Klamath River Canyon – State Wildlife Action Plan

Klamath River Canyon area — Photo Credit: William Tinniswood, 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 Klamath River Canyon COA is upstream of the historic site of the J.C. Boyle Dam, removed in 2024. This COA is connected to the California border following the Klamath River by a Priority Wildlife Connectivity Area (https://swap.oregon.gov/success-story/priority-wildlife-connectivity-areas-pwcas/), emphasizing the need for broad scale habitat connectivity in this region.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and restore riparian shrub habitats
Maintain emergent wetland habitats
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function, ensuring sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Important Bird Areas of Oregon

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Oregon Department of Forestry
US Fish and Wildlife Service

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID EC-18 (Klamath River Canyon)

Protected Areas

Upper Klamath River
Upper Klamath River Area Of Critical Environmental Concern

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains' summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Key Habitats

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 …

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are common in Oregon’s eastside ecoregions. While dominated by ponderosa pine, these woodlands may also have lodgepole pine, western juniper, aspen, western larch, grand fir, Douglas-fir, mountain mahogany, incense cedar, sugar pine, or white fir, depending on ecoregion and site conditions. Known for their open forest structure, these woodlands generally have fewer …

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.