Champoeg Natural Resource Management Plan

The Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) wrote a natural resource management plan for Champoeg State Heritage Area (Champoeg) to document the existing areas of conservation value and provide a framework for managing and restoring the property. Champoeg is a 672-acre park located in Marion County, with many rare plants, animals, and habitats, including the peacock larkspur (endangered), the acorn woodpecker (species of concern), and oak savanna (strategy habitat). The site also has a long history of use by indigenous groups, who continue to use Champoeg for traditional harvesting. Despite its cultural and ecological importance, Champoeg lacked an up-to-date management plan that reflected the current conditions on the site. The new management plan provides detailed maps of the habitats, locations and population estimates of endangered species and weeds, and provides guidance on how to protect this important park for years to come.

Instream surveys was mistakenly reported at proposed and all subsequent metrics are reported as 0.

Both Chinook salmon and steelhead have been documented at Champoeg.
As part of the development of this NRMP, we will be assessing riparian vegetation and wildlife habitat quality along the three-mile stretch of the Willamette River which borders the park, as well as evaluating the approximately one mile of creeks (Champoeg, Mission and Ryan) found within the park. Both Champoeg and Mission creeks are 303d listed, and OPRD would like to improve the quality of these creeks by increasing shade and reduce temperatures, placing large wood, and assessing feasibility of connecting off channel floodplain areas. The NRMP process will enable OPRD to identify and prioritize these and other salmon and steelhead-related goals and restoration actions. Having these actions called out in the NRMP will help park management advocate for resources to implement them.