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Coastal Zone information Center ZONE MEN MFORMATM CENUR 11t, COASTAL WETLAN SCIIJ U F RE N I R [email protected] GNk@[ FG CrZ,t;d 7n r -bregon Coastal Conservation Development Commission COASTAL WETLANDS OF OREGO N OREGON'COASTAL CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION August 1973 prepared by Glenn J. Akins* 0.C.C. & D.C. Chief Planner salt marsh mapping and description prepared by Carol A. Jefferson. Dept. of Botany & Plant Pathology O.S.U. "The preparation of this report was financed in part through a comprehensive planning grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development." OREGON COASTAL CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WILBUR TERNYIK, CHAIRMAN P. 0. Box N Phone (503) 997-8248 JEFF BRENNAN, VICE CHAIRMAN Florence, Oregon 97439 ROBERT YOUNKER, SECRETARY-TREASURER JAMES F. ROSS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION: We are pleased to submit to you this report on the Coastal Wetlands of Oregon. This inventory is designed to provide a coast-wide identification of the location, extent, characteristics and management problems of our wetlands resource. our staff compiled the report with extensive assistance from Wildlife and Fish Commissions and individual faculty members and graduate students from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. The Commission should use this inventory, along with other elements of the overall planning process, to evaluate policies pertaining to the wetlands resource. The Commission also should use this information as a resource perspective during the final-preparation of the coastal zone management plan. We hope the inventory will provide the Commission with a broad understanding of our coastal wetlands resource, and that it will assist in the implementation of an effective system of management for these unique and valuable areas. Sincerely, James F. Ross Executive Director JFR:wy TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page INTRODUCTION What Are Wetlands 1 OCCDC Concern for Coastal Wetlands 2 Purpose and Scope 3 Method of Study 4 Previous Work 9 Future Work 10 Acknowledgements 11 DESCRIPTION Wetlands in the Coastal Environment 14 Wetland Functions and Values 40 Uses Of Wetland Areas 50 Modifications of Wetland Areas 59 Description of Individual Wetland Areas 63 MANAGEMENT Management Needs and Goals 108 Existing Federal Management Policy .110 Existing State Level Management Experience ill Existing Wetlands Management in.Oregon 114 Management Alternatives 117 Toward A Management Approach 124 BIBLIOGRAPHY 126 AP PENDIX Wetlands Glossary 130 Wetland Habitat Inventory Summary 134 Marsh-Estuary Interactions 150 PREFACE The coastal wetlands of Oregon are a vital natural resource. Much of our sport and commercial harvest of fish and shellfish is dependent on the food energy and shelter afforded by wetland areas such as tidal flats, salt marshes and shallow estuary waters. Additionally, the inland marshes, swamps and bogs of the coastal zone produce many species of fish and wildlife and lessen the damage of flood and drought periods through the storage of ground and surface waters. Wetlands are also among the most scenic landscapes characteristic of the coastal zone. This report identifies and describes the coastal wetlands of Oregon and outlines the management problems and opportunities these areas represent. The report has been compiled to support the development of a coastal zone management program by the Oregon Coastal Conservation and bevelopment Commission. As is the case with all OCC&DC inventories issued prior to the Fall of 1974k this publication is in draft form. The reader is urged to forward any corrections, additions, or comments he may have regarding this report to the OCC&DC staff. i WHAT ARE WETLANDS Wetlands may be defined as those "areas on which standing water, seasonal or permanent, has a depth of six feet or less and where the wet soil retains sufficient moisture to support aquatic or semi-aquatic plant life" (Metzgar, 1968). In the Oregon coastal zone, this definition includes a variety of natural communities from the seaward, edge of the estuaries inland to the flooded upland valleys of the coast range. Individual wetland types which occur in the coastal zone include: (1) shallow -estuarine waters; Estuary (2) eelgrass beds; Wetlands (3) tidelands; (4) coastal tidal marshes; Inland (5) inland fresh marshes; Wetlands (6) bogs and swamps; of the (7) lakes and reservoirs; Coastal (8) riparian vegetation; and Zone (9) inter-dune wetlands, or "dunes marshes". Definitions of each specific wetland type are included in the DESCRIPTION section of this report. Although estuary wetlands, particularly tidal marshes, are more widespread and significant on a state-wide basis (and therefore emphasized in this report), the importance of the less-familiar types also is discussed. 7 7 A McCaffery Slough Yaquina Bay OCC&DC CONCERN FOR COASTAL WETLANDS The Oregon Coastal Conservation and Development Commission (OCC&DC) was established by the State Legislature in 1971 to develop a resource management program for the coastal zone. To complete this charge, the Commission is conducting three major work efforts: (1) a policy'development process, to identify management policies and guidelines through extensive involvement with citizens of the coastal zone and the state, and represen- tatives of a variety of groups and agencies concerned with coastal resources; 2 (2) an inventory process, to identify the natural characteristics and appropriate uses of coastal resources; and (3) an implementation process, to develop recommendations for carrying out resource management policies approved by OCC&DC and adopted by the Legislature. The inventory task is being completed by OCC&DC staff, the Commission's Advisory Committee, and a number of agencies and individuals associated with OCC&DC. The implementation process is the "action" phase of the policy development task and as such is a responsibility of the OCC&DC itself. OCC&DC's concern specifically for wetlands originated in July, 1972, when the Commission identified 18 "Critical Resources" to be included in the coastal zone management program. Wetlands were identified as a high priority concern. The Commission further expressed concern on April 13, 1973, by voting to "recommend to all state natural resource agencies, county and city governments, and port commissions to protect all salt marsh areas against irreversible acts until the OCC&DC approves development standards for these areas." The policies development process for wetland areas has been underway since March 30, 1973. At that time participants at.the OCC&DC workshop in Florence suggested a number of management policies for consideration by the Commission. on July 13, 1973, the first of a series of workshops involving resource management specialists was held to integrate tech- nical viewpoints into the policy development process. OCC&DC directed staff to gather inventory information on coastal wetlands in December of 1972. This report is a first response to that charge. PURPOSE AND SCOPE The purpose of this report is to support the develop- ment of policies for the management of coastal wetlands by OCC&DC. To achieve this objective, the report contains an identification and description of wetlands in terms of: (1) location a nd extent; 3 (2) important physical and biological characteristics; (3) management problems and opportunities; and (4) criteria for developing a priority of uses. The report contains two sections. The MANAGEMENT section relates directly to OCC&DC's legislative charge to recommend appropriate uses for natural resources. The DESCRIPTION section provides background information on the wetlands resource which the Commission may use to explain why specific resource policies were chosen and why they should be adopted by the Legislature. The function of OCC&DC is to provide a regional* and coast-wide approach to resource management, meaning that the overall interests of the people of Oregon, especially the residents of the coastal zone, must be considered in estab- lishing resource use,guidelines to be applied in each local area. A resource management program approved by OCC&DC and adopted by the Legislature will be state policy for the coastal zone. Detailed resource development plans of coastal counties, cities and ports, and the decision process of individual state natural resource agencies will be required to conform to this program. For this reason inventory activities described herein are regionaZ rather than local in scope, and are designed to provide a coast-wide understanding of the wetlands resource. Information on property lines, t1ax assessments and individual development proposals are not identified for specific locations. Such tasks are a Zocall planning function and are to be completed by groups involved in estuary, county and community plan development. In some cases, however, information contained in this report may be directly applicable to a local planning situation. METHOD OF STUDY As shown on the accompanying diagram, this report consists of a description of existing wetland areas and an *Regional planning is planning at an intermediate level, be- tween the national level and the local level 0,1cLoughlin, 1969). 