Talk on Sea Level and Estuaries

High tide fills Yaquina River marshes.\Photo by Meg Reed.

Evan Hayduk, the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s restoration specialist, will speak on “How Rising Sea Levels Would Affect the Estuaries along the Central Oregon Coast” on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center (2400 Hwy 101, about three miles south of Yachats). 

Hayduk will describe analyses done for the Newport-based watershed council about the impacts of sea level rise on Oregon's tidal wetlands. The project assessed the extent of inundation that would occur in Oregon’s estuaries under five different sea level rise scenarios. Maps and graphs of local estuaries will help to clarify areas of vulnerability and where and to what extent tidal marshes will survive. The question of whether marshes will be able to migrate inland and up-slope as sea level rises, considering constraining topography and infrastructure development, will be a key planning consideration on the Oregon coast.

The event is free, but a Northwest Forest Pass, Oregon Coast Passport, federal recreation pass, or $5 day-use fee is required within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area and at some trailheads and day use sites. For more information on this event, contact the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center at 541-547-3289.