Beaver Creek – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Beaver creek watershed is diverse and productive as habitats start at the beach and move up to the old growth forests.

COA ID: 027

Recommended Conservation Actions

Create upland open areas via forest thinning or other approved restoration techniques
Improve riparian habitats
Limit development to protect wetlands and older aged forest habitats
Place LWD in stream channels to increase habitat complexity for fish and wildlife

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District
Mid-coast watershed councils
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
The Wetlands Conservancy
US Forest Service

Special Features

General

Extensive peat bog/fen wetlands
Late successional reserve forests on USFS property
Numerous Bald Eagle nesting sites

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-18 (Yaquina Bay)
2006 COA ID CR-19 (Beaver Creek Marsh)
2006 COA ID CR-21 (Drift Creek (Alsea) area)

Protected Areas

Beaver Creek State Natural Area
Drift Creek Wilderness
Estella Matilda Happ Preserve
Ona Beach State Park
Seal Rock Wetland Preserve
Siuslaw National Forest

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

Strategy Habitats

Coastal Dunes

Occurring along the Oregon coastline, coastal dunes provide habitat for species that prefer open, sandy habitats with a high degree of disturbance from winds and tides.

Estuaries

Estuaries occur where freshwater rivers meet the oceanic salty waters, are influenced by tidal flooding, and experience frequent periodic changes in salinity, water levels, sunlight, and oxygen.

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.

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 covered with water during all or part of the year. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, and marshes, while seasonally wet habitats include seasonal ponds, vernal pools, and wet prairies.