Upper Klamath 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.

Includes Upper Klamath Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Rocky Mountains. Area includes surrounding habitat to the north and adjacent to the Sky Lakes area.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain emergent wetland habitats
Maintain or enhance in - channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function, ensuring sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife
Reconnect lakeside wetlands and Upper Klamath Lake where feasible and appropriate
Restore lake connections and more natural hydrology within Williamson River Delta

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Special Features

General

Area is one of the most important wetland complexes in the Pacific Flyway
Includes critical habitat for two ESA listed fish: the Lost River Sucker and Shortnose Sucker
Includes many rare and endemic molluscs
Provides important migratory and nesting habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID EC-09 (Upper Klamath Lake area)
2006 COA ID WC-11 (Pelican Butte-Sky Lakes area)

Protected Areas

Crystal Creek
Forest Development Fund (Board Of Forestry)
Fremont-Winema National Forest
Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site
Klamath Wildlife Area
Upper Klamath National Wildlife Area
West Side Klamath Recreation Area
Wetlands Reserve Program
Williamson River Delta
Williamson River Delta - Goose Bay

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.

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.

Key Habitats

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.

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.