Middle Owyhee River Area, COA 186

VIEW DATA LAYERS IN COMPASS

Photo Credit: Philip Milburn, ODFW

This COA is located in the northeast quarter of Malheur County and abuts the Crowley COA to the west. It encompasses Owyhee Lake and River from just east of Mitchell Butte (near the city of Adrian) south to Greeley Bar. Continuing south and east, the COA includes the rugged landscape of Mahogany Mountain, Jordan Craters, Spring Mountain, and Table Mountain as well as the Cow Lakes before ending at the Lava Bends and Jorden Creek at its southern terminus.

COA ID: 186

Recommended Conservation Actions

Manage water flows to maintain or enhance wetland habitats
Restore and maintain complex, continuous sage habitat
Restore and maintain riparian habitat and ecological function

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

Columbia Spotted Frog breeding sites
High quality Mountain Mahogany and Sagebrush communities in the Mahogany Ridge Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which provides important habitat for many landbird species
Owyhee Lake and River
Unique volcanic ashbeds provide habitat for rare endemic plant species

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID NBR-13 (Middle Owyhee River area)

Protected Areas

Blue Canyon Wilderness Study Area
Clarks Butte Wilderness Study Area
Coal Mine Basin Research Natural Area
Dry Creek Buttes Wilderness Study Area
Dry Creek Gorge Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Dry Creek Wilderness Study Area
Hammond Hill Sand Hills
Honeycombs Research Natural Area
Honeycombs Wilderness Study Area
Jordan Craters Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Jordan Craters Wilderness Study Area
Lake Owyhee State Park
Leslie Gulch
Lower Owyhee Canyon Wilderness Study Area
Mahogany Ridge Research Natural Area
Main Owyhee River
Owyhee Below Dam
Owyhee Breaks Wilderness Study Area
Owyhee Reservoir
Owyhee Views
Owyhee Views Area Of Critical Environmental Concern
Slocum Creek Wilderness Study Area

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

Canyon Shrublands
Caves and Mines
Volcanic Ashbeds

Strategy Species

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 (Observed)

Myotis californicus

Caspian Tern

Caspian Tern (Observed)

Hydroprogne caspia

Columbia Spotted Frog (Observed)

Rana luteiventris

Cronquist’s Stickseed (Observed)

Hackelia cronquistii

Ferruginous Hawk (Observed)

Buteo regalis

Great Basin Redband Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii

Greater Sage-Grouse

Greater Sage-Grouse (Observed)

Centrocercus urophasianus

Greater Sandhill Crane (Observed)

Antigone canadensis tabida

Grimy Ivesia (Observed)

Ivesia rhypara var. rhypara

Hoary Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Lasiurus cinereus

Long-billed Curlew (Observed)

Numenius americanus

Long-legged Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis volans

Mountain Quail (Modeled Habitat)

Oreortyx pictus

Mulford’s Milkvetch (Observed)

Astragalus mulfordiae

Owyhee Clover (Observed)

Trifolium owyheense

Packard’s Mentzelia (Observed)

Mentzelia packardiae

Pallid Bat (Observed)

Antrozous pallidus

Peregrine Falcon (Observed)

Falco peregrinus anatum

Pygmy Rabbit (Observed)

Brachylagus idahoensis

Silver-haired Bat (Observed)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Smooth Mentzelia (Observed)

Mentzelia mollis

Spotted Bat (Observed)

Euderma maculatum

Sterile Milkvetch (Observed)

Astragalus cusickii var. sterilis

Swainson’s Hawk (Observed)

Buteo swainsoni

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Observed)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Trumpeter Swan (Observed)

Cygnus buccinator

Western Toad (Observed)

Anaxyrus boreas

Willow Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher (Observed)

Empidonax traillii