Lower Grande Ronde – Oregon Conservation Strategy

This COA follows the Grande Ronde River from the Oregon/Washington border to its confluence with the Wallowa River, then continues up the Wallowa to Highway 82 and the Minam River confluence. It includes many of the smaller tributaries and significant portions of larger tributaries.

COA ID: 158

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain or enhance in-channel watershed function, connection to riparian habitat, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat and ecological function; provide habitat complexity for fish and wildlife
Promote early detection and removal of invasive plants
Restore floodplain forests
Restore floodplain wetlands

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Grande Ronde Model Watershed program is working with private landowners to restore floodplain wetlands to improve irrigation return water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID BM-21 (Lower Grande Ronde)
2006 COA ID BM-22 (Wallowa River)

Protected Areas

Grande Ronde Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Grande Ronde River
Irrigon Fish Hatchery
Minam State Recreation Area
Umatilla
Wallowa River
Wallowa Whitman
Wenaha Wildlife Area
Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

Strategy Habitats

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.

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.

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.