Harney-Malheur Area, COA 187

VIEW DATA LAYERS IN COMPASS

Harney Lake/Malheur Lake area — Photo Credit: Martyne Reesman, ODFW

This COA encompasses both Harney and Malheur Lakes at the north end and then heads south along the Donner and Blitzen River and Blitzen Valley. An eastern finger of the COA continues out of the valley as far as the town of Diamond and the southern finger ends near French Glen.

COA ID: 187

Recommended Conservation Actions

Control invasive carp and restore natural flows and channels in the Blitzen River
Maintain alkaline wetland habitats
Promote early detection and removal of invasive weeds
Work with private landowners to conserve wetlands and waterbirds habitats.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Area encompasses the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Includes some of the most important wetland habitats in the western states
The COA has a high diversity of breeding waterbirds, including the largest population of nesting sandhill cranes in Oregon

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID NBR-08 (Harney-Malheur area)
2006 COA ID NBR-09 (Steens Mountain High Lava Plains)

Protected Areas

Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area
Frenchglen Corral
Harney Lake
Kiger Mustang
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Steens Mountain Cooperative Management And Protection Area
Wetlands Reserve Program

Ecoregions

Trout Creek Mountains

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.

Strategy Habitats

Example of the Aspen Woodlands Strategy Habitat, within Fremont-Winema National Forest, Oregon

Aspen Woodlands

Aspen woodlands are woodland or forest communities, dominated by aspen trees with a forb, grass, or shrub understory. Aspen woodlands can also occur within conifer forests.

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.

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.

Sagebrush Habitats

Sagebrush Habitats

Sagebrush habitats include all sagebrush steppe- and shrubland-dominated communities found east of the Cascade Mountains.

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

Alkali Grasslands
Aquatic Vegetation Beds
Springs

Strategy Species

American Pika (Modeled Habitat)

Ochotona princeps

American White Pelican (Observed)

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Black-necked Stilt (Observed)

Himantopus mexicanus

Bobolink (Observed)

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Burrowing Owl (Observed)

Athene cunicularia hypugaea

California Myotis on tree

California Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis californicus

Caspian Tern

Caspian Tern (Observed)

Hydroprogne caspia

Columbia Spotted Frog (Observed)

Rana luteiventris

Ferruginous Hawk (Observed)

Buteo regalis

Franklin's Gull

Franklin’s Gull (Observed)

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Fringed Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis thysanodes

Great Basin Redband Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii

Greater Sage-Grouse

Greater Sage-Grouse (Observed)

Centrocercus urophasianus

Greater Sandhill Crane (Observed)

Antigone canadensis tabida

Hoary Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Lasiurus cinereus

Long-billed Curlew (Observed)

Numenius americanus

Long-legged Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis volans

Monarch Butterfly (Observed)

Danaus plexippus

Mountain Quail (Observed)

Oreortyx pictus

Pallid Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Antrozous pallidus

Peregrine Falcon (Observed)

Falco peregrinus anatum

Pygmy Rabbit (Observed)

Brachylagus idahoensis

Silver-haired Bat (Observed)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Snowy Egret (Observed)

Egretta thula

Swainson’s Hawk (Observed)

Buteo swainsoni

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Trumpeter Swan (Observed)

Cygnus buccinator

Western Snowy Plover (Observed)

Charadrius nivosus nivosus

Western Toad (Modeled Habitat)

Anaxyrus boreas

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher (Observed)

Empidonax traillii