Modoc County, California

Modoc County () is a county located in the far northeastern corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population was 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least-populous county. The county seat and only incorporated city is Alturas. Previous County seats include Lake City and Centerville. The county borders Nevada and Oregon. Much of Modoc County is federal land. Several federal agencies, including the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, have employees assigned to the area, and their operations are a significant part of its economy and services. The county's official slogans include "The last best place" and "Where the West still lives".

In 1856, the residents of Honey Lake Valley reckoned the 120th meridian to be west of their valley, placing them in Utah territory, and attempted to secede and form a territory they called Nataqua. Nataqua would have included Modoc County. In 1858, the Territory of Nevada, with its capital now in Carson City, seceded from Utah, and assumed jurisdiction to the summit of the Sierra Nevada until the 120th meridian was surveyed in 1863. In 1864, the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin band of the Shoshone signed a treaty ceding lands in both Oregon and California, and the tribes were colocated on the Klamath Reservation. Harassed by the Klamath, traditional competitors, a band of Modoc led by Captain Jack returned to California and the Tule Lake area.

The Modoc War or Lava Beds War of 1872–73 brought nationwide attention to the Modoc. From strong defensive positions in the lava tubes, 52 Modoc warriors held off hundreds of US Army forces, who called in artillery to help. Dissension arose, and some Modoc surrendered. Finally, most were captured, and those responsible for the assassinations were tried and executed. More than 150 Modoc were transported to Indian Territory as prisoners of war.

The Dorris Bridge post office opened in 1871 and was renamed Dorrisville in 1874. Due to its central location, it became the county seat when Modoc County formed that year, although both Adin and Cedarville were larger towns. The 1880 census showed a population of 148. Settlement continued for the next 20 years, until the city was officially incorporated on September 16, 1901 (the county's only incorporated city).

thumb|Tule Lake Segregation Center historical marker

During World War II, the US government developed several thousand acres just south of Newell as a Japanese American internment camp. Tule Lake War Relocation Center was the site of temporary exile for thousands of Japanese-American citizens, who lost most of their businesses and properties where they had formerly lived in coastal areas. A historical marker marks the site along California State Route 139 in Newell. Tule Lake was the largest of the "segregation camps." On November 8, 2005, Senator Dianne Feinstein called for the camp to be designated a National Historic Landmark. In December 2008 President George W. Bush designated it one of nine sites to be part of the new World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, now the Tule Lake National Monument.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Modoc County spans a total area of , of which is land, with (6.8%) water. There are 2.25 persons per square mile, making Modoc one of the least-populated counties in the state of California. In terms of its county lines, Modoc is one of the only nearly-rectangular counties in California; a slight deviation occurs around the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Geologically, Modoc County is quite unique. The area's tumultuous seismic past has set the stage for a productive, diverse regional ecology today; a rich soil composition, largely created by ancient volcanoes dispersing vast amounts of minerals, stands out from the typically bland, clay-heavy terrain common in the American west. To the northwest of the county lies Medicine Lake—the largest shield volcano on the U.S. West Coast—and Lava Beds National Monument. In west Modoc County is the massive Glass Mountain, another ancient lava flow. The southwestern quadrant of the county is a unique ecosystem of isolated hardwoods (oaks) and volcanic mountains with intermountain river valleys.

thumb|250px|left|[[Mule deer in Modoc County]]

The northern half of the county is primarily the Modoc Plateau, a expanse of lava flows, cinder cones, juniper flats, pine forests and seasonal lakes, including the alkaline waters of Goose Lake. Nearly of the Modoc National Forest lie on the plateau between Medicine Lake, to the west, and the Warner Mountains, to the east.

A great diversity of plants are found in Modoc County. As it is situated within the biodiverse California Floristic Province, many native trees are found in the county, including Garry oak (Quercus garryana) and Washoe pine (Pinus washoensis). Pinus jeffreyi and P. ponderosa (the Jeffrey and ponderosa pines, respectively) are also found in substantial groves. The rich plant life supports substantial populations of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), as well as several herds of wild horses (Equus ferus). Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Long Bell State Game Refuge are located on the plateau, as well. The Lost River, which later drains into the Klamath River basin, drains the northern part of the plateau; southern watersheds either collect in basin reservoirs or flow into the Big Sage Reservoir, in the center of the county (which later flows into the Pit River).

