Blocked by Big Cliff Dam near Mill City, the lower North Santiam River supports spring
chinook salmon and summer
steelhead. In the reaches upstream of the dam, the river is managed mainly as a
stocked-trout fishery. Near the stream's source at
Santiam Lake in the
Mount Jefferson Wilderness, native
cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and introduced
brook trout are also found. The headwaters of Marion Creek, a tributary of the North Santiam River, originate at
Marion Lake, which is a location of many wildlife species. This headwaters area is a breeding location for
amphibians including the
rough-skinned newt. ==Watershed==