Santiam Confluences – State Wildlife Action Plan

Santiam River Area — Photo Credit: Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW

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 Santiam Confluences COA (109 mi²) extends from the confluence of the mainstem with the Willamette River upstream along the North Fork Santiam through confluences with Jefferson Ditch and Valentine Creek, up toward Mill Creek. This COA also extends along the South Santiam River through confluences with Spring Branch, Thomas Creek, Spring Creek, Crabtree Creek, Onehorse Slough, and Noble Creek toward Sweet Home. This COA is adjacent to the Little North Santiam River Area, Kingston Prairie – Scio Oak Pine Savanna, Salem Hills – Ankeny NWR, Middle Willamette River Floodplain, and One Horse Slough – Beaver Creek COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain and enhance wetlands, ponds, and associated uplands to support northwestern pond and western painted turtle habitat.
Maintain and enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology.
Maintain and enhance oak savanna and grassland habitats and their connection to adjacent habitats
Maintain and restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife
Maintain and restore floodplain connections and water quality. Assess threats from instream berms and rip rap.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Special Features

General

At the lower end of the North Santiam Rier, Wiseman Island represents one of the largest blocks of relatively intact floodplain habitat in the Willamette Valley. ODFW and Marion County own the bulk of this area, which encompasses about five miles of river.
This COA contains important habitat for riparian birds, reptiles, salmonids and chub.
The surrounding uplands of the Santiam River contain important wildlife habitats, including oak savanna and grasslands.
This COA contains two forks of the Santiam River, which contain very different habitat. The North Fork Santiam River section contains a substantial amount of public land, and lands owned in conservation. This fork of the river and surrounding floodplain is relatively healthy, as dam blockage occurs much higher up the river system. The South Fork Santiam River is surrounded by many agricultural lands and has impacts from the Foster Dam.

Protected Areas

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge
Buell Miller Park

Chahalpam (WWMP Property)

Community Center Park
Fishermen’s Bend
John Neal Memorial Park
Kingston Prairie
Lyons/Mehama Park
Neitling Addition

North Santiam Conservation Area (Chankawan) (WWMP Property)

North Santiam River State Park
North Santiam State Recreation Area
Northslope Park
One Horse Slough
Pioneer Park
River Park

Santiam-Kingston Hills (WWMP Property)

Santiam River Rest Stop
Stayton Bridge Park
Waterloo Park
Wiseman Island

Previous COA Associations

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- WV-16 (Salem Hills – Ankeny NWR)
- WV-17 (Lower and North Santiam Rivers)
- WV-18 (Kingston Prairie area)
- WV-21 (One Horse Slough – Beaver Creek)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: +24.5 mi²(29% increase)

Specialized Local Habitats

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.