Antelope Creek-Paynes Cliffs – Oregon Conservation Strategy

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This area includes important and rare low eleveation rocky outcropping and cliff habitat as well as Antelope Creek, historically one of the biggest producers of Summer Steelhead in the Rogue Watershed.

COA ID: 099

Recommended Conservation Actions

Acquire instream water rights to augment streamflows downstream of areas with high coho rearing densities, such as South Fork Little Butte Creek, to expand habitat and produce more fish.
Focus on providing additional instream flow and improved riparian habitat on South Fork Little Butte Creek and Antelop Creek, which are two of the most productive streams in the Rogue system, to ensure that available habitat can be utilized to the greatest extent possible.
Mimic historic disturbance regime with fire and mechanical treatments to restore Ceanothus Shrublands.
Promote the development of mature riparian habitat in natural bar or floodplain areas in the mainstem Rogue River to improve junvenile Fall Chinook habitat.
Restore ambient streamflow, fish passage, riparian vegetation, fish passage, floodplain connectivity, and in-stream structure.
Work with private landowners to protect Golden Eagles and other wildlife using rimrock and cliffs.

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Medford Parks Department: Prescott Park
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Souther Oregon Land Conservancy

Special Features

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID KM-07 (Shady Cove foothills)
2006 COA ID KM-08 (North Medford area)
2006 COA ID KM-09 (Antelope Creek area)

Protected Areas

Agate Airways
Prescott Park
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Sharon Fen
Harnish Wayside Park
Hole-In-The-Rock
Hooper Springs Park
Howard Prairie Lake
Lost Lake
Lucas Park

Ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

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.