Union County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon, and one of the 8 counties of eastern Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,196. The county comprises the La Grande micropolitan statistical area and the county seat is La Grande.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge and is overseen by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge borders the Columbia River and is located west of the city of Ridgefield, Washington. The wildlife haven is split by Lake River. The refuge, which provides a year-round habitat and a migration stop for a variety of bird species, protects more than 5,200 acres (2,100 ha) of marshes, grasslands, and woodlands
The Alvord cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii alvordensis, was a subspecies of cutthroat trout. It was known only from Trout Creek in Oregon and Virgin Creek in Nevada, although it may have lived in several of the larger Alvord Basin streams during recent times. It was native to spring-fed creeks that ran down to Alvord Dry Lake in southeast Oregon, which was a large lake during the ice ages and an isolated drainage, part of the Great Basin today. This is one of the two cutthroat trout taxa considered extinct because all known populations are hybridized with rainbow trout which were introduced into streams in the Alvord basin in the 1920s, resulting in cutbows.
Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge is in northwestern Oregon, 10 miles (16 km) west of Salem in Polk County. The Refuge consists of 1,173 acres (4.75 km²) of cropland, which provide forage for wintering geese, 300 acres (1.2 km²) of forests, 550 acres (2.2 km²) of grasslands, and 500 acres (2.0 km²) of shallow water seasonal wetlands and 35 acres (0.14 km²) of permanent open water. In 1965, Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge was created to help ensure some of the original habitat remained for species preservation. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and angling licenses, advises on habitat protection, and sponsors public education programs. Its history dates to the 1878 establishment of the office of Columbia River Fish Warden. Since 1931, enforcement of Oregon's Fish and Game laws has been the responsibility of the Oregon State Police rather than separate wardens.
Fern Ridge Reservoir is a reservoir on the Long Tom River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The reservoir is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Eugene on Oregon Route 126. The reservoir is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project encompassing more than 12,000 acres (49 km2) and is a popular site for boating, fishing, and birdwatching.
Diamond Lake is a natural body of water in the southern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies near the junction of Oregon Route 138 and Oregon Route 230 in the Umpqua National Forest in Douglas County. It is located between Mount Bailey to the west and Mount Thielsen to the east; it is just north of Crater Lake National Park.
The Denman Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area near Eagle Point, Oregon, in the United States. It was named in honor of Kenneth Denman, an attorney from nearby Medford, Oregon, who lobbied for the creation of the area in 1954.
The Bridge Creek Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area located near Ukiah, Oregon, United States. The location was set aside in 1961 as a wintering area for elk.
The Dean Creek Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area located near Reedsport, Oregon, United States. Jointly managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Bureau of Land Management, it is the year-round residence for a herd of Roosevelt elk.
The E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area located near Corvallis, Oregon. The site was named for Eddy Elbridge Wilson, a member of the former Oregon State Game Commission for fourteen years before his death in 1961. Wildlife visible includes blacktail deer, pheasant, and quail.
The Elkhorn Wildlife Area is a wildlife management area located near North Powder, Oregon, United States. The large site covers parts of Union and Baker counties, including parts of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
The Sauvie Island Wildlife Area is a state game management area on Sauvie Island in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than 12,000 acres (4,856 ha) for mixed use including hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, birdwatching and hiking. Established in 1974, it is located in both Multnomah and Columbia counties.
Erratic Rock State Natural Site is a state park in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States. Featuring a 40-short-ton (36 t) glacial erratic from the Missoula Floods, the small park sits atop a foothill of the Northern Oregon Coast Range in Yamhill County between Sheridan and McMinnville off Oregon Route 18. The day use only park is owned and maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
The Oregon High Desert Grotto is an American caving club, known as a Grotto. It is affiliated with the National Speleological Society.
The Ana River is a short spring-fed river in south-central Oregon. It is on the northwestern edge of the Great Basin drainage. It flows 7 miles (11 km) from springs at the foot of Winter Ridge through high desert, range, and wetlands before emptying into Summer Lake. For most of its course, the Ana River flows through the Summer Lake Wildlife Area, which is maintained by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The river provides habitat for many mammal and bird species, as well as several fish species, including the rare Summer Lake Tui chub. The largest hybrid striped bass ever caught in Oregon was taken from Ana Reservoir in 2009.
The Summer Lake Wildlife Area is a 29.6-square-mile (77 km2) wildlife refuge located on the northwestern edge of the Great Basin drainage in south-central Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The refuge is an important stop for waterfowl traveling along the Pacific Flyway during their spring and fall migrations. The Summer Lake Wildlife Area also provides habitat for shorebirds and other bird species as well as wide variety of mammals and several fish species. The Ana River supplies the water for the refuge wetlands.
Wenaha Wildlife Area is a 12,419-acre (5,026 ha) wildlife area near Troy, Oregon. It is operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The area is bordered by Umatilla National Forest. Wildlife visible in the park includes bald eagles, bears, bighorn sheep, bobcats, elk, mule deer, and wild turkey.
Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area is a wildlife area near Prineville, Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It also borders Prineville Reservoir State Park. Wildlife visible includes bald eagles, golden eagles, mule deer, and osprey. Fish include largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass.
