With the donation of land in early 2021, the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve now contains 7,835 acres of diverse canyon and ridge habitats, including 4.5 miles of Big Chico Creek, and is home to many species of plants and animals.

Big Chico Creek originates on Colby Mountain and flows 45 miles to its confluence with the Sacramento River. Watershed elevation ranges from about 120 feet at the mouth to 6000 feet on Colby Mountain.

Big Chico Creek in the reserve (and most of Upper Bidwell Park) is open to fishing with single-hook artificial lures and zero limit from Nov. 1 through April 30. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. (Refer to CDFW Fishing Regulations).

The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) is owned and managed by the Chico State Research Foundation. The BCCER was acquired in two land purchases in 1999 and 2001.

Big Chico Creek originates from a series of springs, at an elevation of about 5,400 feet, northeast of the City of Chico on the southwest flanks of Colby Mountain and flows 45 miles from its origin, crossing portions of Butte and Tehama counties, to its confluence with the Sacramento River, at an elevation of 120 feet, west of the City of Chico.

We acknowledge and are mindful that Chico State stands on lands that were originally occupied by the first people of this area, Mechoopda, and we recognize their distinctive spiritual relationship with this land, the flora, the fauna, and the waters that run through campus. We are humbled that our campus resides upon sacred lands that since ...

Gradually the canyon oaks will come to dominate, and other species (ponderosa pine, big-leaf maple, black oak, incense cedar) will be mixed in and the vegetation will be dense enough to be classified as forest.

The mission of the CSU, Chico Ecological Reserves System is to continue the understanding and wise management of the Earth and its natural resources by preserving critical habitat, and to provide a natural area for environmental research and education.

This study contributes a better understanding of the Big Chico Creek behavior by documenting its daily and seasonal variations in water quality, establishing a baseline for water resources management.

Turbidity and Streamflow in Big Chico Creek *two outlier points were omitted from the visual, but can be located in the data table: 12/16/2021, 6.05 NTU; 1/4/2022, 5.82 NTU