Physical: This reserve, located on the north side of the Thompson River valley, has two distinct landforms. Its northeastern half consists of steep, gullied slopes which drop away sharply from the Red Plateau to the north. These have much exposed bedrock, talus and colluvial material; soils, where developed, are Regosols. Below this escarpment are gently sloping fans of colluvial materials derived from glacial till on which Chernozemic soils have developed. Exposure is to the south and southwest. The climate is characterized by cold winters, hot summers and little precipitation.

Biological: The reserve is largely forested although tree cover is sparse in many areas due to aridity and/or lack of soil. Small areas of treeless grassland occur along its lower fringe, some of which have been modified by cultivation. Remaining natural grasslands are dominated by big sage, Sandberg’s bluegrass and needle-and-thread grass. Most of the gently sloping part of the reserve is covered by a ponderosa pine-bluebunch wheatgrass community having a sparse shrub layer comprised mainly of rabbitbush and big sage. Above about the 760 m elevation, a Douglas-fir-ponderosa pine-bluebunch wheatgrass community is present. Here, bluebunch wheatgrass is still dominant in the herb layer but the clumps are smaller and more widely spaced.

Wildlife surveys have not been carried out, although two snakes (Western Rattlesnake and Gopher Snake) are known to occur, and the area provides important winter range for mule deer and bighorn sheep.

MANAGEMENT CONCERNS

SIGNIFICANT SPECIES

Western Rattlesnake- Blue listed
Gopher Snake,ssp. deserticola-Blue listed
Bighorn Sheep-Blue listed
dotted smartweed-Blue listed
Hudson Bay sedge-Blue listed
awned cyperus-Blue listed
The Dalles milk-vetch– red listed
trailing fleabane
western fairy-candelabra
slender plantain
grey horsebrush