4 assessment of the management implications of various uses on those areas. Descriptions of the wetland types (except tidal marshes), identification of resource values, uses and impacts, and development of the management section of this report have been completed by Glenn J. Akins, OCC&DC Chief Planner. This effort entailed field work, library research, and contact with others involved in wetlands management in Oregon and in other states. Existing maps and aerial photographs were used to identify the extent and general location of wetland areas in the coastal zone. This initial survey was compared against maps developed by the Oregon Wildlife Commission to identify vegetation habitat types of value to wildlife. In the case of significant differences between the two sources of infor- mation, field interviews were conducted with district biolo- gists to resolve the issue. Tidal marshes have been mapped and described by Carol A. Jefferson of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. Eight distinct vegeta- tion types within individual salt marshes have been delineated using tidelands maps produced for Oregon estuaries by the Division of State Lands at a scale of.l" = 1,000' (except for the Coos Bay map, which is at a scale of 1" = 1,500'). Marsh vegetation maps were produced in the field and are based on three years of research in Oregon salt marshes by Ms. Jefferson. After the maps were completed, a flight was made over several estuaries resulting in some minor corrections to the original maps. A recommendations chapter has been developed as a part of this report. Because these recommendations must be inte- grated into the OCC&DC policy development process, and because they must be evaluated against recommendations for other coastal resources, they are not included herein for public distribution. These recommendations are currently being referred to OCC&DC for review and comment. A completed recommendations chapter will be a part of the final wetlands report, which will be printed for general circulation in the Fall of 1974. Preliminary drafts of the recommendations are available from OCC&DC staff. The approach used in developing this report has been determined by the resource planning process of OCC&DC, which requires that each resource category (including wetlands) be investigated in terms of (1) the characteristics and capac- ities of the resource itself; and (2) demands on the resource (and the resource area) from existing and potential users. The latter task requires an understanding of the local and 5 regional economy, development patterns, trends of ownership and taxation, accessibility, health hazards, and many other factors which influence plannin for the use of land and other resources. Although these fact rs will be considered to some extent by OCC&DC prior to recon.ending completed resource use guidelines to the Legislature, they are not discussed in this report. The approach used herein is that of investigating wetlands as a natural community within which there are significant interacting physica and biological factors, all of which must be considered in @ management program. This approach further recognizes that resource uses may occur in a manner that either sustains, impairs or destroys these inherent functions and values. There are some basic problems in using this approach, in that: (1) at least one research (Eltringham, 1972) has questioned whether coastal wetlands are sufficiently distinguished from both the shore and marine/estuarine environ- ments to be considered a separate natural community; and (2) the major modifications of wetland areas in the Oregon coastal zone have come about not because of the inherent character- istics of these r sources, but because of location, the fac that wetlands are a shoreland resourcE However, it is becoming increasingly recognized that wetland areas are of substantial importance to man, and that the inherent functions and values of these areas should be used as criteria for management. It is also recognized that the constraints of time, funds, and staff experience preclude the detailed consider- ation in this report of all factors relevant to coastal wetlands management. Since this effort is a "first step" in a coast-wide resource inventory, the focus is on the inherent functions and values, the characteristics which make wetland areas special and significant to man. Other materials regarding wetlands which have been developed by OCC&DC include: (1) wetlands inventory sheets, on which is recorded basic resource, land owner- ship and use, and other information, 6 with numerical codes which will facilitate storage within an infor- mation system; (2) coast-wide resource inventory maps, which indicate the location and extent of coastal wetlands in relation to the local and regional environment. (3) large-scale (1" = 1,000') estuary maps which indicate the location and extent of the eight tidal marsh types described in this report; and (4) a slide program illustrating wetland types, issues and concerns in the Oregon coastal zone. 7 METHOD OF STUDY Identification of Wetlands as Resource of Critical Environmental Concern by OCC&DC W E T L A N D S LoCATION AND EXTENT How much do we have, and where? (GENERAL AND SPECIFIC) 0 H CHARACTERISTICS What do we have in our wetland E-4 areas? 04 How do we benefit (directly or VALUES AND USES indirectly) from our wetlands? U) How do various uses affect our IMPACTS wetlands resource? What is the current and ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL expected status of our indi- AREAS vidual wetland areas? MANAGEMENT NEEDS What are the major problems we AND GOALS face in regard to our wetland z areas? What approaches to wetlands EXISTING MANAGEMENT management are being used by EXPERIENCE other states, and by state U.S. AND OREGON agencies and local jurisdictions z in Oregon? IDENTIFICATION OF What are the various ways MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES wetlands may be managed? RECOMMENDATIONS What should be done where and by PRIORITY OF USES whom to provide proper long-term management of our wetlands and IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS resource? (to be included in IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES final report) E 8 PREVIOUS WORK The following works (used in developing this report) have been completed on a regional or coast-wide basis: (1) the Oregon Statewide Fish and Wildlife Plan, which is being completed by the State Wildlife Commission, indicates conditions affecting fish and wildlife resources through 1980, and contains acreage estimates for eight wetland and wetland-related habitat vegetation types (compiled for the game management districts in the coastal zone); (2) the Inventory of FiZZed Lands for Oregon estuaries which was completed in 1972 by the Division of State Lands, identifies the extent of estuaries and their watersheds, acreages of tidelands, and the location, extent and ownership of fills placed in the estuaries; (3) Carl L. Johannessen's "Shoreline and Vegetation Changes of the Estuaries", pp. 100-151, in Samuel N. Dicken's Some Recent Physical Changes of the Oregon Coast, which created much interest in the coastal wetlands of Oregon, compares vegetational change and the historical location of tide marsh margins in the Coquille, Coos Bay, Umpqua, Alsea, Tillamook,, and Nehalem estuaries, and described the advance of marsh into the estuaries; (4) Carol Jefferson's Some Aspects of Plant Succession in Oregon Estuarine Salt Marshes (unpublished, Oregon State University Botany Department), describes the pattern of marsh plant succession on a coast-wide basis; (5) Crisis in Oregon Estuaries, compiled in 1970 by the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (edited by William Q. wick), directs attention to threats to estuary resources, and indicates management approaches which may be integrated into subsequent planning efforts; (6) the WetZands Inventory: Oregon (1954) of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish 9 and Wildlife Service, includes an estimate of wetland types and acreages for approximately one-third of the coastal zone in 1954; and (7) Descriptions and Information Sources for Oregon's Estuaries, a 1973 report of the Water Resources Research Institute of Z Oregon State University, which provides a data survey of physical and biological characteristics of Oregon's estuary areas. Studies of individual wetland areas (generally estuarie4 which have been used in this report include: (1) an (unpublished) inventory of the Coos Bay Estuary, completed by students and faculty of the Oregon Institute of marine Biology at Charleston under the direction of Dr. Paul Rudy in 1972; (2) An Interdisciplinary Study of the Coos Bay Estuary, completed by Student- Originated Studies Program participants at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in 1971; (3) Natural Resources, Ecological Aspects, Uses and Guidelines for the Management of Coos Bay, Oregon, completed by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1971; (4) Fish and Wildlife of Yaquina Bay, Oregon, a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1968; and (5) The Oregon Dunes NRA Resource Inventory, completed by the staff of the Siuslaw National Forest in 1972. FUTURE WORK There is a need for additional information to enable proper management of wetland areas. Some of this information may be developed by OCC&DC prior to 1975. However, much additional research by state agencies, universities, and 10 individuals is necessary or desirable to provide information specific to coastal Oregon regarding: (1) levels and types of production and nutrient cycling by different wetland communities; (2) the location of bogs and swamps of scientific importance; (3) wetland areas which provide habitat to rare, unique and endangered species; (4) the original pre-European settlement extent of coastal wetlands; (5) the potential for marsh expansion in Oregon estuaries at current and projected rates of sedimentation; (6) the value of reclaiming wetlands which have been diked or drained; and (7) techniques of establishing wetland areas through deposition of dredge spoils. