Siletz Bay – Oregon Conservation Strategy

The Siletz estuary is a diverse and complex habitat system, occupied by numerous fish and wildlife species.

COA ID: 021

Recommended Conservation Actions

Limit the placement of docks and boathouses in the estuary
Protect and restore estuarine shorelines from hardening and dynamic revetment modifications (rip rap, rock, etc)
Remove remaining dikes and tide gated areas to recover lost salt marsh habitats

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Important Bird Areas of Oregon
Siletz River Basin Fish Management Plan
Coastal Multispecies Conservation Plan

Potential Partners

Ducks Unlimited
Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District
Mid Coast Watersheds Council
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service

Special Features

General

Bald Eagle nest site
Band-tailed Pigeon spring
Coastal Chinook rearing habitat
Coastal Coho rearing habitat
Waterfowl migration and wintering habitat

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-15 (Siletz Bay)

Protected Areas

Gleneden Beach State Recreation Site
Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Siuslaw National Forest

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.

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.