River Steward Program

Tillamook Bay Rivers

Five rivers drain Oregon’s northern Coast Mountains and share one very large estuary, Tillamook Bay. These famed rivers are the Tillamook, Trask, Wilson, Kilchis and Miami. These systems are known for wild runs of Chum, Coho, Spring and Fall Chinook, Winter Steelhead and Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout.

Within these basins are eight crucial Salmon Anchor Habitats, these are identified critically important areas for spawning and rearing of various anadromous species. Tillamook Bay hosts an average of 30,000 wild fall Chinook alone. Wild Spring Chinook populations, on the other hand have plummeted to extremely low levels.

Much of the cause for decline of all five anadromous species can be pointed at dangerously high summer stream temperatures which have lethal impacts.

Nearly all of the fish bearing streams of Tillamook Bay are listed on DEQ’s 303(d) list for temperature and dissolved oxygen deficiencies. The number one culprit of these deadly water temperatures is unsustainable logging and poor forest practices. Though much of these drainages are within publicly owned State Forest land, they are still under great threat with insufficient protections. A large amount of these drainages are on private lands and are lacking much of any protection.

Unsustainable logging, industrial dairy farming, degraded estuary habitat, hatchery programs, water quality, migration barriers, overharvest and angling pressure are the leading limiting factors of strong wild fisheries in this area.

The NFS River Stew ard for these rivers is Jeff Hickman. You can contact him at: jeff@larimeroutfitters.com

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NFS River Steward Program. . .

Find out more information on each of the following rivers: {*} Active links
» Calapooia River
» Columbia River
» Columbia River (Lower Tributaries)
» Deschutes River (Lower)
» Deschutes River (Upper)
» Illinois River
» John Day River
» Klamath River
» McKenzie River
» Mid-Oregon Coast
» Molalla River
» Nehalem River
» Nestucca River
» North Puget Sound rivers
» Rogue River
» Salmon (Sandy) River
» Salmonberry River
» Sandy River
» Sea-run cutthroat trout (Oregon)
» Southern Washington rivers
» South Oregon Coast rivers
» Tillamook Bay rivers
» Umpqua River (North)
» Umpqua River (South)