North Medford Area – 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.

This area includes important valley bottom habitat in the Rogue Watershed including the confluence of the Rogue River and Little Butte Creek, Upper and Lower Table Rock, and Vernal Pool habitat.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Acquire instream water rights to augment streamflows downstream of areas with high coho rearing densities to improve habitat and produce more fish.
Control invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry, garlic mustard, and rush skeleton weed.
Maintain existing mature California Black Oak legacy trees, and use controlled burns and other tools to promote recruitment of young oaks.
Maintain existing vernal pool habitat, and explore techniques to mimic vernal pool functions with mitigated wetlands.
Promote cottonwood Galleries by protecting existing riparian vegegation and replanting where needed.
Protect and improve riparian habitat on intermittent streams that are highly productive for Summer Steelhead, such as Birdseye Creek, Galls Creek, Ward Creek, Foots Creek, Kane Creek, Sardine Creek, Sams Creek, and Antelope Creek. Summer Steelhead are able to use streams that may dry up completely durring a portion of the year.
Reduce sediment in subbasins with excessive decomposed granite deposition.
Restore ambient streamflow, floodplain connectivity, fish passage, riparian vegetation, and in-stream structure.
Restore passage at poorly placed and undersized culverts and small dams to improve passage for young salmonids.
Restore tributaries of the Rogue River that benefit both Coho Salmon and Summer Steelhead.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Conservation Plan for Fall Chinook in the Rogue Species Management Unit
Denman Wildlife Area Management Plan
Important Bird Areas of Oregon
Klamath Mountain Province Steelhead project summary
ODFW Coho Expert Panel Summary
Oregon Native Fish Status Report
Rogue River Spring Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan
Rogue South Coast Plan

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
The Nature Conservancy
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Watchable Wildlife Foundation
Jackson County

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID KM-08 (North Medford area)

Protected Areas

Agate Desert
Bear Creek Greenway
Denman Wildlife Area
Denman Wildlife Refuge
Fort Lane State Heritage Site
Gold Nugget Wayside
Gold Ray Dam
Kelly Slough
Kendall Bar State Greenway
Lower And Upper Table Rocks
Lower Table Rock Preserve
Padigans Hole
Rogue River Trail
Table Rocks Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Table Rocks Outstanding Natural Area

Specialized Local Habitats

Rimrock, Rocky Outcroppings, and Talus Slopes
Vernal Pools

Ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, the interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range, and the Rogue and Umpqua river valleys. Several popular and scenic rivers run through the ecoregion, including the Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate rivers. Historically, this ecoregion is known …

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.