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Although this report was compiled by OCC&DC staff, most of the information contained herein has been derived from the experience of others. These include coastal residents and officials concerned about our wetland areas; biologists, engineers and planners responsible for management of these areas; and, students and faculty of local colleges and universities who have invested much time and energy in the study of coastal resources. OCC&DC wishes to acknowledge the generous provision of assistance, information and materials for the completion of this report from the following agencies and individuals: Orego Wildlife Commission Wesley Batterson, District Wildlife Biologist, Nehalem David Heckeroth, District Fisheries Biologist, Tillamook James Hutchinson, District Fisheries Biologist, Florence Warren Knispel, District Fisheries Biologist, Gearhart Robert E. Maben, Wildlife Biologist, Portland Rolland F. Rousseau, Assistant Chief of Environmental Services, Portland Robert Saltzman, District Supervisor, Corvallis Oregon Fish Commission Brent Forsberg, Fisheries Biologist. Newport (OCC&DC Advisory Committee Member) Division of State Lands Mark E. Harbert, Engineering Technician, Salem Oregon Department of Transportation Paul Norris, Planner, Salem Executive Department, Local Government Relations Alan Hedberg, Program Manager, Salem University of Oregon Dr. Jerome Diethelm, Head, Department of Landscape Architecture, Eugene Dr. Carl E. Johannessen, Professor of Geography, Eugene Dr. Paul Rudy, Director, Institute of Marine Biology, Charleston U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service John E. Chattin, Chief of Flyway Management, Portland U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers Robert J. Moulton, Environmental Planner, Portland U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service Herbert Carnahan, Staff Leader, Salem Frank Reckendorf, Soils Scientist, Salem Oregon District 4 Council of Governments Marvin E. Gloege, Executive Director, Corvallis 12 Clatsop County Terry Marden, Planner, Astoria Tillamook County Jack Lesch, Director of Planning, Tillamook Lincoln County Paul Brookhyser, Planner, Newport Phil Smith, County Assessor's Office, Newport (OCC&DC Commissioner) Lynn Steiger, Director of Planning, Newport City of Coos Bay George Lavios, Director of Planning, Coos Bay OCC&DC Staff Participation Report Photography and Design: Clarence R. Parker, O.S.U. Extension Service Sketches and Cartography: Donna Lee Hepp, Landscape Architect Field Work on Land Use and Assessment Practices*. Peter K. Watt, Planner Typing: Sonja Stokes Wanda Young 13 ALL Ir WETLANDS IN THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENT Wetlands are rarely perm anent features of the landscape, even in man's limited time perspective. These areas represent a particular stage in the geologic history of a region. In effect, they are resources in transition from one form to another. As the physical environment changes, wetland areas may rapidly change in extent, either growing to cover thousands or millions of acres, or drying and disappearing in a few seasons. The great wetland areas of North.America, the potholes and marshes of the midwest, and the coastal marshes and swamps of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, are a result of post-glacial climatic conditions. Approximately 20,000 years ago, the last great advance of glacial ice spread across the Continent, and resulted in a major lowering of the sea level, from 300 to 450 feet below the priesent level. As the glaciers melted, the sea level increased once again, until maximum submergence was reached about 6,000 years ago. After the glaciers had retreated northward and the waters of the sea and the rivers rose to fill the scoured lakebeds and river channels, vast marsh and swamp areas began to form wherever the land and water met. As the post-glacial climate warms, these wetland areas gradually dry and become covered with upland vegetation. But on the coasts, the tempering influence of the sea slows this process, and storm tides continue to flood the lowlands, increasing the persistence of wetland vegetation through time. Geologic processes are also significant in forming the features of the coastal environment. The East Coast of North America is slowly submerging. As the great offshore barrier islands erode during winter storms, the waters of the sea continue to surge up the coastal rivers, sustaining the vast areas of wetlands characteristic of our Atlantic states. The Pacific Coast, however, is emerging, and as the steep slopes erode during the constant and heavy rains of winter, sediment is deposited intensively in the river mouths, now flooded by the high post-glacial sea level, gradually decreasing the area of free contact with the sea. Thus, the great wetland expanses of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are sustained by limitless contact and exposure to the sea. The existence of the Pacific Coast wetlands, on the other hand, depends on a few, narrow openings to the sea al ong the steep and rugged 14 coastline. Only on the margins of the "inland sea" of San Francisco Bay have extensive wetland areas developed. 7"1 k1V Ak "S Sand Lake Estuary Much of the existing information on wetlands management is derived from the experience of Atlantic coastal states. In evaluating this experience, it may be appropriate to consider that the Pacific wetland areas are generally more limited in extent, geographically isolated, and vulnerable to changes in the physical environment. There are approximately nine different types of wet- lands, differentiated on the basis of vegetation, which will be discussed in this report. These types, however, may be included within two general categories based on the environ- ment in which they occur. These two categories are: (1). Estuary Wetlands, those marshes, tideflats and shallow waters occurring in close proximity to the sea and 15 primarily (although not exclusively) tidal and salt water in character; and (2) Inland Wetlands, those fresh water marshes, swamps and bogs of the coastal zone which occur inland from tidal influence and the major sand dune sheets. Estuary Wetlands FORMATION OF ESTUARY WETLANDS Oregon's estuaries, the tidal mouths of the coastal rivers, have resulted from a rising sea level and the ILI A. -7Z= 77- 400 Marsh Area of Boone's Slough, Yaquina Bay 16 consequent filling of the lower portions of the coastal valleys by sediments. Extensive deposits of clay and silt are transported into the estuary and mixed with sand. The daily action of tides and seasonal changes in river flow constantly rework these materials. Along the margins of the estuary where these sediments are deposited, wetland vegetation may become established. Extensive sedimentation has occurred in the Coquille, Coos, Umpqua, Siuslaw, Yaquina, Netarts, Tillamook and Nehalem estuaries, with lesser amounts in the Alsea, Siletz, Salmon, Nestucca, Sand Lake and Necanicum estuaries (Dicken, 1950). Very limited estuary deposits (and therefore practically no salt marshes) occur in the Rogue and Chetco estuaries. Gravel, sand and silt carried in suspension (or as bed load) in the coastal streams is deposited wherever the velocity of the stream decreases. The clay particles among the sediments are carried further seaward, finally being deposited when water movement stops and mixture with salt occurs at slack tide. The presence of vegetation on the margins of the estuary substantially increases this deposition of clay (Johannessen, 1961). The area where this material may be deposited is .enlarged by the action of the tide damming the coastal streams, which overflow their banks and spread across the adjacent lowlands. The area,in the estuary where this flooding takes place is described by W61f.Bauer as the "surgeplain". T 'his area is essentially the extension of the floodplain in the delta area of the estuary. Bauer' points out that this "fringe environment"'may be wetted as infrequently as once a,month, or as frequently as twice a day, and contains marshes, bogs, wet meadows and swamps. The formation of wetland begins with the deposition of material along the margins of the estuary, forming shallows. These shallow water areas are basic wetland types in them- selves, with independent functions and values, as well as being essential components of the other wetland types. When deposits build up above the low tide level, the tideflat wetland type is established. When the tideflat becomes sufficiently stabilized for rooted vegetation to become established, the tidal marsh wetland type is formed. The marsh itself is a dynamic community within which an orderly replacement of plants takes place through time, and eventually, the process would produce an upland meadow or Sitka spruce woodland. In Oregon the older high marshes are diked, drained or otherwise modified by man before this transition to an upland community takes place. 