Corvallis Forest
The Corvallis Forest is located approximately 16 miles west of Corvallis off Highway 34 on Marys Peak. The Corvallis Forest consists of 2352 acres that is part of the larger 10,000 acres of the Rock Creek Watershed. The bulk of the acreage not managed by the City is managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) as part of the Siuslaw National Forest. The City began purchasing properties in the Watershed in the early 1900's and has been using it as a source of drinking water supply since that time. In 1920, the City of Corvallis convinced the USFS to purchase the remainder of the land in the Marys Peak drainage. Congress declared it a municipal watershed and closed to the public for the protection of the water supply.
Use of the Corvallis Forest and broader watershed is limited by the City of Corvallis and the USFS for protection of the municipal water supply and the timber resource. However, a closed watershed provides excellent opportunities for controlled studies in forestry, hydrology, botany and other disciplines which need areas or subjects protected from outside interference. The Corvallis Forest has been used frequently by local schools and colleges, fish and wildlife researches, and the USFS for these types of studies.
The overall goal of the City of Corvallis is to work with our watershed partners to provide a reliable source of high-quality drinking water that surpasses all State and Federal drinking water requirements. The Corvallis Forest includes the Rock Creek Water Treatment Plant, which produces up to 30 percent of the City’s total water production annually. Water quality for domestic use is the first priority for all management practices within the watershed on City-owned land. The Corvallis Forest also provides an opportunity to manage natural resources for ecological benefits by restoring forested areas, non-forest terrestrial habitats, and aquatic habitats to natural conditions and processes.
The Corvallis City Council adopted the Corvallis Forest Stewardship Plan on December 18, 2006 and adopted an updated plan on July 1, 2013. Copies of both the 2006 and 2013 Corvallis Forest Stewardship Plans are available through the Corvallis Watershed tab in the menu to the left.
