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 following sources: The Oregon Watershed Assessment Manual (Watershed Professionals Network, 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 Middle South 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 Middle South 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 Middle South Umpqua Watershed is 59,441 acres. There is no incorporated city that is entirely within the watershed. A small portion of western Myrtle Creek falls within the watershed boundary, as do all of the Dillard and Tri-City areas. Over half of the land base within the Middle South Umpqua Watershed is used for forestry. Agriculture lands account for almost 40% of the watershed. Land ownership is primarily private (84%).