Marvin and Marie Spores Conservation Area

With a long legacy, the Spores family worked with McKenzie River Trust to preserve this century farm property in conservation. With the support of individual donors, McKenzie River Trust purchased this parcel rich with wetland habitat, natural springs, and history in the summer of 2020.

Marvin and Marie Spores Conservation Area lies in the Mohawk River Valley upstream from the confluence of the Mohawk and McKenzie Rivers. The Mohawk River is the largest tributary of the McKenzie River, approximately 30 miles long.
Historically occupied by the Kalapuyan Native Americans, the bottomland prairies and wetland environments were maintained for waterfowl, game species and small mammals. Native plant foods such as camas and lomatium also grew here and continue to thrive. The upland hills provided resources for building dwellings and canoes for transport. Native American cultural sites have been documented throughout the Mohawk River Valley.