17 EXPAN SION OF ESTUARY WETLANDS Policies for resource management must take into account the wetland-forming process of sedimentation, the changes which take place on the tideflats, and the dynamic nature of the marsh, in order to foresee and deal with possible future conditions in the estuaries. Basically, tideflats increase in elevation through continued deposition from coastal rivers and often through the action of invertebrates which bore in the mud and pump partially digested particles upward in small mounds. After the mudflats become co-lonized by pioneer plants* the vegetation entraps increasing amounts of mud. The flat then increases with the sediment of each tide flowing over it. This process has been compared to the building of dunes planted with marram. grass, where the sand is caught by the plants as both rise in height (Eltringham, 1971). j, Kilchis River Delta in Tillamook Bay *Pioneer organisms are species able to tolerate extremely unfavorable conditions and therefore are the first to colonize new environments (Knight, 1965). 18 As this elevation process continues, the interior of the marsh community is less frequently covered with salt water, allowing plants not tolerant to high salinity levels to become estab- lished. Thus a successful pioneer species may enable the entire marsh community to develop rapidly in its wake as it expands outward on the mudflats. Little is known about the extent of estuary wetlands prior to the settlement of the Oregon coast by Europeans. The consequences of settlement and land use on the formation of wetlands in Oregon estuaries has been studied by Carl L. Johannessen of the University of Oregon. Johannessen concludes that relatively little expansion of marsh occurred in Oregon estuaries before 1850. Except for the broad marine terrace areas, we can assume that these wetlands were primarily small tideflats and "fringe marshes", located on the extreme edges of the estuaries (similar to the present day marshes of South Slough, Coos Bay or Netarts Bay), where protection was afforded from the tidal scour characteristic of the channel areas. Over the past 150 years, logging and burning in the Coast Range (and some activities within the estuary) have greatly accelerated the natural filling process. The expansion of marsh into the estuary may take place as a result of a slight increase in the elevation of the mudflats. Thus, the extensive man-caused sedimentation of the past century provided an environment for the'rapid expansion of tidal marsh. As stated by Johannessen (1961), "It is definitely established that the (marsh) vegetation, once started, can greatly accelerate the accretion process and induce changes in the shoreline." As shown on the map of Nehalem Bay, this process of change is extensive in some areas. It has been occurring since man first disturbed the coastal watersheds, and it continues today. Thus, the three major wetland types of the estuary environment (shallow estuary waters, tideflats, and tidal marshes) are closely interrelated, and are indeed only different stages of the same process, the filling of a sea- drowned river valley. *The shoreline is defined by Johannessen as the margin of the land that has dense enough vascular vegetation to be seen in aerial photographs. 19 Nr:,-HALrM . .... . .... . ......... 0 Pth 0 Advance of Tidal Marsh between- 1850-1875 MARSH EXPANSION IN NEHALEM BAY 187S .1939 Coastal Wetlands Study OREGON COASTAL CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 1939- 1961 SOURCE: Cori L. )*hanntise", "Marshes Prograd;ng in Oregon Esivario@', SCIENCE, It D.temkw 1973, p. 1577. TYPES OF ESTUARY WETLANDS Individual wetland types are defined and described in terms of their plant and animal communities, and an identifi-. cation is made of the location and extent of each in the coastal zone. This information will provide a perspective for evaluating these areas in terms of existing and prospective uses. Acreages for each wetland type have been provided to OCC&DC by the Oregon Wildlife Commission. The information retrieval from the Statewide Fish and Wildlife PZan is included as an appendix to this report. Estuary and Bay Wetland Type Definition: The estuary and bay wetlands may be defined as those water areas shallow enough to be diked and filled (Shaw and Fredine, 1956). An arbitrary definition of standing water six feet in depth or less is often used if a measurable standard is required. The Eelgrass, Tidelands, and Coastal Salt Marsh wetland types are included within the Estuary and Bay acreages listed in the Statewide Fish and Wildlife Plan. Physical Characteristics: Current and salinity, the primary factors affecting the estuary system, vary consid- erably from one area to another. Considerable seasonal differences occur in the stream flow entering estuaries from the Coast Range. Large volumes of fresh water flood the estuary in winter reducing salinity,.while in summer these flows drop significantly. Tides and winds push wedges of salt water through the estuary and up the river, producing considerable daily fluctuations. other physical factors of importance include the density of water masses, the shape of the estuary basin, air temperature, and exposure to sunlight. Biological Characteristics: The survival of the plants and animals of the open estuary waters depends on adjustment to changing levels of salinity, and on ability to withstand tides and currents. For this reason, most estuary organisms are (benthic) buried in the bottom mud or attached i,n some way. Bottom species include a variety of worms and other invertebrates (including crabs and shrimp), and a variety of.fish. Bottom species in estuaries are considered to be more abundant and valuable than those found either in the ocean or in fresh water (Cronin and Mansueti, 1971). There' is a great variety of small to microscopic plants (phytoplankt'on) and animals (zooplankton) floating in the water (and thereby drifting with the tides and currents). The, distribution of this plankton in the estuary is determined by physical factor:�, especially salinity. Phytoplankton is often 20 concentrated at the surface and in the fresher parts of the estuary. In terms of more complex life forms, the estuary contains many species of fish and serves as a feeding ground for numerous waterfowl and wading birds. Oregon's estuaries are used extensively for wintering and resting by the migratory birds of the coastal portion of the Pacific Flyway. Location and Extent: There are 17 major estuaries located along the Oregon Coast with a total acreage of approximately 132,500 acres, including the 90,000 acreas of the Columbia River estuary (in Washington and Oregon). The estuary and bay habitat type, as estimated by the Oregon Wildlife Commission includes 81,248 acres of this total. Half of the estuary and bay wetland type is located in Clatsop and Tillamook Counties, a quarter in coastal Douglas County, and the remairider in Lincoln, western Lane, and Coos County. Curry County contains only 440 acres, or less than 1% of the estuary and bay wetland type. Distribution of the Estuary and Bay Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 23,581 29.0 Tillamook 15,868 19.5 Lincoln 7,890 9.7 *Lane 8,915 11.0 *Douglas 17,754 21.9 Coos 6,800 8.4 Curry 400 0.5 81,248 100.0 *Coastal Portion Coastal Tidelands Wetland Type Definition: The land between the mean high water line and the mean low water line; the area covered and uncovered by the daily rise and fall of the tide. Physical Characteristics: Tideflats consist of sediments, primarily gravel, sand, silt and clay, washed into the estuary by the coastal rivers and the sea. Mud flats composed primarily of clay become compacted and less suitable than mixed sediment flats for biological activity. The tide- flats also contain a large amount of organic material, primarily deteriorated particles of marsh plants and other plant refuse