Central Cascades Crest, West, COA 113

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Central Cascades Crest, West area — Photo Credit: USFS

Partially bounded by the North Santiam River to the north, the McKenzie River to the west, and the Middle Fork Willamette to the south. Area encompasses significant high-quality fish and wildlife habitat next to wilderness areas managed for their conservation values

COA ID: 113

Recommended Conservation Actions

Initiate or continue wet meadow conservation and restoration efforts
Maintain or enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function; ensure sufficient complexity for wildlife

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

American Fisheries Society Aquatic Diversity Areas

Potential Partners

Linn County Parks
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
US Forest Service

Special Features

General

Adjacent to Mt. Jefferson Wilderness
Adjacent to Mt. Washington Wilderness Area
Adjacent to Three Sisters Wilderness Area
Adjacent to Waldo Lake Wilderness Area

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID WC-08 (Central Cascades Crest)

Protected Areas

Clear Lake Park
Three Sisters Wilderness
Waldo Lake Wilderness
Willamette National Forest
Willamette River, North Fork Of the Middle Fork
Marion Lake Scenic Area
McKenzie River
Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Mount Washington Wilderness
Olallie Ridge Research Natural Area

Ecoregions

West Cascades Ecoregion

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.

Strategy Habitats

Grassland Strategy Habitat

Grasslands

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

Coast Range Ecoregion

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.

Scott Lake is an example of the Oregon Conservation Strategy Natural Lakes Strategy Habitat.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land. For the purposes of the Conservation Strategy, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes.

Example of Oak Woodlands, which is a Strategy Habitat within the Oregon Conservation Strategy

Oak Woodlands

Oak woodlands are characterized by an open canopy dominated by Oregon white oak.

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.

Specialized Local Habitats

Alpine habitats
Balds and bluffs
Forest openings
Rock habitats
Spring fed streams

Strategy Species

Pacific Marten (Observed)

Martes caurina

American Pika (Observed)

Ochotona princeps

Black Petaltail (Observed)

Tanypteryx hageni

Black Swift (Modeled Habitat)

Cypseloides niger borealis

Bull Trout

Bull Trout (Documented)

Salvelinus confluentus

California Myotis on tree

California Myotis (Observed)

Myotis californicus

Cascade Torrent Salamander

Cascade Torrent Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Rhyacotriton cascadae

Cascades Frog (Observed)

Rana cascadae

Clouded Salamander

Clouded Salamander (Observed)

Aneides ferreus

Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus clarki clarki

Coastal Tailed Frog (Observed)

Ascaphus truei

Flammulated Owl (Observed)

Psiloscops flammeolus

Fringed Myotis (Observed)

Myotis thysanodes

Great Gray Owl (Observed)

Strix nebulosa

Greater Sandhill Crane (Observed)

Antigone canadensis tabida

Harlequin Duck (Observed)

Histrionicus histrionicus

Hoary Bat (Observed)

Lasiurus cinereus

Lewis’s Woodpecker (Observed)

Melanerpes lewis

Long-legged Myotis (Observed)

Myotis volans

Northern Goshawk (Observed)

Accipiter gentilis atricapillus

Northern Red-legged Frog (Observed)

Rana aurora

Northern Spotted Owl (Observed)

Strix occidentalis caurina

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Observed)

Contopus cooperi

Oregon Slender Salamander (Observed)

Batrachoseps wrighti

Oregon Spotted Frog (Observed)

Rana pretiosa

Red Tree Vole (Modeled Habitat)

Arborimus longicaudus

Ringtail

Ringtail (Modeled Habitat)

Bassariscus astutus

Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Observed)

Vulpes vulpes necator

Silver-haired Bat (Observed)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Observed)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Northwestern Pond Turtle (Observed)

Actinemys marmorata

Western Toad (Observed)

Anaxyrus boreas