Siuslaw River – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo Credit: Oregon Coastal Managment Program

The Siuslaw River COA (82 mi²) extends from Mapleton upriver toward the crest of the Coast Range, and includes the associated riparian habitat, uplands and forested habitat surrounding the Siuslaw River. This COA is adjacent to the North Fork Siuslaw River, Siuslaw River Estuary, and North Fork Smith River COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Enhance stream flow with increased beaver habitat.
Improve riparian habitat and stream complexity.
Limit the placement of docks and boathouses.
Promote creation of upland meadow habitats.
Protect and restore shorelines from hardening and dynamic revetment modifications (rip rap, rock, etc).
Protect minimum stream flows.
Protect steep, landslide prone areas from harvest activities.
Remove remaining dikes and tide gated areas to recover lost wetland and floodplain habitats.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
Lane County
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Siuslaw Watershed Council
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Forest Service
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
West Lane Soil and Water Conservation District

Special Features

General

The Siuslaw is a low gradient river
The COA has a very large population of bats
There is a gradient of vegetation throughout this COA, toward more arid climate with Pacific madrone and white oak.

Protected Areas

Camp Lane County Park
Farnham Landing County Park
Mapleton Landing County Park
Siuslaw National Forest
Tide Wayside Park

Previously Associated With

Previously Associated with (2006 COAs)
- CR-23 (Siuslaw River area)

- WV-27 (Upper Siuslaw area)

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -59.0 mi² (42% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Chapparal and Ceanothus shrubland
Forest Openings
Off channel habitats

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

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.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land that were formed through geological processes, such as glacial scouring, tectonic movements, volcanic activity and river meander cutoffs. In Oregon, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes. Depth is not a reference for characterization of …

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, …