The Oak Creek basin is forested in its headwaters and shifts to a mosaic of agricultural fields, residential areas, and urban areas in the lower portion in the Willamette Valley floor. Oak Creek is a fourth-order stream with an average discharge of approximately 0.5 cfs in summer and more than 5 cfs in winter, with flood discharges exceeding 100-200 cfs. Oak Creek originates in the headwaters in McDonald-Dunn Forest and enters the Marys River just before the confluence of the Marys and Willamette River. Oak Creek has been part of the town of Corvallis since its inception and has been an important resource for the community. Survey notes from the 1850s indicate that the reach below 35th Street was mostly prairie, and a riparian forest of ash, maple, alder, and cottonwood lined the stream from that point to its headwaters.

The University manages roughly 40% of the entire Oak Creek basin, with private lands interspersed in the lower portion of the basin. Road densities are greatest in the lower third of the watershed, and stream drainage and flooding have been modified by the community and University over the last century.

Oregon State University is responsible for several distinct management areas, including 1) McDonald-Dunn Forest, 2) the Wilson Sheep ranch, 3) the agricultural complex of the Equestrian Center, dairy, poultry farm, swine research area, beef research area, and miscellaneous livestock, and 4) the campus. Campus, agricultural, and forestry operations have modified Oak Creek and its basin. Some modifications (e.g., buildings, stadium, parking lots, roads, culverts) are relatively permanent, but others can be changed readily through revised land use practices. Many existing practices may be compatible with a long-range basin plan, if such a plan is developed by the University.

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