Sutton Lake Area – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Sea Level coastal lakes with limited tidal influence and large enough to have cold water and waves

COA ID: 033

Recommended Conservation Actions

Limit the placement of docks and boathouses in the lake, follow ODFW dock guidelines or use established public ramps
Maintain meadow habitat and Enchanted Valeey grasslands
Protect and restore lake, stream, and beach shorelines from hardening and dynamic revetment modifications (rip rap, rock, etc)
Protect Snowy Plover habitats and limited public use during sensitive seasons
Protect wetlands, floodplains, and other sensitive areas from urban sprawl and building

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Bailey creek restoration project
Important Bird Areas of Oregon

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Siuslaw Watershed Council
West Lane SWCD

Special Features

General

Bog/Fen wetland habitats associated with lake systems
Marbled Murrelet nesting sites
Spotted Owl Nesting sites

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-23 (Siuslaw River area)
2006 COA ID CR-25 (Sutton Lake area)
2006 COA ID CR-26 (Siuslaw River Estuary)

Protected Areas

Bender Park
Clear Lake Dunes Park
Darlingtonia State Natural Site
Heceta Beach Park
Heceta Sand Dunes
Mercer Lake Park
Munsel Lake Park
Ocean Woods Park
Siuslaw National Forest
Siuslaw North Jetty
Sutton Lake Swamp

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.

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.

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.