Sáttítla

Nestled within the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Modoc National Forests of northeastern California, the Sáttítla Highlands, an area surrounding Medicine Lake, are a culturally significant, geologically unique, water rich, and life sustaining region that have long needed greater protections.

For thousands of years the forested lands and clear blue water have been sacred to numerous Tribes including the Pit River, Modoc, Shasta, Karuk, and Wintu. Sáttítla is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes, who continue to use the area for religious activities, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Permanently protecting these sacred lands and waters not only honored the Pit River Tribe’s long standing efforts, but also ensured that future generations are able to practice time-honored traditions on unspoiled lands.

These same untrammeled lands and waters that have sustained Indigenous peoples for thousands of years are integral to the health and viability of millions of people in California. 

Sáttítla could rightfully be called the headwaters of the state for its role in providing pure water to millions of residents, to wildlife, as well as serving agricultural needs downstream. 

The volcanically formed aquifers below the surface capture snow melt and store as much water as California’s 200 largest surface reservoirs. These aquifers deliver clean, cold water to the Fall River Springs, which then flows from Shasta Lake all the way south to the imperiled San Francisco Bay.

The designation of  the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument honored our cultural history and Tribal connections and safeguards the water for millions of people and wildlife.