EPA, Region 10: Tillamook Bay


	Region 10: The Pacific Northwest

Tillamook Bay

Size and Location: Tillamook Bay is a large, shallow estuary along the north coast of Oregon. Its watershed covers 147,380 hectares (364,800 acres). Five major rivers (Miami, Kilchis, Wilson, Trask, and Tillamook) drain the watershed.

Nature of EPA involvement: In accordance with the National Estuary Program, EPA has provided funding and technical and programmatic support and has participated in the Policy, Management, and Advisory Committees of the program.

Organizations that initiated project: A variety of groups in Tillamook County and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality asked the Governor of Oregon to nominate Tillamook Bay for EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP). There has been strong local involvement in the project's conception and implementation. The implementation effort is being led by the county's Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project. The Project and several partners have entered into a Performance Partnership to implement the CCMP. Current signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding include several public interest groups, local government agencies, state agencies and Federal natural resource management agencies. More information on the partners can be found on the Performance Partnership's web site: Go to the Tillamook Bay Performance Partnership web site

Major environmental problems:

Bacterial contamination from human and livestock sources
Habitat loss and sedimentation, which are threatening living resources (especially salmon fisheries)

Actions taken: The Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project got started in 1994. Characterization and public involvement efforts have continued throughout the development of an estuary plan. That plan, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), has been completed and is available at the Tillamook Bay National Estuary Program's web site (the link is further down this page). The CCMP identifies four key problem areas where actions are needed to protect and enhance the estuary:

Habitat Loss and Simplification
Water Quality
Erosion and Sedimentation
Flooding

Progress Monitoring Information:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) has developed a special tool to report progress on the CCMP. This tool, called "PIVOT" can be found on the web. Go to the PIVOT site.

The Tillamook Coastal Watershed Resource Center serves as a repository for the bulk of the Tillamook National Estuary Project's scientific reports and its Geographic Information System (GIS) data. The Center's web site provides access to that information. Go to the TCWRC

Contacts

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EPA:	John Gabrielson U.S. EPA Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue (ECO-086) Seattle, WA 98101-1128 (206) 553-4183 FAX: (206) 553-6984 E-Mail: gabrielson.john@epa.gov
Local:	Richard Felley Tillamook Bay NEP P.O. Box 493, 613 Commercial Tillamook, OR 97118 (503) 322-2222 FAX: (503) 322-2261 E-Mail: rfelley@co.tillamook.or.us

Go to Tillamook Bay NEP WEB Page

Office of Ecosystems and Communities
Unit: Natural Resources Management Unit
Point of contact: Daniel Steinborn
E-Mail: steinborn.daniel@epa.gov
Phone Number: (206) 553-2728
Last Updated: 02/14/2001




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