Beaver Creek – State Wildlife Action Plan

The Beaver Creek COA (32 mi²) extends from Brian Booth State Park east into the Siuslaw National Forest, just north of Drift Creek Wilderness. The Beaver Creek Watershed contains a variety of diverse and productive habitats. This COA is adjacent to the Yaquina Bay and Alsea Estuary-Alsea River COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Create upland open areas via forest thinning and other approved restoration techniques.
Maintain and improve riparian habitats.
Limit development to protect wetlands and older aged forest habitats.
Place large woody debris in stream channels to increase habitat complexity for fish and wildlife.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

There are late successional reserve forests located on the Siuslaw National Forest.

Protected Areas

Beaver Creek State Natural Area
Brian Booth State Park
Drift Creek Wilderness
Estella Matilda Happ Preserve
Siuslaw National Forest

Previous COA Association

Previously Associated with (2006 COAs)
- CR-18 (Yaquina Bay)

- CR-19 (Beaver Creek Marsh)
- CR-21 (Drift Creek (Alsea) area)

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -0.4 mi² (1% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings
Off channel habitat
Peatland fen

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Key Habitats

Estuaries

Estuaries are broadly defined as partially enclosed coastal bodies of tidally influenced water with one or more inputs of freshwater, and with a free or intermittent connection to the open sea. Estuaries typically occur at locations where freshwater from rivers, streams, or creeks meets saltwater from the nearshore ocean, creating a tidal basin that experiences frequent …

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Example of Oak Woodlands, which is a Strategy Habitat within the State Wildlife Action Plan

Oak Habitats

There are several oak habitat types in Oregon, where oaks comprise most of the canopy. These can include oak woodlands, oak forest, oak chaparral, and riparian oak. Oak savanna is covered in the Grasslands Key Habitat. Oaks may also co-dominate a canopy in oak/fir, oak pine, and oak hardwood habitats.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are habitats that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support vegetation typically adapted for life in sodden soil conditions. While dominated by periods of inundation, the natural ecological cycle may also include dry intervals. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, peatlands, …