Siuslaw National Forest

Salmon River Estuary

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Background

The Salmon River Estuary lies within the historic Cascade Head Scenic-Research Area, the first Scenic-Research Area designated in the United States. Congress created the Cascade Head Scenic-Research Area in 1974 to maintain and enhance the scenic and ecological qualities of the areas.

In 1975 the area of the Cascade Head Experimental Forest and Scenic-Research Area was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a Biosphere Reserve. Such areas are regarded as essential for studies of ecosystems of various kinds, since they represent baselines or standards against which change can be measured and the performance of other ecosystems judged.

In 1976 the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Management of the Cascade Head Scenic-Research Area was completed. Among other things, it established a long-term goal of “restoring the Salmon River estuary and its associated wetlands to a natural estuarine system free from man’s developments.”

Restoration in the Salmon River Estuary has been ongoing since the late 1970's.

Active Restoration Projects

The Siuslaw National Forest started active restoration work in 2007 with projects to restore watershed functions in three areas:

NOTE: To protect public health and safety during restoration work, the Forest has closed about 200 acres around the Tamara Quays and Pixieland restoration areas. This closure includes the land, roads and trails within these areas.
Closure details and map

• Pixieland & Fraser Creek
  Located just east of the Highway 18 and Highway 101 interchange.
  Pixieland is a former amusement park that has been vacant for two decades.
  Forest Service purchased the Pixieland site in the late 1980’s.
  

• Tamara Quays
  Located just west of the interchange of Highway 18 and Highway 10.1
  Tamara Quays is a former trailer park that has been vacant since 2004.
  The Forest Service completed the Tamara Quays purchase in 2003.
  

• Crowley Creek
  Located adjacent to Knight Park on the Three Rocks Road west of Highway 101.
  Crowley Creek marsh has dikes and drainage ditches altering the hydrologic flow.
  Crowley Creek south of the Three Rocks Road is within Forest Service ownership. The northern portion of the project area in private ownership.
  

Where We Started

• The estuary portion of the Cascade Head Scenic-Research Area contains a total of 1260 acres.

• Since 1976, 3 dikes have been removed, initiating restoration of 150 acres of tidal marsh.

• Oregon State University and University of Washington scientists have studied estuary recovery with a focus on fish use and tidal salt marsh vegetation.

Current Conditions

• Constructed features influencing estuarine recovery continue to be:

  • US Highway 101.
    The highway is built on a fill across the estuary that has rerouted and constricts the natural flow of Salmon and Fraser Creeks.

  • Pixie Land Amusement Park.
    Although closed for years, the legacy of the infrastucrure, including a parking lot, canals, dikes and a horde of invasive plant species remains behind.

  • Tamara Quays.
    The Forest secured the last parcel of this 107 mobile home development in 2003. Dikes and ditches, electric, sewer and water lines, and areas of fill, remain behind.

• Heavy fishing pressure, both from the bank and in boats are resulting in extreme safety concerns associated with parking on the edge of the highway. Water quality and sanitation problems and destruction of riparian vegetation are also surfacing with increased unmanaged human pressures.

Student Project ~ Summer 2006

A team of students was selected for an intensive eight week project over the summer of 2006 to develop a restoration plan for the Salmon River Estuary. The student team looked at the lower Salmon River watersheds to understand how the uplands affect the estuary as well as the general condition of the estuary.

Goals of the project:

• To develop a document that will review historic context, characterize current conditions, and make recommendations for future restoration and management in the Lower Salmon River.

• The project will reflect community ideas and needs for meeting the goals of the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area Act and United Nations Biosphere Reserve objectives.

The student team received assistance in this effort from the Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology, the Salmon-Drift Creek Watershed Council, local residents, non-governmental groups, tribes and state agencies. The eight week project resulted in a document with recommendations for future restoration and management in the Lower Salmon River.

The students' document provides an historical landscape perspective and characterizes current political, cultural, and ecological conditions in the study area. By looking to the past, this project respects the diverse cultural heritage of indigenous and pioneer occupants of the land, as well as current landowners and stakeholders. Based on an integrated process of research, field studies, and public input, recommendations are presented to assist stakeholders in identifying key actions to enhance ecological function across the landscape.

This document is available by mail on a CD (PDF ~ 10.2 mb) by contacting the Siuslaw National Forest by phone or email and requesting a copy of the Lower Salmon River Project (2006). Please provide your name and address.

USDA Forest Service, Siuslaw National Forest
Last modified Monday, September 14 2009