Description
Protected as part of a local partnership that balances development with conservation, Willow Creek's native grasslands, ash woodlands and streams provide the best remaining example of native wet prairie habitats in the southern Willamette Valley.
This property is privately owned and managed in order to protect the sensitive species that call it home. We appreciate your help in protecting the landscape and respecting all those who enjoy it.
Find out more about visiting the Willow Creek here.
About Willow Creek
Willow Creek is part of the West Eugene Wetlands, an area protected through a unique partnership between local, state and federal agencies, the local community and The Nature Conservancy.
It provides critical habitat to more than 200 native plants, 100 bird and 25 butterfly species.
Caring for the Land
The Nature Conservancy has protected and managed portions of Willow Creek under lease agreements with private landowners since 1981. In the 1990s, TNC began purchasing additional Willow Creek properties and received gifts of property. In 1995, the Bonneville Power Administration purchased a conservation easement over the property as part of the agency's wildlife habitat mitigation program.
Prescribed fire was reintroduced to Willow Creek in 1986, with assistance from the Oregon Department of Forestry. Wet and upland meadows are now managed with prescribed fire by staff and partners on a three-to-five-year rotation. Frequent low-intensity fire reduces encroachment of trees and shrubs, promotes nutrient cycling, and provides opportunities to reintroduce native seed by removing thatch. Numerous native plant species benefit from frequent fire, including camas, Oregon saxifrage, and Bradshaw's lomatium.
Teams of volunteers regularly help control invasive, non-native species, including Scots broom and Himalayan blackberry. Ecologists are monitoring water quality and conducting research on native reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, native plants and other elements of Willamette Valley prairie ecology.
