Middlefork Willamette River Headwaters – 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 Middlefork Willamette River Headwaters COA (71 mi²) extends from Hills Creek Reservoir south and east toward Summit Lake and the edge of the Diamond Peak Wilderness. This area includes a significant stretch of the Middle Fork Willamette River, including many of its headwaters streams.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and restore wetland and wet meadow habitat.
Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology.
Maintain and restore oak woodland habitats.
Maintain and restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.
Maintain and restore oak-pine savanna habitat.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This COA is adjacent to the Diamond Peak Wilderness Area.
Thia area provides important habitat for many sensitive species, including bull trout, chinook salmon, and northern spotted owl. The Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council has been spearheading restoration efforts in this region, to maintain and improve ecosystem function throughout the streams, rivers, wetlands, and forests.
The Jim’s Creek Restoration Area is focused on ponderosa pine and sugar pine savanna restoration. This effort hopes to increase biodiversity and remove encroaching conifers.
Recent restoration efforts at Chuckle and Indigo Springs have been aimed at reducing the impact of recreation on these sites, improving water quality, and increasing vegetation along the stream corridors to benefit cold-water fish.

Protected Areas

Diamond Peak Wilderness Area
Willamette National Forest

Previous COA Associations

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: No change

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings

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.

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 …

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.