Clatskanie River – State Wildlife Action Plan

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 Clatskanie River COA (46 mi²) covers a large portion of the Clatskanie River Watershed, from its origins in the Coast Range down to the city of Clatskanie. It contains important riparian and upland habitat for many strategy species. This COA creates a contiguous chunk of habitat along with the Columbia River – Blind Slough Swamp and Clatsop State Forest – Jewel Meadows Area COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Continue streamside restoration efforts of riparian areas to reduce in-stream water temperatures.
Enhance floodplain connection, riparian vegetation, and instream habitat quality.
Remove priority fish passage barriers (including along Apiary Road).
Restoration of post- harvest timber stands with native vegetation.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This area has been heavily impacted by industrial timber harvest. which may warrant discussion of conservation actions relevant to industrial timber practices.
Given the nature of land ownership within this COA, there have been relatively few restoration projects implemented in the past.

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- CR-02 (Columbia – Clatskanie area)
- CR-03 (Clatskanie River)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: +1 mi²(2% increase)

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.