Metolius River Area – Oregon Conservation Strategy

The Metolius River in Oregon's East Cascades Ecoregion. Photo Credit: Erik Moberly, ODFW

Includes Metolius River basin, includes Green Ridge, and extends to include nearby valleys. Nationally known scenic recreation area that provides high quality habitat for fish and wildlife in Central Oregon.

COA ID: 127

Recommended Conservation Actions

Maintain high-quality Ponderosa Pine and Oak Woodland Habitats
Maintain or enhance in-channel watershed function, flow and hydrology
Maintain or restore riparian habitat; provide complex habitat for wildlife

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Important Bird Areas of Oregon

Potential Partners

Deschutes Land Trust
US Forest Service

Special Features

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID EC-04 (Metolius River area)

Protected Areas

Deschutes National Forest
Los Conv Name Not Known
Metolius
Metolius - Windigo
Metolius Preserve
Metolius River
Mount Jefferson Wilderness
Spring Creek Easement
Warm Springs Reservation

Ecoregions

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains’ summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Strategy Habitats

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.

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.

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.

Strategy Species

Pacific Marten (Observed)

Martes caurina

American Pika (Modeled Habitat)

Ochotona princeps

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Observed)

Picoides dorsalis

Black-backed Woodpecker (Observed)

Picoides arcticus

Bull Trout (Documented)

Salvelinus confluentus

California Myotis (Observed)

Myotis californicus

Cascade Torrent Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Rhyacotriton cascadae

Cascades Frog (Observed)

Rana cascadae

Clouded Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Aneides ferreus

Coastal Tailed Frog (Modeled Habitat)

Ascaphus truei

Photo is needed for this Strategy feature.

Crater Lake Tightcoil (Observed)

Pristiloma crateris

Flammulated Owl (Observed)

Psiloscops flammeolus

Fringed Myotis (Observed)

Myotis thysanodes

Great Basin Redband Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus mykiss newberrii

Great Gray Owl (Observed)

Strix nebulosa

Greater Sandhill Crane (Observed)

Antigone canadensis tabida

Harlequin Duck (Modeled Habitat)

Histrionicus histrionicus

Hoary Bat (Observed)

Lasiurus cinereus

Lewis’s Woodpecker (Observed)

Melanerpes lewis

Long-billed Curlew (Observed)

Numenius americanus

Long-legged Myotis (Observed)

Myotis volans

Northern Goshawk (Observed)

Accipiter gentilis atricapillus

Northern Spotted Owl (Observed)

Strix occidentalis caurina

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Observed)

Contopus cooperi

Pallid Bat (Observed)

Antrozous pallidus

Red Tree Vole (Modeled Habitat)

Arborimus longicaudus

Silver-haired Bat (Observed)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Spotted Bat (Observed)

Euderma maculatum

Swainson’s Hawk (Observed)

Buteo swainsoni

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Observed)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Trumpeter Swan (Observed)

Cygnus buccinator

Western Toad (Observed)

Anaxyrus boreas

White-headed Woodpecker (Observed)

Picoides albolarvatus

Strategy Spotlight: Metolius River

The watershed for the Metolius River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, is located in the Metolius River Conservation Opportunity Area. The Metolius Watershed is relatively undeveloped, with large blocks of federal and tribal land comprising approximately 94% of the land base. Cold, spring-fed streams characterize the watershed. The Metolius River and its tributaries support redband trout, bull trout, spring Chinook salmon, and kokanee (land-locked sockeye salmon). Notably, one of Oregon’s two historic kokanee runs originated in Suttle Lake, which connects to the Metolius River via Lake Creek. Overarching goals in the watershed are to protect existing high-quality habitat, remove barriers to fish migration, and restore riparian areas impacted by residential development.

A strong partnership coupled with the availability of longer-term funding has facilitated the accomplishment of several large-scale projects in the watershed. The Deschutes Partnership consisting of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council (UDWC), Crooked River Watershed Council, Deschutes Land Trust, and the Deschutes River Conservancy came together in 2005. Three-years later, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board’s (OWEB) Deschutes Special Investment Partnership (Deschutes SIP) formed taking advantage of the Partnership, the availability of other funding, and complementary work in the watershed to make progress towards achieving the identified goals.

In 2010, the Forest Service (USFS) and UDWC led a project to replace large woody material that had been taken out of the Metolius River for erosion control during log drives and for boater safety. The removal of large wood decreased the availability of important habitat features required for Chinook salmon spawning and rearing. A total of 684 logs and whole trees were placed along an 11 mile stretch of the river. Effectiveness monitoring conducted by the USFS shows that densities of Chinook salmon are up to three times higher in sites with large wood compared to sites without added wood.

Photo Credit: Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. Lake Creek Fish Passage Project: Before restoration project.

Photo Credit: Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. Lake Creek Fish Passage Project: After the restoration project implementation.

In 2013, the USFS and UDWC teamed up again to provide fish passage at the dam at the mouth of Lake Creek at Suttle Lake. A concrete dam was constructed in the 1960’s to stabilize lake levels in Suttle Lake. The dam was a final barrier for sockeye salmon to return to the lake to spawn. The project was designed by a USFS team. The project constructed a riffle at the location of the dam to provide passage for all life stages of fish, constructed an island, placed log jams to protect against erosion and replanted riparian species. The construction of fish passage to Suttle Lake provides kokanee access to the habitats needed throughout their life cycle.