Below the rim of the plateau, in the extreme southwest corner of the county, are Big Valley and Warm Springs Valley, which form the bottom of the Pit River watershed that flows through the county. The Pit River's northern and southern forks come together just south of Alturas; the river collects hundreds of other small creeks on its trajectory south towards Shasta Lake, where it joins the Sacramento River and ultimately drains into San Francisco Bay. The eastern edge of the county is dominated by the Warner Mountains. The Pit River originates in this mountain range. Hundreds of alpine lakes dot the range, all of which are fed by snowmelt and natural springs. East of the Warner Range is Surprise Valley and the western edge of the Great Basin.

Hot springs and lava caves are unique to Modoc County. There is potential for some geothermal energy resources in the county, though the viability is highly variable.

Adjacent counties

Klamath County, Oregon - north
Lake County, Oregon - north
Washoe County, Nevada - east
Lassen County - south
Shasta County - southwest
Siskiyou County - west

National protected areas

Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Lava Beds National Monument (part)
Modoc National Forest (part)
Shasta National Forest (part)
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Tule Lake Unit, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (part)

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Modoc County, California – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 1980

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|7,854

|8,479

|7,663

|7,649

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,446

|91.22%

|87.61%

|81.10%

|78.97%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |74.09%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|14

|78

|59

|77

|style='background: #ffffe6; |66

|0.16%

|0.81%

|0.62%

|0.79%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.76%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|346

|378

|340

|293

|style='background: #ffffe6; |387

|4.02%

|3.91%

|3.60%

|3.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.45%

|Asian alone (NH)

|24

|35

|58

|70

|style='background: #ffffe6; |61

|0.28%

|0.36%

|0.61%

|0.72%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|21

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13

|0.07%

|0.22%

|0.07%

|0.22%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.15%

|Other race alone (NH)

|16

|26

|14

|style='background: #ffffe6; |56

|0.19%

|0.07%

|0.28%

|0.14%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.64%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|208

|220

|style='background: #ffffe6; |412

|2.20%

|2.27%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.74%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|356

|701

|1,088

|1,342

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,259

|4.13%

|7.24%

|11.51%

|13.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |14.47%

|Total

|8,610

|9,678

|9,449

|9,686

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,700

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense:

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"

! colspan="3" | Population and crime rates

! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Population

| 10 || 1.04

! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |   Homicide

| 69 || 7.20

! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" |   Motor vehicle theft

! data-sort-type="number" | Violent crimes

Airports

There are general aviation airports near Alturas (Alturas Municipal Airport and California Pines Airport). Other airports include Cedarville Airport, Eagleville Airport, Fort Bidwell Airport, and Tulelake Municipal Airport. The closest major airport is in Reno.

Communities

City

Alturas (county seat)

Census-designated places

Adin
California Pines
Canby
Cedarville
Daphnedale Park
Eagleville
Fort Bidwell
Lake City
Likely
Lookout
Newell
New Pine Creek

Other unincorporated places

Davis Creek
Tionesta

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Modoc County.

† county seat

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Rank

!City/Town/etc.

!Municipal type

!Population (2020 Census)

|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"

| 1

|† Alturas

| City

| 2,715

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 2

|California Pines

| CDP

| 473

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 3

|Cedarville

| CDP

| 437

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 4

|Newell

| CDP

| 301

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 5

|Adin

| CDP

| 205

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 6

|Canby

| CDP

| 183

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 7

|Fort Bidwell

| CDP

| 180

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 8

|Daphnedale Park

| CDP

| 129

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 9

|XL Ranch Rancheria

| AIAN

| 117

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 10

|Fort Bidwell Reservation

| AIAN

| 97

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 11

|New Pine Creek

| CDP

| 87

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 12

|Lake City

| CDP

| 71

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 13

|Lookout

| CDP

| 68

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 14

|Likely

| CDP

| 53

|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"

| 15

|Eagleville

| CDP

| 45

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 16

|Cedarville Rancheria

| AIAN

| 19

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 17

|Lookout Rancheria

| AIAN

| 11

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 18

|Alturas Indian Rancheria

| AIAN

| 3

|- style="background-color:#FFFF99;"

| 19

|Likely Rancheria

| AIAN

| 0

Education

School districts include:

Big Valley Joint Unified School District
Fall River Joint Unified School District
Modoc Joint Unified School District
Surprise Valley Joint Unified School District
Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District

Notes

References

External links

Hiking trails in Modoc County
h2g2 Guide Entry A1065278: Modoc County, California, USA
OpenRoad.TV (Modoc County's Living West video story)

Geography

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

Crime

Airports

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated places

Population ranking

Education

See also

Notes

References

External links