Yachats River Area – Oregon Conservation Strategy

A narrow river channel with a wide shallow mouth at the ocean, this COA incorporates steep coastal mountains.

COA ID: 030

Recommended Conservation Actions

Preserve balds and buttes from encroachment of non-native vegetation
Protect and promote late successional uneven aged forest habitat
Reduce road density and access along streams, floodplains, wetlands, and ridges that are not artery mainline roadways
Survey for rare forest mammals (e.g., martens, fishers)

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Coastal multispecies conservation plan
Important Bird Areas of Oregon

Potential Partners

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service

Special Features

General

Marbled Murrelet nesting sites
Spotted Owl nesting sites

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-20 (Alsea River Estuary)
2006 COA ID CR-23 (Siuslaw River area)
2006 COA ID CR-24 (Heceta Head)

Protected Areas

Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua Marine Gardens
Cummins Creek Wilderness
Cummins/Gwynn Creeks
Neptune State Scenic Viewpoint
Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Oregon Islands Wilderness
San Marine State Wayside
Siuslaw National Forest
Smelt Sands State Recreation Site
Yachats Marine Gardens

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.

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.

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.