TheModoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner ofCalifornia as well as parts ofOregon andNevada. Nearly 1,000,000 acres (400,000 ha) of theModoc National Forest are on the plateau between the Medicine Lake Highlands in the west and theWarner Mountains in the east.
Itslandform is volcanic table land ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, cut by many north–south faults. "Occasioned lakes, marshes, and sluggishly flowing streams meander across the plateau."[1]
It is a thick accumulation oflava flows andtuff beds, along with many smallvolcanic cones.[1] It hascinder cones,juniper flats,pine forests, and seasonallakes.[2] The plateau is thought to have been formed approximately 25 million years ago as a southern extension of theColumbia Plateau flood basalts.[3]
Forested areas of the plateau includePonderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), as well as other tree species such asCalifornia Buckeye (Aesculus californica).[4] andModoc Cypress (Cupressus bakeri).[5]
The plateau supports large herds ofMule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis), andPronghorn (Antilocapra americana). There are also several herds of wild horses on the plateau. TheClear Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Long Bell State Game Refuge are located on the plateau as well.
The Lost Riverwatershed drains the north part of the plateau, while southern watersheds either collect in basin reservoirs[clarification needed] or flow into the largeBig Sage Reservoir, which sits in the center ofModoc County.