from upland areas. Because of this organic load and the action of bacteria in the mud, oxygen is depleted in the tideflats at rates which vary with the mixture of sediments. Tightly packed particles of clay allow for little penetration 21 of gases, and therefore mud flats may become deficient of oxygen. Adequate circulation in the estuaries provides for a more desirable combination of sediments. Mud flats, especially those with a low sand percentage, are often thixotropic, or unstable when agitated. Marsh vegetation consolidates this material and stabilizes it some- what, but construction on tideflat and marsh fills are often susceptible to the consequences of thixotropic instability in times of earth movement (such as slides or tremors). Biological Characteristics: Significant organisms in the tideflat zone include eelgrass and other species of algae which live in the water or on the thin film of water held by the capillary attraction of the tideflat particles. The tide- flats support an animal community primarily of burrowing organisms, the most familiar being various species of clams. Physical factors such as currents, salinity, water quality, and temperature have a significant influence on tideflat organisms. These are creatures of the estuary as a whole, not just of the immediate tideflat environment. As a result, tideflats generally support a relatively few species of which there are a great number of individual organisms (Eltringham, 1971). However, when eelgrass becomes established on the tideflats a much more favorable environment is created for a number of organisms. Location and Extent: Tidelands occur in all of Oregon's 17 estuaries, although this wetland type is limited in many locations, such as the Chetco estuary which contains 12 acres of tidelands. There are 44,600 acres of tidelands in the coastal zone (including 25,000 acres in the Columbia River estuary).' Of this total, the Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates 25,000 acres are important as habitat. Distribution of the Coastal Tidelands Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 6,286 24.9 Tillamook 6,791 26.9 Lincoln 3,286 13.1 *Lane 673 2.6 *Douglas 3,340 13.3 Coos 4,720 18.7 Curry 100 .4 25,196 100.0 *Coastal Portion 22 Eelgrass Wetland Type Definition: The eelgrass wetland type is composed of those beds of eelgrass (Zostera maritima) which occur in Oregon estuaries. Physical Characteristics: Eelgrass occurs in the well- flushed high salinity areas of the estuary where the bottom is not affected by intense sedimentation or other natural or man- caused disturbances. The density of the beds changes season- ably as well as from one year to another (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1971). Eelgrass is tolerant to long-term submergence and is the dominant plant on the lower tidelands. Inorganic and organic material collects in eelgrass and adds to the buildup of tideflats. Thus eelgrass, in many cases, represents the first stage in the transition of a tideflat to a mature marsh community. Biological Characteristics: Eelgrass provides an environment for a great variety of organisms on the mud below, within the plant mass, and in the surrounding waters. The most familiar animals of the eelgrass community are the Dungeness crab and several species of clams. These communities are especially significant to the use of the estuary by migratory birds and f ishes. Location and Extent: Eelgrass occurs on the tideflats lof most of the Oregon estuaries. Smaller estuaries with limited tidelands and intensive fresh water flows have little or no eelgrass. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are approximately 5,000 acres of eelgrass in the Oregon coastal zone,, with approximately 80% of this amount occurring -in theestuaries of Coos and Tillamook Counties. Distribution of the Eelgrass Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 80 1.6 Tillamook 2,400 .47.8 Lincoln 436 8.7 *Lane 323 6.4 *Douglas 100 2.0 Coos 1,680 33.5 5,019 100.0 *Coastal Portion 23 Tidal marsh wetland Type Definition: The tidal marsh wetland type is composed of those communities of vascular aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation rooted in poorly-drained, poorly aerated soil, which may contain varying concentrations of salt, occurring from lower high water (LHW) inland to the line of non-aquatic vegetation. This type may be further defined as those estuary lands where the indigenous vegetation consists of: (1) seaside arrow grass (Triglochin maritima) (2) Pacific silverweed (Potentilla pacifica) (3) western dock (Rumex occidentalis) (4) bullrush (Scirpus validus) (5) three-square rush (Scirpus americanus) (6) (Scirpus maritimus) robustus (7) brass buttons (Cotula coronopfolia) (8) paintbrush orthocarpus (Orthocarpus castillejoides) (9) dodder (Cuscuta salina) (10) salt grass (Distichlis spicata) (11) alkali grass (Puccinellia maritima) (12) jaumea (Jaumea carnosa) (13) milkwort (Glaux maritima) (14) marsh clover Trifolium willdenovii) wormskjoldii (15) glasswort marsh sapphire (Salicornia virginica L.) ambigua, pacifica (16) lileaopsis Lileaopsis occidentalis) (17) sand spurry (Spergularia macrotheca) 24 (18) sand spurry (SperguZaria canadensis var. occidentaZis) (19) sand spurry (Spergularia macrothe'ca) (20) saltbush (Atriplex patula var. hastata) (21) salt rush (Juncus Zeseurii) (22) spike rush (EZeocharis parvuZa) (23) spike rush (Eleocharis parishii) (24) spike rush (EZeocharis macrustachya) (25) sedge (Carex Zyngblyei) (26) tufted hair grass (Deschampsia caespitosa) (27) sego pandweed (Potomogeton pectinatus) (28) eelgrass (Zostera marina) (29) seaside plantain (PZantago maritima) (30) gum plant (Grindelia integrefoZia D.C.) stricta D.C. (31) creeping bent grass (Agrostis alba) The tidal marsh also contains associated coastal fresh marsh communities occurring inland of the salt marsh community. This would include the surgeplain marshes, those wetlands formed by the action of high tides damming both normal and high flows from the coastal rivers. The vegetation'of surge- plain marshes generally includes cattails, bullrush and sedges. The Beaver Creek marsh and most -of the Columbia River marshes are wetlands of this type. Physical Characteristics: As has been stated previously, the marsh community extends from bare silt and mud through several successional stages in the low marsh (the area inundated by the daily tides), and the high marsh (the area inundated during peak tides and storm tides), to the line of landward vegetation (in Oregon's estuaries, generally the Alder and Sitka spruce line). The marsh types differ according to the sediment in the tideflats where they occur. Most Oregon estuaries contain silty tideflats, with the exception of the Sand Lake, Coquille and Siuslaw estuaries (Jefferson, 1973). The change of Oregon's coastal shoreline by the expan- sion of tidal marsh in the estuaries is termed progradation meaning "an inc-ease of land area at the expense of the sea by deposition along a shoreline" (Bloom, 1969). Marsh progradation is currently taking place in all Oregon estu- aries where sedimentation is occurring (with the exception 6f Alsea Bay) . The apposing process, marsh retrograding, is occurring in some locations, often because of distur- bance of flow patterns by man's activities. The two major physiographic features of the tidal marsh are the meanders of creeks and channels, and the "salt pans" 25 or evaporation basins of salt water which do not drain after being flooded at extreme high tides. These areas often have different sediment, salinity and temperature characteristics than surrounding areas in the marsh. Biological Characteristics: Approximately 70 species of plants have been identified as true salt marsh plants in Oregon estuaries (Jefferson, 1973). There also are numerous wetland plants which grow in the areas of fresh water influence in the estuaries, both in the surgeplains and in the floodplains. Each of these areas have a complement of animals, from single-celled life forms to mammals, which depend on the local wetland environment. Besides the basic function of producing food energy used in the estuary and marine ecosystem, the most important biological characteristic of the tidal marsh is its signifi- cance as a transition zone between different habitats. As the estuary is the zone where land and sea meet, so the tidal marsh is the actual location where that meeting takes place. The low marsh, the area wetted twice daily by the high tides, contains a plant and animal community which is estuarine and at least moderately tolerant to salt and brackish water. The high marsh community, while still tolerant to some concentrations of salt in the soil solution, generally exhibits more fresh water and upland characteristics. These two areas are, however, inter-related, and each community may respond to a natural or man-caused disturbance of the other type. The lower marsh provides food and shelter to the animal communities of the estuary waters. The great numbers of algae (including eelgrass) in the area provide a basic source of food energy. Diatoms (small to microscopic one- celled plants enclosed with shells of silica) occur in great numbers and are able to survive during low tide on, and just under, the surface of mud in the marsh. Intensive siltation in a marsh and mudflat area, however prevents photosynthesis* in these plants and a resultant reduction in the basic food energy available to the marine environment. **Succession, the orderly and progressive replacement of one natural community by another, is a basic phenomenon in tidal marshes. The tidal marshes of the Oregon coastal zone exhibit consecutive successional zones proceeding inland from the mean lower high water (LHW) tide level. Each of these *The transformation of solar energy into food energy in green plants. "This section prepared by Carol A. Jefferson. 