Butte Creek Ecological Reserve

Butte Creek Ecological Preserve and Butte Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Lower Butte Creek
US state of California
Location	Butte County, eastern Sacramento Valley
Nearest city	Chico, California
Coordinates	40°05′16″N 121°24′57″W / 40.08778°N 121.41583°W / 40.08778; -121.41583[1]
Area	378 acres (0.591 sq mi)
Governing body	California Department of Fish and Game / California State University, Chico Research Foundation

The Butte Creek Ecological Preserve and Butte Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve consist of 2 distinct management units, the Preserve, aka the "Honey Run Unit" 93 acres (0.38 km²) owned and managed by the Chico State Research Foundation, and the "Virgin Valley" and "Canyon" Units 287 acres (1.16 km²), owned and managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The units are located east of Chico along Butte Creek in northern California. This stretch of Butte Creek is spawning habitat for the largest population of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, an evolutionarily significant unit that is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead trout also spawn in the creek.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife considers the Butte Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve valuable in terms of providing wildlife habitat and protection of critical shaded riverine and aquatic resources.^[2]

The Butte Creek population of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon is the largest and one of the few remaining self-sustaining populations in the Central Valley, and is listed as threatened under both the state and federal endangered species acts.^[3] The reserves protect habitat for other species such as bald eagle, Swainson's hawk, beaver and the western pond turtle.

At the headwaters of Butte Creek is a separate nature reserve called the Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve is managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).