This species inhabits small, high-gradient, cold mountain streams and spring seepages in coniferous forests. These forests are often characterized by good leaf canopy, with abundant under story vegetation and moss. The species is found within close proximity to surface water, often along streams with a thick leaf mat along their bank. Individuals are frequently found in rock rubble and fissures on and within stream banks, underground water courses, fissures in stream heads, and in seeps (Green et al. 2014). This species breeds by larval development, and larvae often occur under stones in shaded streams. Larvae take 3–4 years for metamorphosis, and then another year to reach sexual maturity (Howell and Maggiulli 2011). Species in this genus are specialized for life in cold water, and have among the lowest thermal tolerances for amphibians (Bury 2008, Howell and Maggiulli 2011). This species has low vagility and is dependent on cool, moist conditions and is intolerant to desiccation at all life stages, thus limiting dispersal (A. McIntyre pers. comm. April 2021). It's tolerance to disturbances such as timber harvest is not well known. However, a study in southern Washington found this species to be more abundant in streams with buffers or those located in second-growth forests than in unbuffered streams (Pollett et al. 2010). Olson and colleagues (2014) continued to find torrent salamanders, including Rhyacotriton cascadae, in Oregon streams adjacent to upland forest thinning in the 10 years following harvest. The species has also been observed in streams adjacent to clear-cut harvest in the Washington Cascades in the two (McIntyre et al. 2018) and eight (McIntyre in review) years following harvest, including in one site at which a riparian leave-tree buffer was not maintained. This species survived in many sites that were completely deforested by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, further indicating that forest cover may not be a habitat requirement for this species to persist (Jones et al. 2005).

This species is restricted to the western slope of the Cascade Range from the west bank of the Skookumchuck River in western Washington south to the Middle Fork of the Willamette River in central western Oregon (Green et al. 2014). This encompasses the Washington counties of Thurston, Lewis, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Clark, and the Oregon counties of Multnomah, Hood River, Clackamas, Marion, Linn, and Lane. The elevational range of this species is poorly understood, but it has been collected from 13–1,398 m asl (Howell and Maggiulli 2011). The amount of snow present may be a key factor in determining this species' elevation maximum. Within its range, this species is patchily distributed (Howell and Maggiulli 2011). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 27,571 km².

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in a few protected areas, although the occurrences in Oregon are not considered to be adequately protected. This species is listed as Sensitive by both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in Washington state. This is a watchlist status that lacks legal standing, but it is applied to species for which serious concerns exist related to habitat loss in order to increase awareness among resource protection agencies. This status was granted to this species due to concerns regarding the rapid rate of conversion of mature and old-growth forests to young stands due to timber harvesting (Corn and Bury 1989a). This species is currently under review for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (USFWS 2015), with a final rule anticipated in 2024. In Washington, it has been designated as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Washington State Wildlife Action Plan 

Conservation Needed
Continued and strengthened management of protected area(s) where this species occurs, and expanded protection of suitable habitat elsewhere in its range is needed. Specifically, protection and retention of buffers around headwater streams is recommended (Petranka 1998). Significant restoration work has been accomplished since 1994, particularly in late-successional reserves. The continuation of these habitat restoration efforts on federal lands as outlined in the Northwest Forest Plan (USDA/USDI 1994), including older forest development, use of riparian buffers, and culvert removal is recommended. 

Research Needed
More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats. There is a need for monitoring the population status of this species given the threats of timber harvesting and the potential impacts of climate change and wildfire.