26 zones have specific tolerances for environmental factors such as tidal scour, salinity levels, inundation or drainage, nutrients and biological activities. Et)TUARINr, RANT W646@5510N AKKOW KAV9 The first stage in succession, colonization of the tideflats by pioneer plants, is determined by the type of tideflat sediment. The succession process on a muddy tideflat differs from that on a more sandy tideflat. After a buildup of silt and organic deposits, a sufficient base is available for the establishment of attached plants. on mud, seaside arrow grass (Triglochin) is the first colonizer; on sand it is glasswort (Salicornia). other plants become established as part of this pioneer community (including the sand spurry Spergularina marina and the spike rush Eleocharis paryula on mud, and on sand, another species of sand spurry Spergularia canadensis and the three-square rush Scirpus americanus). After this community is well established, the area is invaded by salt grass Distichlis spicata and sedge Carex Lyngbyei. After die-back of some of the original colonizers, the area is invaded by the third stage of plants, including tufted hair grass Deschampsia caespitosa, more sedge and eventually some salt rush Juncus Zeseureii in the hummocks, or higher parts of the marsh. Each stage of the succession process brings about an increase in the height of the marsh, and as a result, a new set of environmental factors. For this reason tidemarshes in the Oregon coastal zone have been mapped and described on the basis of marsh subtypes containing these different environ- mental characteristics all of which have definite management implications. 27 These marsh subtypes are depicted on small-scale estuary maps in the "Description of Individual Wetland Areas" section of this report, and include: Type I: Low Sandy Marshes. These marshes are usually located on a sandy substrate on the inland side of baymouth sand spits or on islands in sandy bays. In the east side of the Coquille estuary, the large area of this type of marsh is, however, on a silty substrate opposite the sand spit, thereby indicating that another factor besides sand influences formation of this type. The marsh surface is slightly elevated above the tideflat and has a gentle upward slope toward land. 4@@_r MArk2H VE:&t@-MM04 T-YM@7 6&@r 41 These areas are flooded by nearly all high tides and tidal drainage is diffuse. The lowermost vegetation is dominated by glasswort SaZicornia virginica, or three-square rush Scirpus americanus and the higher vegetation is mainly salt grass DistichZis spicata, Jaumea Jaumea carnosa and seaside plantain PZantago maritima. Lesser quantities of the sand spurries Spergularia canadensis, S. macrotheca, alkali grass PuccineZZia maritima, sedge Carex lyngbyei and milkwort GZaux maritima appear frequently. Type II: Low Silty Marshes. These marshes are usually located on a silt or mud substrate wherever sedimentation occurs rapidly. The marsh surface is relatively flat but is interrupted with slightly elevated circular islands of colonizing seaside arrow grass Triglochin maritima. 28 LOW SILTY MARSH ARROW GRASS SPIKE RUSH SAND SPURRY These marshes are inundated by nearly all high tides and tidal runoff is diffuse but somewhat channelled around the plant colonies. The smaller plants, spike rush Eleocharis parvuLa and sand spurry SperguZaria marina, are scattered on the marsh surface. Type III: Sedge Marshes. Sedge marshes occur usually on silt between the low silty type marshes and more mature marshes or on the edge of island, deltas and dikes. The surface is relatively level but may be abruptly raised a foot or more above the tideflat surface. SEDGE MARSH SEDGE HIGH TIDE Most high tides inundate the sedge marshes and tidal runoff is diffuse on lower sedge marshes to well contained in deep ditches on older, higher marshes. The vegetation is almost exclusively sedge Carex lyngbyei. Type IV: Immature High Marshes. Immature high marshes usually occur on substrates high in organics and silts and inland of sedge and low sandy marshes. The marsh surface is relatively level, but is interrupted with shallow bare depressions and drainage ditches. The marsh usually rises abruptly two feet or more above the tideflat or several inches 29 above the surrounding lower marsh. Immature high marshes are inundated by many higher, high tides. Tidal runoff flows in deep, well defined ditches. HAK Almw &KAtb The vegetation present is mixed, because this type is a transition type between lower, immature marshes and mature salt marshes. The vegetation cover is continuous. Tufted hair grass Deschampsia caespitosa, a tall grass, is often mixed with salt grass DistichZis spicata, a shorter grass, as a co-dominent. Lesser quantities of seaside arrow grass TrigZochin maritima, glasswort marsh samphire Salicornia virginica and sedge Carex Zyngbyei are also present. Type V: Mature High Marshes. Mature high salt marshes occur on highly organic substrates which often overlay old clays. The marsh surface is relatively level but is interrupted by shallow depressions and deep ditches and potholes. The marsh rises three feet or more above the tideflat. Many higher, high tides just cover the surface of the marsh. Tidal runoff follows the ditches. Fresh water may seep through the soil. WCVKt@ hi 60H AAPK-'5VI 17WMC, 30 The plant cover is continuous and is characterized by grasses, rushes and forbs. Tufted hair grass Deschampsia caespitosal salt rush Juncus Zeseurii and creeping bent grass Agrostis aZba dominate. Remnants of earlier plant populations remain scattered across the surface and along ditches. Gum plant Grindetia integrefoZia, Pacific silverweed PotentiZla pacifica and salt bush Atriplex patula are forbs found on the highest elevations. Type VI: Bullrush and Sedge Marshes. Bullrush Scirpus validus and sedge Carex lyngbyei characterize this type of salt marsh. Such marshes occur along tidal creeks and dikes or on islands where fresh water largely dilutes the salt water. As the water becomes fresher upstream, the sedge disappears. DULXQ@M+ -e-tt*t@, T117AL- WV<, Bullrush and sedge marshes occur on silt'or sand that is inundated by most high tides. Tidal runoff is diffuse. Type VII: Intertidal Gravel Marshes. This type of marsh occurs only,near the mouths of the Rogue and Coquille Rivers. Patches of spike rushes EZeocharis machrostachya, E. parishii, E. parvula and scattered forbs grow on gravel bars and beaches subject to tidal inundation. However, the type of plants present indicate that water salinity is probably very low. NTMTIVAL, &KAM, AAAW-,EqH 31 Type VIII: Diked Salt Marshes. Successfully diked salt marshes are usualiy ot the types IV and V. Diking reduces the surface runoff and soil salinity. Natural ditching is obscured. Non-salt marsh plants and weeds invade the marsh surface. L71 KrV 434,IJ ffiAF-bH Inland Wetlands of the Coastal Zone FOR1AATION OF INLAND WETLANDS During the period of glacial melting approximately 6,000 years ago, sand was deposited as the seas moved increasingly inland. The coastal winds moved the sand from the coastline further inland until the coastal mountain front was reached. Extensive sand dunes which have resulted from this process occur on about half of the Oregon coast, in four distinct dune regions (as identified by Cooper, 1958). These are: (1) the broad, unbroken Clatsop Plains of the north coast, derived from the sediments of the Columbia River; (2) the smaller and more isolated bay and estuary dunes of Tillamook and Lincoln Counties; (3) the Coos Bay dune sheet, a broad and extensive sand area extending from Heceta Head to Coos Bay, broken only by the mouths of the Siuslaw and Umpqua Rivers; and 32 (4) the low flat dunes which occur south of Cape Arago in Coos and Curry Counties, primarily between the Bandon area and Cape Blanco. In these areas the inland movement of sand blocked the drainage of many smaller streams, forming lakes and ponds. The storage of water in the dunes also elevates the groundwater table in surrounding areas. This causes the formation of bogs, marshes, swamps, and other areas of standing water in the lowlands east of the dunes sheet. There are two major inland marsh areas which have so formed. In Clatsop County, an extensive zone of inland marsh extends along the east margin of the dunes