- Northern alligator lizard (Elgaria coerulea)
Camas (Camassia quamash)- White morph of Camassia quamash
- Garry oaks (Quercus garryana) with senescing leaves
- Controlled burn
The Scatter Creek Wildlife Area is a multi-unit protected area and wildlife reserve in southern Thurston County, Washington. Covering five units, the area is owned and managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
The Scatter Creek Unit is a 915-acre unit that is split into two sections, the North site and the South site and is located near Grand Mound, Washington and Rochester. The parcel is the site of a former homestead.[1]
The Scatter Creek Unit is home to one of the few remaining sections of south Puget Sound prairie. Garry oaks (Quercus garryana). The oaks can be found growing in riparian areas, along with Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia). In the forested hills on the north side of the reserve, conifers such as Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) predominate. Mima mounds can be found at both the North and South site.
The area contains the West Rocky Prairie Unit near Tenino. The unit is 119.0 acres (48.2 ha) and contains Oregon white oak, Oregon ash, Douglas fir, and maple. In 2023, the WDFW undertook a tree-thinning operation to restore the prairie oak habitat by removing heavy densities of ash, fir, and maple. The project would also overhaul the roads in the parcel.[2]
