Nehalem River Estuary, COA 009

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Photo Credit: Herman Biederbeck, ODFW

The area includes the Nehalem River watershed from the ocean/estuary close to the headwaters by connection with the North Fork Nehalem COA . The area includes Nehalem Bay State Park. The state park helps to protect the 4-mile north spit from development. In April 2015 Western Snowy Plovers were found attempting to nest at Nehalem Spit State Park for the first time in many years. The site is being managed for Western Snowy Plovers through the Coastal HCP between the state of Oregon and USFWS.

COA ID: 009

Recommended Conservation Actions

Restore tidal and freshwater wetlands, riparian habitats along lower Alder Creek

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Interpretive Plan for the Nehalem State Park
Joint Venture Plan

Potential Partners

Natural Resources Conservation Service
North Coast Land Conservancy
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

Special Features

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID CR-07 (Nehalem River Estuary)

Ecoregions

Coast Range Ecoregion

Coast Range

Oregon’s Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Strategy Habitats

Oregon Coastal Dunes

Coastal Dunes

Occurring along the Oregon coastline, coastal dunes provide habitat for species that prefer open, sandy habitats with a high degree of disturbance from winds and tides.

Estuary Strategy Habitat, Siletz Bay

Estuaries

Estuaries occur where freshwater rivers meet the oceanic salty waters, are influenced by tidal flooding, and experience frequent periodic changes in salinity, water levels, sunlight, and oxygen.

Coast Range Ecoregion

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are covered with water during all or part of the year. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, and marshes, while seasonally wet habitats include seasonal ponds, vernal pools, and wet prairies.

Specialized Local Habitats

Sand spit, forested riparian, freshwater wetlands

Strategy Species

Black Oystercatcher (Modeled Habitat)

Haematopus bachmani

California Myotis on tree

California Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis californicus

Caspian Tern

Caspian Tern (Observed)

Hydroprogne caspia

Chinook Salmon - Spring/Summer Run

Chinook Salmon (Documented)

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Chum Salmon

Chum Salmon (Documented)

Oncorhynchus keta

Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus clarki clarki

Coastal Tailed Frog (Observed)

Ascaphus truei

Coho Salmon (Documented)

Oncorhynchus kisutch

Columbia Torrent Salamander (Observed)

Rhyacotriton kezeri

Cope’s Giant Salamander (Modeled Habitat)

Dicamptodon copei

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (Modeled Habitat)

Oceanodroma furcata

Fringed Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis thysanodes

Harlequin Duck (Observed)

Histrionicus histrionicus

Hoary Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Lasiurus cinereus

Leach's Storm-Petrel

Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Modeled Habitat)

Oceanodroma leucorhoa leucorhoa

Long-legged Myotis (Modeled Habitat)

Myotis volans

Marbled Murrelet (Observed)

Brachyramphus marmoratus

Northern Red-legged Frog (Observed)

Rana aurora

Northern Spotted Owl (Observed)

Strix occidentalis caurina

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Observed)

Contopus cooperi

Peregrine Falcon (Observed)

Falco peregrinus anatum

Purple Martin (Observed)

Progne subis arboricola

Red Tree Vole (Modeled Habitat)

Arborimus longicaudus

Silver-haired Bat (Modeled Habitat)

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Steelhead / Rainbow / Redband Trout (Documented)

Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Documented)

Corynorhinus townsendii

Tufted Puffin (Observed)

Fratercula cirrhata

Western Snowy Plover (Observed)

Charadrius nivosus nivosus

Western Toad (Modeled Habitat)

Anaxyrus boreas