McKenzie River Area – State Wildlife Action Plan

McKenzie River Photo Credit: Adam Spencer

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 McKenzie River Area COA (116 mi²) extends from the confluence with the Willamette River upstream to Sardine Butte and includes the associated floodplain, tributaries, and upland habitats of the McKenzie River. This COA is adjacent to the Upper Willamette River Floodplain, Coburg Ridge and Mohawk River COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology.
Maintain and enhance wetland and wet meadow habitat.

Maintain and restore existing habitat and ecological function, ensuring sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.
Maintain and restore upland habitats along the lower McKenzie River.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

A significant chunk of this COA burned in the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020, specifically at higher elevations. This high-intensity fire dramatically changed the landscape of this COA, resulting in increased prevalence of invasive and noxious plants as the area began to revegetate. As native vegetation starts to return, these forests also provide important early-successional forage for ungulate species.
This COA provides high quality habitat for sensitive amphibian species, including the foothills yellow-legged frog.

Protected Areas

Armitage Park
Ben and Katy Dorris County Park
Berggren Watershed Conservation Area (WWMP Property)
Big Island Conservation Easement (WWMP Property)
Bob Artz Memorial Park
Camp Creek Hills (WWMP Property)
Finn Rock Reach (WWMP Property)
Harvest Landing
HJ Morton County Park
Jack B. Lively Memorial Park
Lively Park
Old McKenzie Fish Hatchery County Park
Thurston Hills Natural Area
Vickery County Park
Wallace M Ruff Junior Memorial Park
Willamette National Forest

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- WC-06 (McKenzie River area)
- WV-24 (Coburg Ridge area)
- WV-25 (Mohawk River)
- WV-26 (McKenzie River)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -83.9% mi²(42% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Off channel habitats
Spring-fed streams

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.