Summer Lake 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 is comprised of Summer Lake and the surrounding high desert wetlands subregion, including much of the Diablo Mountain Wilderness Study Area.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Improve water delivery system within the Summer Lake area to improve effectiveness of wetland management.
Maintain diverse wetland habitats.
Manage livestock grazing to promote healthy wetlands and riparian areas.
Promote early detection and suppression of invasive weeds.
Remove and control juniper encroachment into sage habitat.
Restore and maintain complex, continuous sage habitat.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Coordinated Implementation Plan for Bird Conservation in Eastern Oregon (Taylor et.al. 2005)
East-side All-Bird Implementation Plan (Ivey 2000)
Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Assessment and Strategy
Important Bird Areas of Oregon
Interior Columbia Basin Strategy (developed 2003, revised 2014)
Intermountain West Joint Venture Implementation Plan (2013)
Intermountain West Waterbird Conservation Plan (Ivey and Herziger 2006)
Oregon Aquatic Habitat and Restoration Guide. The Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds (May 1999)
Oregon Biodiversity Project Conservation Opportunity Areas
Oregon Crucial Habitat Analysis
Oregon's Important Bird Areas
Partners in Flight Columbia Plateau Conservation Strategy (Altman and Holmes 2000)
Summer Lake Wildlife Area Management Plan
The Nature Conservancy Ecoregional Assessment
Wildlife Linkage Priority
Goose and Summer Lakes Basin Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan

Special Features

General

Diverse and expansive wetland complex (including playas, seasonal wetlands, etc.)
High Density Sage Grouse Core Areas
Important stop-over for migratory birds

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID NBR-02 (Summer Lake area)

Protected Areas

Diablo Mountain Wilderness Study Area
Fremont-Winema National Forest
Summer Lake Wildlife Area

Specialized Local Habitats

Alkali Grasslands
Rock Habitats
Salt Desert Scrub
Springs

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains' summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Northern Basin and Range

The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.

Key Habitats

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 …

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are common in Oregon’s eastside ecoregions. While dominated by ponderosa pine, these woodlands may also have lodgepole pine, western juniper, aspen, western larch, grand fir, Douglas-fir, mountain mahogany, incense cedar, sugar pine, or white fir, depending on ecoregion and site conditions. Known for their open forest structure, these woodlands generally have fewer …

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.