Talk on Siletz Basin Projects

A king tide washes the bank of the Siletz River.\Photo by Meg Reed.

At its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 19, the Siletz Watershed Council will host a talk on two projects taking place within the Siletz River’s watershed.  The event, free and open to everyone, begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Siletz Public Library (255 S. Gaither St.).  Light refreshments will be served.

The speaker will be Evan Hayduk, restoration specialist with the MidCoast Watersheds Council. He will be presenting information about two projects ongoing in the Siletz Basin, sharing the results of the Sea Level Rise- Landward Migration Zone project and providing an update on the recently started Coho Business Plan process.

Hayduk’s presentation will describe analyses done under contract to MidCoast Watersheds Council to assess the extent of inundation in Oregon coastal estuaries under different sea level rise scenarios, with a focus on the Siletz estuary. This includes implications for survival and upslope migration of estuarine marshes.

The Coho Business Plan is a public-private partnership with a goal of recovering Oregon’s Coast Coho population. The MidCoast Watersheds Council will collaborate with 14 project partners currently working in the Siletz Basin, and coordinate with the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Restoration Center and the Wild Salmon Center. This 18-month planning project will result in a Strategic Action Plan for coordinated efforts to restore healthy coho populations in the Siletz, including Schooner and Drift Creeks.

The meeting will also include discussion of early planning for the April Siletz River Clean up, other council business, and community announcements.  There will be time for anyone else who would like to ask questions or provide comments.

Evan Hayduk can be reached at (541) 265-9195, evan@midcoastwatershedscouncil.org.