Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest Draft ... - Cal Fire

Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest Draft Management Plan, June 2008
Boundaries
BMDSF is a contiguous ownership located in southern Lake County within Townships 11 and 12
North, Ranges 7 and 8 West on the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian. Legal subdivision lines
form the boundaries. On the south and east sides of the Forest, the boundary generally follows
the edges of the natural occurrence of timber. All boundaries of the Forest have been surveyed
and established by licensed surveyors. The surveys are recorded and on file at the Lake County
Courthouse. The property line has been established in the field with the posting of signs and tree
marking.
Topography
The State Forest is a lava cap area about one mile wide by 3-1/2 miles long, forming a gently
rolling summit with the sides breaking down into moderate to steep slopes. Practically the entire
area is ideal for tractor logging. There are a few small areas of steep slopes and rock outcrops.
Boggs Mountain lies at elevations from 2,360 feet to 3,750 feet above sea level. At 3,000 feet
elevation the topography flattens out so that the top of the mountain resembles a plateau,
dissected by several gulches. To the east and northeast, the mountaintop breaks very sharply to
Big Canyon Creek, resulting in rather steep terrain in Section 6 and the northeast parts of
Sections 1 and 7.
On the west, the country slopes gently into the valley drained by the headwaters of Kelsey Creek
at an elevation of about 2,500 feet. To the northeast, the Forest extends almost into the pass
through which State Highway 175 crosses the Boggs Mountain range at an elevation of 3,000
feet. Generally, the ground is smooth with little or no rock outcrops except on the steep slopes.
There are four main creeks, which originate near the mountaintop. Mill Creek and Spikenard
Creek flow down the north side, Houghton Creek flows down the west side, and Malo Creek flows
down the east side.
Climate
The climate in the area of Boggs Mountain is typical of areas where pure ponderosa pine stands
occur in California and particularly that of the ponderosa pine belt at the lower elevations along
the western slope of the Sierra. Rainfall follows a Mediterranean climate pattern, with long, dry
summers and heavy rainfall during the winters. Annual precipitation ranges from 22 inches to
130 inches with an average of just over 65 inches (±20 inches). Some light snowfall occurs every
winter but usually melts within a few days. Occasionally a 2 to 3 foot snowfall is experienced
which remains on the ground for a month or more.
Annual temperature ranges are considerably greater than those within the immediate areas of
coastal influence. Temperature extremes are from a minimum of 15° F in winter to a maximum of
105° F in summer.
Area, Ownership Pattern, and Adjacent Ownerships
Recorded acreage of the Forest is 3,493 acres. There are no private ownerships included within
the Forest boundaries. The Forest has common boundaries with eight subdivisions and some 70
private landowners. Most of the adjacent ownerships on the west side of the Forest have been
developed for residential subdivisions. Because of the large numbers and the frequent turnover of
owners, current ownership information will be periodically updated from the Lake County
Assessor’s records. Larger less developed parcels are found adjacent to the northern and
eastern boundaries of the forest. The undeveloped parcels are brushland or very extensively
managed timberlands.
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