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East Cascades

Although many of the high elevation wetlands along the eastern crest of the Cascades are largely intact, the great shallow lake and marsh systems of the upper Klamath Basin have been reduced by at least estimated 75 percent. Remaining wetlands in the Klamath Basin are said to support the largest concentrations of waterfowl in North America, with more than six million ducks passing through annually and as many as one million present during the peak of fall migration. The Klamath Basin's wetlands also provide important breeding habitat for dozens of species of waterbirds, including rare and sensitive species such as yellow rails, ring-necked ducks and sandhill cranes. Marshes around the fringes of Upper Klamath Lake also provide essential habitat for several species of endangered suckers (ODFW). Substantial blocks of remaining wetlands are contained in the Klamath Basin's national wildlife refuges and The Nature Conservancy's Sycan Marsh Preserve. Large-scale wetland restoration efforts are under way at Sycan Marsh (20,000 acres), on the Bureau of Land Management's Wood River Wetlands (3,200 acres) and the Williamson River Delta (3,600 acres). To the north, national forest lands near the crest of the Cascades include some high quality wetlands at Big Marsh, Davis Lake, and other high elevation lake systems.

For more information, see the Joint Venture’s Klamath Basin plan.