Butte Valley, a segmet of from the 130 Square miles with the metropolis off Dorris, plus the communities out of Macdoel and you may Mt. Hebron, has decrease off between problems in this eruptive city in fact it is completely enclosed by volcanoes in order to create a closed water drainage basin. The new off-faulted area keeps subsequently started occupied in order to the expose elevation regarding cuatro,250 base from the alluvial debris sparkling on valley about surrounding eruptive slopes, from the lava streams and by river deposits. Meiss River, on west central element of Butte Valley, ‘s the remnant of a large lake that when occupied the fresh new entire valley whenever temperatures were cool and you can fade liquid regarding falling out glaciers occupied the countless sinks from inside the northern California. The newest valley flooring try very flat on account of trend action when it absolutely was protected by water.

A brief history of your Modoc Indians during the Butte Area could have been tracked straight back approximately 7000 many years thanks to archaeological findings on Nightfire Island, near the banking companies out-of Sheepy Creek.