One Horse Slough-Beaver Creek – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo is needed for this COA. — Submit photos to: OCS.Revision@ODFW.Oregon.gov

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 One Horse Slough-Beaver Creek COA (48 mi²) extends from the eastside of Lebanon east to Upper Berlin Dr and north nearly all the way to Hwy 226. This area is located along the boundary of the Willamette Valley and West Cascades Ecoregions, adjacent to the South Santiam River. This COA is adjacent to the Santiam Confluences COA.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Promote early detection and removal of invasive plants.

Maintain and enhance wetlands, ponds, and associated uplands to support northwestern pond and western painted turtle habitat.
Maintain large oak woodland habitats with open understories.
Maintain natural water flow patterns and streamside vegetation for yellow-legged frogs; maintain priority breeding sites from other threats.
Maintain wetland habitat and adjacent woodlands as habitat for Northern red-legged frogs.
Remove invading conifers and non-native vegetation from oak woodlands, savannas, and meadows (e.g., prescribed burns)

Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed functions, connection to riparian habitat, water flow, water quality and hydrology.

Implement water conservation measures, specifically for Crabtree Creek.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This area serves as an important transition zone between the West Cascades and Willamette Valley ecoregions. Historically, it contained a diverse mixture of habitats including ponderosa pine, deciduous swamp, and wet prairie. It currently contains a number of key habitats.
This area, adjacent to the South Santiam River, provides habitat for some of the last known populations of foothill yellow-legged frogs in the Willamette Valley.

Protected Areas

Crabtree Wetlands Site
Golden Valley Site
Laraway Wayside County Park
One Horse Slough
Roaring River Park
Wetlands Reserve Program

Previous COA Association

Previously Associated with (2006 COAs)
- WV-21 (One Horse Slough – Beaver Creek)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -20.0 mi² (29% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings
Off-channel habitat

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.