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Trout Creek Ranch Headquarters

A range of restoration

The headquarters of Trout Creek Ranch lie in a low valley between the Pueblo and Trout Creek Mountains. This arid landscape features a mix of salt-scrub, sage-steppe and willow laden meadow bisected by the lower reaches of Trout Creek. Nearby features include the Alvord Desert—Oregon’s driest place—Borax Lake, with 105 degree water that supports the unusual and endangered Borax Lake chub, and the Alvord Lake playa, the final destination of the ranch’s namesake. 

Trout Creek Ranch headquarters and the full project area is near Fields, Oregon.

 

Historically one of the area’s most iconic cattle ranches, the headquarters portion of Trout Creek Ranch includes both ranching and farming infrastructure. The Land Trust and local partners will continue farming and ranching operations to help support the local economy and achieve conservation goals across the project area.

Trout Creek Ranch's extensive wet meadows lie between the Trout Creek and Pueblo Mountains.


Wetlands for Wildlife

The wetlands of Southern Oregon-Northeastern California (SONEC) comprise some of the most important spring and fall staging habitat for waterfowl in North America, supporting over 70% of the Pacific Flyway’s dabbling ducks and 30% of the continent’s northern pintails during spring migration. The Intermountain West Joint Venture has identified approximately 5,700 acres of Trout Creek Ranch as SONEC priority areas. The ranch’s meadows are also located 40 miles directly south of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area that supports more than 340 bird species. 

Snow geese flood the skies in eastern Oregon during migration — Craig Miller
Sandhill cranes use the lower Trout Creek meadows of the ranch in spring.

 

Like Malheur Wildlife Refuge to the north, flood-irrigation, haying, and grazing are being managed on Trout Creek Ranch to provide critical habitat for waterfowl. The Land Trust plans to continue irrigating Trout Creek’s wet meadows to support the SONEC Working Wet Meadows Initiative for bird conservation. Discussions are also being initiated with partners about restoration projects that would build on this amazing resource. We will manage this area to sustain a variety of birds and pronghorn antelope during their migrations, as well as many other animals year-round. Mountain lion, bobcat, and mule deer have all been seen on the landscape.  

White-faced ibis fly through the wet meadows and past the Pueblo Mountains in spring.


Investing in the future

Purchasing and protecting Trout Creek Ranch was an important first step, but we’re just as excited about the road ahead. Partnering with The Nature Conservancy and others on research efforts and conservation management will help establish regional conservation goals, test innovative restoration techniques, and develop new, collaborative land management strategies on wild and working lands for wildlife and people. Ongoing efforts include:

  • Assess ecological values, develop restoration plans, monitor water resources
  • Engage Tribal stakeholders through restoration partnerships, cooperative land management and cultural preservation and access agreements
  • Establish collaborative working relationships with local farmers, ranchers and state and federal land managers
  • Restore thousands of acres of wet meadows for waterfowl, shorebirds, waders and other birds in critical migration and breeding area along Pacific Flyway
  • Manage adaptive grazing, introduce regenerative agricultural practices, track progress with remote sensing technologies 
  • Decommission unneeded infrastructure, rehabilitate ranch buildings, establish facilities for researchers, volunteers, and partners
  • Create guidelines and signage outlining opportunities for public access that convey area’s ecological, cultural and historic significance
Pronghorn antelope frequent the agriculture fields of Trout Creek Ranch — Adi Fenty
A great horned owl scouts within structures at the ranch headquarters — Adi Fenty

 

Feature photo by Adi Fenty

 


Wildlife Camera Videos


Related Reads

Tribal Gatherings

Tribal leaders discussed the Native history and stewardship of their homelands at Trout Creek Ranch.

Research Fueled by Fire

Oregon State University finished 10 years of fieldwork on sage-grouse responses to wildfire.

Tribal Stewards

Tribal teens lead on conservation efforts through Northwest Youth Corps.