River of the Month | April, 2020

North Santiam River

A stronghold for native fish in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the North Santiam River flows from Mount Jefferson, in the Cascades, to the main Santiam, a tributary to the Willamette River. From its source at Santiam Lake, the river is nearly pristine until it hits the dams of Detroit Lake. Below the reservoir, it meanders peacefully past farmlands and forests, where WRC is conserving rare relics of the natural floodplain for salmon, steelhead and other wildlife.

View Project
In 2011, Western Rivers Conservancy embarked on a long-term effort to purchase and conserve the finest remaining intact riverlands along the North Santiam. To date, WRC has conserved 840 acres, including over five miles of main-stem and side-channel frontage.
In 2011, Western Rivers Conservancy embarked on a long-term effort to purchase and conserve the finest remaining intact riverlands along the North Santiam. To date, WRC has conserved 840 acres, including over five miles of main-stem and side-channel frontage.
Photography | Steve Terrill

Why It Matters

The North Santiam is a unique Willamette Valley river that retains healthy swaths of lowland deciduous forest and floodplain habitat that are increasingly rare in the valley. The river traverses the homeland of the native Santiam Kalapuya people, and through some of Oregon’s best old-growth forest, eventually supplying drinking water to Salem, the state capitol. The North Santiam is critical for salmon and steelhead of the Willamette River system.

Fish

The North Santiam once produced two-thirds of the Willamette’s winter steelhead and a third of its spring Chinook—runs that face extinction today. Improved fish-passage management, habitat conservation and other programs on both the North Santiam and Willamette are upping the odds that these fish will survive. The river remains the best hope for salmon and steelhead in the valley. It’s also home to cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey and Oregon Chub (pictured).

Wildlife

Anchored by its wilderness sources, the North Santiam system supports a rich assemblage of wildlife, including sensitive species like western pond turtle, olive-sided flycatcher, willow flycatcher, northern goshawk, northern red-legged frog, rough-skinned newt and the federally-threatened northern spotted owl. The floodplain habitat of the lower river is especially important to many of these species.

How to See It

Tracing most of the river, Highway 22 is your gateway to the North Santiam and some of Oregon’s most scenic gems. The lower river is dotted with boat launches and campgrounds, but the real treasures lie above Detroit Lake, where you can explore ancient forests, secluded waterfalls and emerald pools within the Opal Creek and Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Areas (permits required).

The WRC Story

For over a decade, WRC has been working with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to acquire and conserve some of the Willamette Valley’s best unprotected habitat for salmon, steelhead and other wildlife. In 2015, we conserved 429 acres along 2.5 miles of the lower river, including healthy bottomland deciduous forests and side-channel habitat critical for spawning salmon. We transferred these lands to the tribe, which renamed them Chahalpam, meaning “place of the Santiam Kalapuya people,” who were the area’s original inhabitants. Upstream, we expanded on this success in 2016 when we bought a 411-acre farm to conserve three more miles of the river. The tribe renamed those lands Chankawan, meaning “place of salmon.” Together, our efforts are protecting some of the most productive habitat for salmon and steelhead in the entire Willamette basin, along with valuable wetlands and forests that shelter imperiled animals like western pond turtle, red-legged frog and Oregon chub.

Google Map

Best Time of Year

Trout fishing
May-Oct
Boating
Apr-Oct
Swimming
Jul-Sep
Hiking
Apr-Oct

Go Deeper

  • Six areas to explore in Oregon’s North Santiam River country

    (Travel Salem)
    Learn More

  • Discovering Valhalla: Oregon’s Hidden Gorge

    (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
    Learn More

  • Getting salmon past daunting Willamette Basin dams could have a big price tag—and a big payoff

    (OregonLive)
    Learn More

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