Upper Silvies River – State Wildlife Action Plan

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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 significant stretch of the Silvies River and surrounding habitat. Spans Blue Mountains (bounded at the north by the town of Seneca) and Northern Basin & Range Ecoregion (starting at Malheur Lake to the south), passing through the town of Burns.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain or enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient habitat complexity for wildlife
Manage invasive carp

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Forest Service
Harney Basin Wetland Collaborative
Burns Paiute Tribe

Special Features

General

Extensive wet meadows and riparian habitats
Includes Greater sage-grouse core habitat
Significant habitat for redband trout populations

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID BM-09 (Bear Valley)
2006 COA ID BM-10 (Silvies River)
2006 COA ID NBR-07 (Silvies River)
2006 COA ID NBR-08 (Harney-Malheur area)

Protected Areas

Burns Paiute Reservation
Malheur National Forest
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Wetlands Reserve Program

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

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

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

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.