Known Fish Habitat Areas for Listed Species in Multnomah County, Oregon

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed several species of salmon native to the Columbia River basin in northwestern United States. They are Lower Columbia River chinook salmon, Columbia River chum salmon, and Lower Columbia River steelhead trout.

The northern border of Multnomah County, Oregon, is the Columbia River. During an 18-month period, the county and consultants prepared a document describing Multnomah County's ESA/Salmon Recovery Planning efforts. These images are some of the maps included in that document.

The first step of the planning effort was to inventory county program areas and activities that could potentially affect steelhead trout and salmon. Maps were prepared to show city and government jurisdictions within the habitat areas, watershed boundaries, the distribution of each endangered species within the watersheds, natural barriers such as waterfalls, and fish runs and habitat reaches.

The map series is used extensively in analysis and decision making for county operation and watershed restoration programs. The map layers are integrated with other GIS inventories, such as fish passage culverts, and provide spatial analysis on issues relating to fish recovery.

County staff, other agencies, and the public use these maps, which provide quick and complete habitat definitions that are generally complex and difficult to visualize.