Depoe Bay Area – Oregon Conservation Strategy

The Depoe Bay COA contains the world’s smallest harbor and has a productive rocky shore and headlands for fish and wildlife use.

COA ID: 023

Recommended Conservation Actions

Protect nearshore kelp and reef habitats from development and commercial use
Protect rocky headland nesting sites
Restore old growth forests for nesting wildlife habitat

Potential Partners

Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District
Mid Coast Watershed Council
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Special Features

General

Bald Eagle nesting site
Overwintering area for Black Oystercatchers

Protected Areas

Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint
Depoe Bay Whale Watch Center
Fishing Rock State Recreation Site
Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area
Oregon Islands Wilderness

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.

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.