Wassen Creek – State Wildlife Action Plan

Photo is needed for this COA. — Submit photos to: OCS.Revision@ODFW.Oregon.gov

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.

The Wassen Creek COA (61 mi²) extends from near Henderson Peak east and south to the Umpqua River, including portions of the Smith River and Wassen Creek and their surrounding upland and riparian habitats. This COA is adjacent to the North Fork Smith River and Umpqua River Estuary COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain high quality wetland and wet meadow habitat.
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.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

This area contains a diversity of Key Habitats and offers high quality habitat to many sensitive species.
Wassen Creek Wilderness Sanctuary was recently designated.

Protected Areas

Devil’s Staircase Wilderness
Siuslaw National Forest
Wassen Creek Wilderness Sanctuary
Wetlands Reserve Program

Previously Associated With

Previously Associated with (2006 COAs)
- CR-30 (Wassen Creek)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: +5.3 mi² (10% increase)

Specialized Local Habitats

Forest openings
Off channel habitats

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

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.

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, …