southward from the Columbia River to the Gearhart area. In Coos County a similar marsh zone extends northward from the North Spit of Coos Bay to Tenmile Creek. Many smaller lakes, bogs and marshes are formed in depressions inland from the smaller and more isolated dunes. Marshes and swamps form on the margins of lakes where water levels frequently flood adjacent lowlands. Because of the steep topography of the Coast Range front, flats on the margins of most coastal lakes are quite limited, and only fringe marshes and swamps occur in these areas. Larger marsh and swamp areas may develop in the floodplains of streams tributary to the coastal lakes. The Dismal Swamp is an example of this type of wetland, occurring along Fivemile Arm of Tahkenitch Lake. The dunes marsh is a type of wetland unique to the coastal zone. This type occurs in the deflation plain, the depression formed by the removal of sand inland from the foredune. Sand removal proceeds until the moist sand at the water table is reached, where "deflation" or sand removal then ceases. A favorable environment for@wetland vegetation is established, as the seasonal water table may be three to five feet above ground surface (U.S. Forest Service, NRA Inventory, 1972). Thus, as the formation of most of the inland wetlands of the coastal zone resulted from the movement of sand, the continued existence of many of these areas is dependent on the storage of waters in the dunes. Each of the inland wetland types are discussed separately. The inland marsh and deflation plain marsh types are widely distributed and are of primary significance as vegetation types in the coastal zone. Several other types, such as bogs, swamps and riparian vegetation, are of lesser significance, and are discussed as secondary wetland types. 33 TYPES OF INLAND WETLANDS Inland Marsh Wetland Type Definition: Those areas of permanent or temporary shallow* standing or slow moving fresh water characterized by aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation, the most apparent species being cattails and various species of sedges and grasses. Physical Characteristics: Inland marshes develop in low-lying areas just inland from the coastal dunes and along the margins of coastal lakes. The soil is generally a soft muck composed of decaying plant material. In the coastal zone the level of the water table (often dominated by water storage in the dunes) determines the location and extent of inland marsh. These marshes may develop in shallow lake basins, eventually spreading across the entire lake, as in many of the lakes along U.S. 101 in Lane and Coos Counties. Biological Characteristics: The plant life of the inland marsh consists of various species of emergent vegetation (such as reeds and cattails) and numerous algaes and other floating plants. The animal life of the inland marsh is more diverse and abundant than any other habitat type in the region. Snails, crayfish and other invertebrates in the marsh area provide food for several species of game fish in adjacent streams and lakes. Birds are the most apparent wildlife of the marsh area. This habitat type is the critical area in the coastal zone for the production of waterfowl. I L4 I aVIA 111@ Makbk Location and Extent: Inland marsh occurs primarily in Clatsop and Coos Counties, in the valley lowlands just east of the large dunes sheets. Smaller areas occur on the margins of the large coastal lakes in Lincoln, Lane, Douglas and Coos Counties. The inland marsh is also widely distrib- uted as a "fringe marsh" along the middle and upper reaches of *The maximum water depth for the development of aquatic vege- h, 1966). tation is about three feet (Smit 34 the coastal rivers. Several isolated marshes occur in the valley4 of the Coast Range, such as the Fossback Marsh along the North Fork of the Siuslaw River, and the Jeeter and Lost Prairies at the headwaters of the Salmon River in Lincoln County., These areas were probably once much more common. They are, however, often diked and drained, and rapidly become covered with wet meadow or upland vegetation (as is the case with the Fossback Marsh). The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are 6,348 acres of the inland marsh habitat type in the coastal zone. The distribution of this habitat by county includes: Distribution of the Inland Marsh Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 4,608 72.6 *Lane 660 10.4 Coos 1,080 17.0 6,348 100.0 *Coastal Portion Dunes Marsh Wetland Type Definition: Those areas inland from the primary dunes where moist sand near the water table has been exposed providing an environment for a marsh community composed primarily of: Slough sedge Carex obnupta Silver weed Potentilla anserina Bog St. Johnswort Hypericum anagaUoidea Creeping buttercup Rannunculus flammula Western lilaeopsis LiZaeopsis occidentalis (Franklin and Dyrness, 1969, after Wiedemann, 1966). Physical Characterist ics: The deflation plain marsh (dunes marsh) may exist all year in those depressions where the water table is maintained at a fairly high level during the dry season. In many cases, however, these areas are dry from mid-summer to fall. In winter there is usually shallow standing water in these areas. 35 Biological Characteristics: The dunes marshes are, "pocket wetlands" aquatic and semi-aquatic environments surrounded and overshadowed by the high shifting dunes and' forest vegetation. These areas are particularly interesting and significant because of the diversity of plant and animal communities situated within a small area. The marshes usually grade into willows and shorepine providing numerous "edge environments", or contacts between two different habitat types. The dunes marsh environment of the central Oregon coast provides critical habitat for 61 species of birds, 17 mammals, 5 amphibians and 2 reptiles. The areas are particularly important for wintering 49 species of waterfowl shorebirds and wading birds (U.S. Forest Service, NRA Inventory, 1972). The deflation plain along South Jetty Road (of the Siuslaw River) in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area has become known for the impressive flock of Whistling Swans wintering in the area. Because of fluctuating water tables and constant deposition of wind-blown sand, dunes marshes often succeed rapidly to upland vegetation. The dunes marsh may become an open Lodgepole pine forest, a wet shrub swamp, or a rush meadow (Franklin and Dyrness, 1969, after Wiedemann, 1966). Much of the dunes marsh area of Clatsop County is succeeding to a shrub swamp or wet shrub community, a habitat type.of lesser value to wintering wildlife. Cooperative measures are being taken by local officials and the Oregon wildlife Commission to reduce the growth of shrub swamp and retain-the dunes marsh character of the area (as much as possible considering the natural succession process). Location and Extent: Dunes marshes are found through- out the sand dune regions of the Oregon coast, especially in Clatsop and Coos Counties. The specific location and extent of these areas have not been identified for the coastal zone. The Oregon Dunes NationaZ RecreationaZ Area Inventory@ identifies the deflation plain areas of western Coos, Douglas es. and Lane Counti 36 (Note: The following wetland categories are discussed here as wetland types of secondary significance. They have specific values as vegetation habitat types, and are often of major importance to local areas in the coastal zone. They are, ZZ however, of lesser significance on a coast-wide basis, except in individual cases of scientific interest or provision of critical habitat.) Lakes and Reservoirs Wetland Type The shallow waters of lakes and reservoirs provide feeding areas for waterfowl and wading birds, and support a variety of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. These open water areas are particularly important to waterfowl during the spring and fall migrations. Many waterfowl also winter in the coastal zone, and the lakes and reservoirs are critical habitat during that season. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are 11,930 acres of the lake and reservoir wetland habitat type in the coastal zone. Distribution of the Lakes and Reservoirs Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 600 5.0 Tillamook 208 1.7 Lincoln 950 8.0 *Lane 4,491 37.6 *Douglas 2,731 22.9 Coos 2,620 22.0 Curry 330 2.8 11,930 100.0 *Coastal Portion Riparian Vegetation Species of vegetation (such as willow and alder) which are dependent on the water but are upland rather than aquatic or semi-aquatic in nature are termed riparian. These plants form the boundary between the wet vegetation and upland environments, and are of primary importance as an "edge", providing cover for animals living in and moving.through both the upland and wet vegetation environments bordered by the riparian species. