The introduction provides a general description of the watershed in terms of its natural and human-made features, ownership and current land uses, and the communities within the watershed. Information in sections 1.2 and 1.3 was compiled from the Oregon Watershed Assessment Manual (Watershed Professionals Network, 1999), the Calapooya Creek Watershed Analysis (USDI Bureau of Land Management, 1999), the Lower South Umpqua Watershed Analysis (USDI Bureau of Land Management, 2000), and the Middle South Umpqua Watershed Analysis (USDI Bureau of Land Management, 1999). Additional information is from the following sources’ databases: The Oregon Climate Service, the US Census Bureau, and the Douglas County Assessor.The Lower North Umpqua Watershed assessment has two goals: 1) To describe the past, present, and potential future conditions that affect water quality and fish habitat within the Lower North Umpqua Watershed; and 2) To provide a research-based action plan that suggests voluntary activities to improve fish habitat and water quality within the watershed. The Lower North Umpqua fifth-field watershed is 106,260 acres. The City of Sutherlin is the only incorporated city that is mostly within the watershed. Other population centers include Wilbur, Winchester, and Glide. Land use in the watershed is primarily agriculture (54%) and forestry (34%). Residential properties account for less than 10% of the total watershed, but are a dominant land use along the North Umpqua River.