Trout Creek Mountains – 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.

Spanning an area in the southeastern corner Harney County and southwestern Malheur County, this COA encompasses the Trout Creek Mountains, the Oregon Canyon Mountains, and the Blue Mountains. It includes numerous Wilderness Study Areas, such as Disaster Peak, Alvord Desert, Fifteenmile Creek, Mahogany Ridge, Oregon Canyon, Twelvemile Creek, and Willow Creek.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain or restore Aspen forests and woodlands
Maintain or restore Mountain Mahogany woodlands and shrublands
Manage livestock grazing to promote recovery and maintenance of wet meadow and riparian habitats
Manage sagebrush habitats to achieve and maintain habitat goals of the Oregon Sage Grouse Strategy
Restore riparian zones and protect rare fish habitats

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Aspen and Mahogany woodlands provide important breeding habitat for many rare songbirds
Sage Grouse Low Density and Core Habitat Areas
Trout Creek and Oregon Canyon Mountains contain several rare fish species

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID NBR-11 (Trout Creek Mountains)

Specialized Local Habitats

Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow
Cliff and Rim Rock
Mountain Mahogany Woodland and Savanna
Native Perennial Bunchgrasses

Ecoregions

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

Aspen Woodlands

Aspen (Populus tremuloides) woodlands are woodland and/or forest communities dominated by aspen trees with a forb, grass, and/or shrub understory. Aspen woodlands also occur within conifer forests.

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 …

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.