Tübatulabal Tribe
Partnering to preserve rare freshwater springs and wild fish habitat between the North and South forks of the Kern River
In 2023, WRC and the Tübatulabal Tribe preserved a series of freshwater springs that feed the South Fork Kern River, repatriating the first-ever land returned to the tribe. The property we conserved is called Fay Creek Ranch and it has been inhabited by the Tübatulabal people for millennia. Located in an arid landscape between the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave Desert, the ranch is prized for its abundant water and rich wildlife habitat. The project allows tribal members to reconnect with ancestral lands, hold ceremonies and once again practice traditions like native plant gathering. WRC conveyed 1,246 acres of the northeastern portion of the property to the Tübatulabal Tribe and the 1,039-acre southwestern portion to the Kern River Valley Heritage Foundation.
