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Big in Hope: Whiskeytown Lake

Indian rhubarb, Whiskeytown Lake NRA (10/17/19) Laura Christman

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is big in hope and heart. It’s the second of two NRA’s mentioned today, that were devastated by wildfires last year, and big in hope because of recovering fall color now being seen, big in heart because of the spirit of its people.

I last visited Whiskeytown Lake on the Labor Day weekend and found both the park and its loyal locals to be ashen.

Laura explains that last year’s Carr Fire burned many of the park’s bigleaf maple, though green shoots sprouted from the bases of burned trees.

Bigleaf maple, Whiskeytown Lake NRA (10/17/19) Laura Christman

Like the Santa Monica Mountains NRA, written about earlier today, signs of recovery are occurring at Whiskeytown Lake.

Deciduous plants tend to grow back faster than do evergreens, and the first bright signs of hope are appearing as bigleaf maple and Indian rhubarb are now showing their fall colors.

As the deciduous trees mature, their show will only get better in future years.

  • Whiskeytown Lake NRA (1,214′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
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