Illinois River-Silver Creek – Oregon Conservation Strategy

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This large and diverse COA includes mature conifer forests as well as dense manzanita and Ceanothus brush fields created by the 2002 biscuit fire, which burned 500,000 acres in the Siskiyou National Forest. The COA contains serpentine soils that are home to the rare and endemic plant that make the Klamath Mountain Ecoregion an area of Global Botanical Significance.

COA ID: 096

Recommended Conservation Actions

Acquire instream water rights to augment streamflows downstream of areas with high coho rearing densities, such as Deer Creek, to produce more fish.
Conduct remote camera surveys for Humboldt Marten, Ringtail, and Pacific Fisher and collect genetic samples when possible.
Promote the development of mature riparian habitat in natural bar or floodplain areas such as the mainstem Illinois River to improve junvenile Fall Chinook habitat.
Remove encroaching conifers to maintain meadow habitat.
Restore ambient streamflow, riparian vegetation, and in-stream structure.
Support the natural development of mature riparian habitat in natural bar or floodplain areas to improve juvenile Fall Chinook habitat.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Conservation Plan for Fall Chinook in the Rogue Species Management Unit
Important Bird Areas of Oregon
ODFW Coho Expert Panel Summary
Oregon Native Fish Status Report
USFS Upper Briggs Watershed Restoration Project

Potential Partners

Oregon Hunters Association
US Forest Service

Special Features

General

Serpentine soils host a number of endemic plant species.

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID KM-03 (Rogue area)
2006 COA ID KM-04 (Kalmiopsis area)
2006 COA ID KM-05 (Taylor Creek area)

Protected Areas

Big Pine
Fall Creek
Hoover Gulch Research Natural Area
Illinois River
Kalmiopsis Wilderness
Lower Rogue River
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

Strategy Habitats

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.

Oak Woodlands

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

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.