Crater Lake – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Crater Lake National Park. Photo Credit: Keith Kohl, ODFW

Crater Lake, Crater Lake National Park and surrounding wetlands and forest habitats.

COA ID: 121

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain or enhance wetland and wet meadow habitat
Work with national and regional partners to provide Conservation Strategy outreach

Potential Partners

Internationally significant ultraoligotrophic lake
Oregon Department of Forestry
US Forest Service
National Park Service

Special Features

General

Area encompasses Crater Lake and Crater Lake National Park
Area includes significant percentage of the ecoregion's wetlands and wet meadow habitat

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID WC-10 (Crater Lake)

Protected Areas

Crater Lake
Forest Development Fund (Board Of Forestry)
Fremont-Winema National Forest
Mount Thielsen Wilderness
Oregon Cascades Recreation Area
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Sky Lakes Wilderness
Umpqua National Forest

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

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

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.

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.

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are dominated by ponderosa pine, but 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. Their understories are variable combinations of shrubs, herbaceous plants, and grasses.

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.