Umpqua River – State Wildlife Action Plan

The Umpqua River COA (93 mi²) follows the winding Umpqua River from Elkton south to the confluence with the North Umpqua River. This area includes the surrounding riparian and upland habitat along the river corridor. This COA is adjacent to the North Umpqua River Area and South Fork Umpqua River and Tributaries COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Consider land acquisitions and exchanges to benefit fish and wildlife habitat.
Consider the impact of recreational activities (motorized watercraft, shoreline activities, roads) on water quality and watershed function.
Restore ambient streamflow, fish passage, riparian vegetation, floodplain connectivity, and in-stream structure.
Promote early detection and removal of invasive plants.
Restore ambient streamflow, water quality, and riparian vegetation with a primary purpose to lower summertime water temperature and reduce sedimentation.
Maintain and restore oak woodland and savanna habitats; work with partners and private landowners to achieve this goal.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Provides significant habitat for a broad array of sensitive fish and wildlife species.
This COA faces threats as land is converted from pasture and oak woodland/savanna to vineyards and hazelnut orchards.

Protected Areas

Singleton Park

Previously Associated With

Size Change from 2016 boundaries: -33.0 mi² (26% decrease)

Specialized Local Habitats

Off channel habitat

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, the interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range, and the Rogue and Umpqua river valleys. Several popular and scenic rivers run through the ecoregion, including the Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate rivers. Historically, this ecoregion is known …

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.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are habitats that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support vegetation typically adapted for life in sodden soil conditions. While dominated by periods of inundation, the natural ecological cycle may also include dry intervals. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, peatlands, …