns about fuel buildups,

shifts in forest species composition, and increased risk of future stand-replacing fires.

Piru Creek

Although a highly regulated stream that

is dammed in two places, Piru Creek still contains important riparian and aquatic habitat

and supports a number of rare or at-risk species. Large arroyo toad and pond turtle

populations occur along the creek between

Pyramid and Piru reservoirs. The creek also

contains Santa Ana suckers and red-legged frogs.

The reservoirs are a constant source of invasive, non-native aquatic species, and the

stream contains large numbers of them. Water releases from the dams also control much

of the creek’s flow regime.

Upper Cuyama River Region

The arid, rugged region along the upper

Cuyama River is often described as a “badlands.” It has unique topography and habitats

and contains relictual populations of several

plant species and pina plains. A hybridized

population of blunt-nosed leopard lizards occurred historically in this area and may still be

present in Ballinger Canyon. Recreation, particularly off-road vehicle activity, is the primary

land use in this area.

Southern Santa Lucia Range

The southern Santa Lucia Range, Garcia

Mountain, and the La Panza Range contain a

number of unique habitats and ecologically

significant areas. Coastal slopes contain some

high-quality riparian habitats, many of which

support red-legged frogs. The arid east side comes

into contact with unique and highly imperiled

habitats of the San Joaquin Valley and its western foothills. Several areas of particularly high

ecological significance are described below and

shown in figure 7.8.

Cuesta Ridge

Serpentine outcrops on Cuesta Ridge support groves of Sargent cypress and a number

of sensitive plant species, including San Luis

mariposa lily, San Luis Obispo sedge, Brewer’s

spineflower, San Benito fritillary, and hooked

popcorn-flower. The Cuesta Pass checkerbloom is endemic to Cuesta Ridge. The Los

Padres National Forest has established a botanical area on west Cuesta Ridge to protect

populations of these sensitive species. Factors

affecting the ecological integrity of this area

include non-native species, mining, and

changes to the historic fire regime.

Lopez Canyon

Lopez Canyon contains high-quality riparian and aquatic habitats. California

red-legged frogs, Coast Range newts, and several sensitive riparian birds occur in this area.

At least three pairs of spotted owls also occur

in the canyon. Only the upper part of the canyon is national forest system land; the rest is

privately owned. The stream is dammed at its

lower end where it meets Arroyo Grande Creek.
Figure 7.8. Areas of high ecological significance in the southern Santa Lucia Range region.
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Extensive patches of high-quality blue oak

woodland can be found west of Garcia Mountain, particularly in the upper Avenales Valley,

the Joughlin Ranch area, and in the vicinity

of Branch Mountain. Blue oak woodlands are

productive habitats for many wildlife species

and they are relatively poorly represented on

public lands. Primary factors affecting the ecological integrity of these woodlands are

non-native grasses, increasing subdivision and

development of private lands in the area, and

livestock grazing.

Northern Santa Lucia Range

The remoteness and rugged topography

of the northern Santa Lucia Range are reflected

in a relatively low level of human intrusion.

Much of the region is unroaded and a substantial portion is formally designated as

wilderness. Most of the streams on the coastal

side of the mountains are undammed and flow

freely to the ocean.

These factors combine to foster high ecological integrity, characterized by natural

hydrologic regimes, relatively few exotic species, low levels of human impact, and extant

populations of native species which have disappeared from many areas. Areas of

particularly high ecological significance are

described below and shown in figure 7.9.

Big Sur River

The Big Sur River is a major stream that

flows unimpeded to the ocean. Its natural hydrologic regime and largely undeveloped upper

watershed have helped maintain a high level

of ecological integrity. The aquatic habitat has

few invasive, non-native species. Southern

steelhead spawn in this river and there are

populations of red-legged frog, foothill yellowlegged frog, and Pacific giant salamanders.

The primary factor affecting ecological

integrity is recreation activity, which is high

along the lower reaches of this stream near

Highway 1. There are several developed campgrounds and a trail system extends into upper

portions of the drainage.

Little Sur River

The Little Sur is a free-flowing stream that

contains southern steelhead, Pacific giant salamanders, and California red-legged frogs.

Tiger salamanders occur in upper portions of

the Little Sur watershed. This is a relatively

pristine drainage with few non-native species,

especially in the upper part of the drainage

which is within the Ventana Wilderness Area.

Lower stretches of the Little Sur are on private land.

San Carpoforo Creek

San Carpoforo Creek is a free-flowing

stream that contains one of the few remaining populations of foothill yellow-legged frogs

along the central coast. California red-legged

frogs and southern steelhead also occur in this

drainage. Most of San Carpoforo Creek is on

private land. A primitive road also runs along

the length of it.

Coastal Redwood and

Santa Lucia Fir Forests

The narrowly endemic Santa Lucia fir and

the southernmost stands of coastal redwood

occur in this area. These forests provide the

southernmost breeding habitat for the

marbled murrelet. Spotted owls and Pacific

giant salamanders also occur in these mesic

forests. Almost all of these forests are protected

from harvesting, but they are at risk to standreplacing fires.

Coastal Prairie and Coastal Scrub

Along the immediate coast are grassdominated prairies and sagebrush/buckwheatdominated shrublands that support several

sensitive plants (e.g., Hutchinson’s larkspur

and adobe sanicle) and butterflies (e.g., Smith’s

blue butterfly and Doudoroff’s elfin butterfly). Factors affecting these habitats include

non-native species (e.g., European grasses,

kikuyu grass, pampas grass, and French

broom), recreation use, and livestock grazing.

Blue Oak Woodlands West of Garcia

Mountain
Figure 7.9. Areas of high ecological significance in the northern Santa Lucia Range.