Reneke Creek Research Natural Area

Siuslaw National Forest , USFS

Coast Range Ecoregion

Cell(s):

• Sitka spruce/salmonberry

Access by road

Reneke Creek RNA, which encompasses the entire upstream watershed of Reneke Creek, is located 5 mile north of Pacific City in Tillamook County, Oregon. The watershed in the RNA is comprised of two streams, one dominated by red alder (Alnus rubra), the other by conifers. The topography of the 194 ha RNA is generally steep, and elevations range from 43 m to 354 m. The tract lies within the Sitka Spruce Zone and the dominant forest plant association is Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)/Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis); however, there are also scattered occurrences of Sitka spruce/swordfern (Polystichum) association. The stand apparently originated after a catastrophic fire in the mid 1800's. The red alder/salmonberry community type dominates riparian zones, as well as areas of steeply sloped terrain. The successional nature of red alder, which is seral to Sitka spruce and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) in this region, is indicated by the many spruce and hemlock seedlings and saplings that are prominent throughout these areas. Marbled murrelets, designated as a threatened species by both the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have been sighted in the upper reaches of the site. Weak stemmed bluegrass, which remains on the Oregon Natural Heritage Plan's list of threatened and endangered plants, has been found just south of the RNA.