Western Rivers Conservancy has purchased 43 acres in the Winchuck River basin, an important coastal fishery just north of the Oregon-California border.
In 2005, the U.S. Forest Service asked Western Rivers Conservancy to take on a project along the Winchuck River in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion. The Winchuck valley on Oregon's South Coast is home to most of the states last ancient redwoods. Though small by Oregon standards, the Winchuck's 71-square-mile watershed is an important coastal fishery, with healthy runs of steelhead, sea-run cutthroat trout, chinook and coho salmon.
Western Rivers Conservancy recently purchased the 43-acre property that includes critical habitat for marbled murrelets and spotted owls along the East Fork Winchuck River. This in-holding within the Siskiyou National Forest is adjacent to the historic Ludlum House, which offers interpretive experiences and overnight stays.
The property boasts old-growth stands of coast redwood and Douglas fir, key wetland habitat and the lower reach of an important tributary, Wheeler Creek. Chinook and steelhead favor the property's mile-long stretch of stream for spawning. The land is also critical habitat for northern river otter, osprey, bald eagle, Del Norte's salamander, yellow-legged frog and four sensitive bat species. WRC is securing funding to convey the land to the Siskiyou National Forest, which is committed to preserving this beautiful example of an intact forest.
