Pudding River – State Wildlife Action Plan

Pudding River COA Photo Credit: Pudding River Watershed Council

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 Pudding River COA (27 mi²) extends from the confluence with the Molalla River upstream to the Howell Prairie area located west of Mount Angel and includes the associated floodplain, tributaries, and upland habitats of the lower Pudding River. This COA is adjacent to the Middle Willamette River Floodplain COA.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed functions, connection to riparian habitat, water flow and hydrology.
Install large wood instream and in adjacent floodplains to benefit both fish and wildlife.
Restore ambient streamflow, fish passage, riparian vegetation, floodplain connectivity, and in-stream structure.
Maintain and restore existing habitat and ecological function, ensuring sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife.
Promote early detection and removal of invasive plants.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

The Pudding River corridor runs through a largely agricultural landscape, and as such faces chemical pollution from fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide runoff.
The Pudding River Watershed has been conducting riparian restoration work along Mill Creek at the Aurora Mills Greenspace, removing invasive plants and replanting native species. There is also work to improve accessibility of this greenspace for public recreation to turn this space into a community hub.

Protected Areas

Aurora Mills Greenspace
Molalla River State Park
Nelson Park

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- WV-10 (Lower Little Pudding River)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: +1.8 mi²(7% increase)

Ecoregions

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.

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.