Bull Run-Sandy Rivers – State Wildlife Action Plan

Bull Run Sandy River area — Photo Credit: Andrea Hanson, ODFW

Geographic boundaries of the COAs were updated for the 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan and the associated COA profiles are intended to provide additional information. Content of each COA profile is being refined and will be updated to reflect current conditions when feasible. Please help us by submitting information on Local Conservation Actions, Plans, or Potential Partners to: OCS.revision@odfw.oregon.gov.

The Bull Run – Sandy River COA (200 mi²) includes the headwaters of the Sandy River and its tributaries, including the Bull Run River. Nearly all the Bull Run Watershed is contained within this COA, which is a protected area that provides drinking water to the city of Portland. This area is located almost entirely within the Mt. Hood National Forest. This COA is adjacent to the Lower Sandy River COA.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Improve aquatic and terrestrial habitats for amphibians.
Improve in-stream flows.
Install large wood in-stream and in floodplains to benefit both fish and wildlife.
Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed functions, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain and restore riparian habitat and ecological function ensuing sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife
Remove fish and wildlife passage barriers.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This COA contains the Sandy River Gorge Preserve and a portion of the Sandy River designated as a Wild and Scenic River.
This area includes remnant breeding population of western toads.
This is an important region for winter steelhead, fall Chinook salmon and spring chinook salmon.
Much of this COA is within a U.S. Forest Service designated Late Successional Reserve. It contains some remaining patches of old-growth Douglas fir forest.
The Bull Run Watershed is a restricted area which provides the primary drinking water supply for the City of Portland.
Given the critical nature of this habitat both for wildlife and for human-use, it is particularly vulnerable to threats from wildfire.

Protected Areas

Barlow Trail Park
Mount Hood Wilderness
Roslyn Lake Park
Salmon Wild and Scenic River
Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness
Sandy Wild and Scenic River
Sandy River Park
Still Creek
Zig Zag Wild and Scenic River
Mount Hood Scenic Corridor
Bull Run Watershed

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- WC-02 (Bull Run-Sandy Rivers)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -38.0 mi²(16% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest Openings
Headwater Streams
Rock Habitat: Cliffs
Rock Habitat: Talus

Ecoregions

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley ecoregion is bounded on the west by the Coast Range and on the east by the Cascade Range. This long mostly level alluvial plain has some scattered areas of low basalt, and contrasts with productive farmland and large urban areas. It has the fastest-growing human population in the state resulting in challenges due to land-use changes.

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.