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The McCloud River Watershed encompasses Mount Shasta, Panther Meadow and its sacred spring, and Medicine Lake Highlands.
Location: California, USA; the watershed ranges from Mount Shasta down to Shasta Lake
Official Listing: The Upper McCloud River: California Wild & Scenic River
Description: The watershed extends from the McCloud River’s origins from a natural sprint in the Panther Meadows on the flanks of Mount Shasta, to the river’s confluence with the Sacramento River. Various federal and private agencies and entities own and manage the watershed.
The Threats:
- To Mount Shasta, Panther Meadow and its sacred spring – a ski resort was proposed in the 1980s. Florence Jones, leader of the Winnemum Wintu at that time, led the Tribe in organizing and forming alliances to protect their sacred sites, like Mount Shasta’s Panther Meadow and its sacred spring. The ski resort was ultimately defeated.
- To Mount Shasta’s Medicine Lake Highlands – several geothermal energy plants were proposed in 2000. A recent Ninth Circuit Court decision achieved protection from these plants.
- To the McCloud River – a Nestle water bottling plant was defeated after intense local organizing.
Nominated By: The Sacred Land Film Project
For more information:
Native Coalition for Cultural Restoration of Mount Shasta &
Medicine Lake Highlands Defense
P.O. Box 1143
Mount Shasta, CA 96067
530-926-3397
ShastaMedicine@snowcrest.net