Permanent Rule WSR 23-02-069: It is unlawful for any person to cause or allow goats or sheep to be untethered or unattended on this wildlife area unit, unless otherwise permitted by the director to do so. Goats or sheep that have tested positive for Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae or that are displaying signs of pneumonia or other illness will not be permitted. Goats or sheep showing signs of pneumonia or other illness while on department lands must be removed within 48 hours. If a goat or sheep becomes lost, the owner must make every effort to locate and recover it. If the goat or sheep cannot be recovered, the owner shall contact the department by telephone as soon as possible.
The Similkameen-Chopaka Unit is known for trophy white-tailed buck deer. This unit is also a great place for birding, especially in the early spring. The steep mountain range to the west provides spectacular scenery, which also is home to bighorn sheep and mountain goats. The valley floor is mostly agricultural land, providing waterfowl forage. Ponds hold trumpeter swans, Canada geese and a variety of dabbling and diving ducks, while brushy riparian draws are a natural feature of the high water table, and provide habitat for upland birds as well as numerous migratory perching birds.
The Similkameen-Chopaka Unit is located 18 miles west of Oroville along the Chopaka Road in Okanogan County.
The Similkameen-Chopaka Unit occurs in the Okanogan Watershed in the Columbia River Basin. The unit is situated at the bottom of the Similkameen Valley between the peaks of the Chopaka Mountains. The Similkameen River forms the eastern boundary. Lands to the north and south are privately owned and primarily used in agriculture and cattle grazing. Nearby public lands include Bureau of Land Management and Department of Natural Resources.
This unit is part of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area.
Game Management Unit: 215
Getting there
Maps and directions to WDFW-managed access points for this unit. Opens Google Maps in a new tab.
Recreation and public access
A Discover Pass is required on WDFW lands -- including water access areas, wildlife areas, and campgrounds -- unless you already have a Vehicle Access Pass issued with the purchase of an eligible hunting or fishing license. Recreate responsibly on public lands: please know the Public Conduct Rules.
Public facility information:
- ADA gravel parking area with reader board, large enough for trailer turn around
- No restroom
- ADA trail to viewing blind
- Canoe launch
Recreation and access advisories
- Motorized access is restricted to county road.
- The area has current agricultural and grazing leases at various times of the year. The public is welcome to enjoy the area and are asked to respect the lessee's equipment on the area. Please leave gates as you find them.
Hunting
This unit is known for trophy white-tailed buck deer. Other big game animals include bighorn sheep and mountain goats on the slopes of Chopaka Mountain, black bear and cougar. Ruffed grouse use the riparian areas, and upland birds include ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, California quail, chukar and mourning dove. Each spring, the ponds and oxbows are filled with Canada geese, dabblers and diving ducks of all kinds and trumpeter swans. The short meadow grass fields are forage for geese and waterfowl.
Wildlife viewing
This unit includes shrubsteppe, deciduous shrubs, riparian strips of cottonwood/aspen/alder, Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir stands, and managed forage fields, offering opportunities to view a variety of wildlife, including black bear, cougar, white-tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, chukar, mourning dove, Canada geese, ruffed grouse, gray partridge, ring-necked pheasant, California quail, and trumpeter swans.
The slopes of Chopaka Mountain offer opportunities to view bighorn sheep and mountain goats. Each spring, the ponds and oxbows are filled with Canada geese, dabblers, diving ducks, and trumpeter swans. This unit includes an ADA trail to a viewing blind accessed from the main parking lot, which includes ADA parking overlooking an oxbow pond.
Search for potential birding opportunities on or near a wildlife area unit by using eBird Northwest, a citizen science database portal that provides freely-shared bird lists at 'hotspots' and interactive maps plus other birding information updated daily.
Conservation
To the west are the steep slopes of Chopaka Mountain, which is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, rising to elevations of 8,000 feet on Hurley Peak. This slope provides a scenic backdrop to the lush valley bottom that is the Similkameen-Chopaka Wildlife Unit. The Similkameen River forms the eastern boundary and is lined with cottonwoods, aspen and alder. Deciduous shrubs include hawthorn, willows, dogwood, rose and snowberry, and grasses are dominated by introduced species like smooth brome. The center of the area has historically been farmed and is presently in a grass/alfalfa hay field of approximately 350 acres. To the west and across the Chopaka road is native shrub-steppe with sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and bitterbrush with grasses including bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and wild rye. An invasive plant species, diffuse knapweed, has severely infested this area, though efforts have been made to combat the problem knapweed. Stands of conifers in this area include ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir. The Similkameen River, and the cottonwood stands on the eastern boundary, floods annually but has maintained a good grass/shrub cover. Between these two habitats are primarily agriculture fields with irrigated alfalfa.
Special habitats and species
The unit provides habitat connectivity for the protection of gray wolves, grizzly bear, and lynx. Dense riparian habitat includes aspen, cottonwood and alder trees. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats occur on the slopes of Chopaka Mountain, as do black bear and cougar. Ruffed grouse use the riparian areas, and upland birds include ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, California quail, chukar and mourning dove. Each spring, the ponds and oxbows are filled with Canada geese, dabblers and diving ducks of all kinds and trumpeter swans. The short meadow grass fields are forage for geese and waterfowl.
Conservation goals
- Develop a plan to survey and inventory all riparian ecosystems and restore degraded riparian habitat
- Implement the Forest Management Plan which identifies current forest habitats, conditions, and future management needs
The unit provides habitat connectivity for the protection of gray wolves, grizzly bear, and lynx. Dense riparian habitat includes aspen, cottonwood and alder trees. Bighorn sheep and mountain goats occur on the slopes of Chopaka Mountain, as do black bear and cougar. Ruffed grouse use the riparian areas, and upland birds include ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, California quail, chukar and mourning dove. Each spring, the ponds and oxbows are filled with Canada geese, dabblers and diving ducks of all kinds and trumpeter swans. The short meadow grass fields are forage for geese and waterfowl.
- Develop a plan to survey and inventory all riparian ecosystems and restore degraded riparian habitat
- Implement the Forest Management Plan which identifies current forest habitats, conditions, and future management needs
Land stewardship
The Similkameen-Chopaka Unit was purchased for habitat connectivity and the protection of gray wolves, grizzly bear, and lynx.
Acquisition history
The parcels making up this area were purchased between 1969 and 2023.
| Funder | Fund |
|---|---|
| Bonneville Power Administration | Mitigation Funds |
| Doris Duke Foundation | Private Donation |
| Private Grantor | Private Donation |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | Endangered Species Act Section 6 Program |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | Nonhighway and Off-Road Vehicle Activities Program |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | State Bond Account |
| WA Recreation and Conservation Office | Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program |
Management planning
2017 Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin Wildlife Areas Management Plan
In 2017, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife updated the management plan for the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area, which encompasses 23, 980 acres in Okanogan County, and the nearby Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in north central Washington. The plan, called the Scotch Creek & Sinlahekin Wildlife Area Management Plan, addresses the status of wildlife species and their habitat, ongoing restoration efforts and public recreation opportunities at both Scotch Creek and Sinlahekin wildlife areas. Every eight to 10 years, WDFW revises management plans for each of its 33 wildlife areas to document current conditions, address new agency initiatives, and identify new management priorities and actions. In between those major revisions, WDFW updates plans every two years to outline short-term objectives and accomplishments.
Planning Advisory Committee
Okanogan Valley Wildlife Area Advisory Committee