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are 25,815 acres of riparian vegetation in the coastal zone. 37 Distribution of the Riparian Vegetation Wetland Type County Acreage % of Total Clatsop 3,152 12.2 Lincoln 30 .1 *Lane 10,330 40.0 *Douglas 8,547 33.1 Coos 2,138 8.3 Curry 1,620 6.3 25,815 100.0 *Coastal Portion Wet Meadows Wet meadows are areas of waterlogged soil, generally without standing water in the summer but flooded with shallow water in the winter, which are characterized by various sedges, cone flowers and skunk cabbage. In the coastal zone these areas are often located on broad marine terraces, such as the Tillamook Valley and the Coquille Flats. These areas are usually former salt marshes which have succeeded into maturel more upland forms, or more likely, were diked and drained to provide pastureland for dairy cattle. The Oregon dairy industry developed to a large degree as a result of the drainage of tidal marsh areas. Wet meadows are important as feeding areas for certain species of ducks and geese. Birds finding shelter and protection in coastal marshes often feed in wet meadows. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are 5,810 acres of wet meadows in the coastal zone. Distribution of the Wet Meadow Wetland Type, County Acreage % of Total Lincoln 370 6.4 *Douglas 1,140 19.6 Coos 3,840 66.1 Curry 460 7.9 5,810 100.0 *Coastal Portion Bogs Bogs are waterlogged areas of peat and muck soils characterized by various moss and sedge species, and also 38 Lost Lake Tahke&,;,, Ti Tahkenitch L ke ?Dismal 101 Swamp 11, 0 te'l lbow Lake TAHKENITCH LAKE WETLANDS DOUGLAS COUNTY Inland Marsh Coastal Wetlands Study Ma Oregon Coastal Conservatior@ And Dewlesiment Commission cranberries. Bogs often occur in proximity to marshes, but differ in that bogs contain thick beds of moss which support woody plants. Bogs are often the last stage in the progression of a lake to a Sitka spruce woodland. The bog is a nutrient- poor environment, and in the coastal zone, exhibits plant species (such as the DarZingtonia, or Pitcher Plant) which have developed insect-catching techniques to secure nutrients. Bogs have formed where the movement of water in small streams and springs has been halted, forming pools where sediment and debris may collect. The movement of the dunes sheets in Clatsop, Lane, Douglas, Coos and Curry Counties have provided opportunities for bogs to form, and many of these areas are familiar to coastal residents for cranberry production and the ground fogs of the early morning hours. 39 Bogs are the least significant wetland habitat type, and as food energy or wildlife production areas are of little coast-wide significance. They are, however, of great value and interest as scientific natural areas. Bogs are sensitive indicators of climatic change in the post-glacial period, a subject of considerable interest to many scientists studying the coastal environment (Deevey, 1958). Additionally, they exhibit unique, specially-adapted plants, and are excellent locations to study the adaption of plants and animals within a special, geographically-limited ecosystem. Bogs significant for scientific purposes will be discussed as part of the OCC&DC report on scientific natural areas. Swamps Swamps are wetland areas characterized by woody vege- tation, rather than by the reeds and rushes of the marsh areas. They are generally fringe or transition areas on the upland margins of marsh, floodplain, and lake areas. The Dismal Swamp, which occurs upland from the Fivemile Creek Arm of Tahkenitch Lake is an example of a fresh water swamp. Because of the vegetation characteristics of these areas, they are often regarded as riparian or upland habitat types. . Swamps are important for the seasonal storage and release of surface and ground waters, and provide valuable habitat for wildlife, both for production and for wintering. WETLAND FUNCTIONS AND VALUES A basic goal of coastal resource management is to assume the maintenance of a healthy and functioning physical and biological system in the coastal zone. This concept in no way implies that maintaining natural functions and values is more important in every location than the uses man makes of these environmental resources. It does imply, however, that maintaining these functions and values in the overall coastal environment is necessary for the long-term use and enjoyment of coastal resources. Activities which seriously deteriorate the natural system reduce the capacity to sustain human activities. In regard to wetlands, management experience from other states indicates that estuaries, tidelands, marshes, bogs, and other wetland types are usually managed as resources of state- wide concern. In the Atlantic states wetlands management often 40 has been the primary concern in establishing a coastal zone management program. In these.cases, the inherent functions and values of wetland areas have formed the basis for manage- ment guidelines. In a recent address, the Vice-President of the Wildlife Management Institute of Washington, D.C., empha- sized this approach to management by stating that one way or another wetland values affect every taxpayer in the United States (Jahn and Trefethen, 1973). The major functions and values of wetlands as described include: (1) food energy production and nutrient cycling; (2) production of fish and wildlife; (3) prevention of siltation and erosion; (4) absorbtion of pollutants; and (5) moderation of water temperature. 4 _4 @@w 7" _.::Z @74 ni- Yaquina Bay Estuary and Associated Wetlands 41 Production of Food Energy and Nutrient Cycling The estuary, including shallow water areas, tideflats, eelgrass, and marshes, is one production unit. In the same manner,inland wetlands are an integral part of the food chain of the lake, floodplain, stream, and groundwater environment of the region. These coastal wetlands are among the most productive natural systems known to exist. Although productivity studies have not been conducted in Oregon coastal wetlands, it might be assumed that production here is of , greater relative importance because of the limited extent of these areas in coastal Oregon. Wetland plants in general and marsh plants in particular are important in the aquatic food chain because solar energy, carbon dioxide and water are converted into carbon compounds in plant chlorophyl and because nutrients (such as phosphorous and nitrogen) are assimilated and converted into compounds usable by a wide range of organisms. The marsh is a particularly important location within the production system because: (1) large quantities of detritus (organic debris resulting-from plant death) wash into the estuary with daily and seasonal high tides;* (2) the individual segments of plant debris form a surface on which small life forms cling, providing a more concentrated source of food energy for feeding organisms (i.e., particles of detritus after colonization by bacteria may have a protein content twice as great or more than that of the original particle (Teal, 1962)); and (3) algae production may be higher in marshes than in the open waters of the estuary because of less turbidity (Odum, 1961). *Odum and de la Cruz in Lauff, 1967, state that "...organic detritus is the chief link between primary and secondary productivity, because only a small portion of the marsh grass is grazed while it is alive. The main energy flow between ... levels is by way of the detritus food chain." 42 Primary phytoplankton production takes place in the shallow waters of the estuary. A particularly important type of energy production takes place on the tideflats through the interactions of a variety of plant and animal forms. This production occurs on the wet surface as well as within the sediments. As stated recently by a zoologist, "...a muddy shore is unique amongst environments in having these two productive layers, one on the surface and another a few centimenters below the ground" (Eltringham, 1972). The major primary producers are diatoms, single-celled algae. The presence of these plants is at least partially determined by the type of sediments present and the amount of organic material in the soil (Eltringham, 1972), once again demonstrating the interrelationship of physical and biological factors in the estuarine environment. other primary producers include eelgrass (Zostera) and other algaes such as CladcMorpha. of major importance also is the vast amount of nutrients brought in from the watershed by the coastal rivers. The marsh is of special importance because considerable amounts of decayed material is released to the estuary environment, and an optimum location for production by other plants is provided. In this regard, Eltringham (1972) observes that thus, between them, the algae and the higher marsh plants are able to maintain an uninterrupted sequence of photo- synthetic activity which must make the saltmarsh one of the most productive of all intertidal areas. 43 1W M 4 7@ L @N 14@ '"MOW - 4, anQ Is Cox Island Siuslaw River (Numerous Channels, Ditches and Island Clumps Indicate a High Probable Production value) A detailed discussion of the importance of wetland productivity is beyond the scope of this report. However, some conclusions from existing information may be used in that: (1) the "low marsh" areas are more closely related to the estuary and marine food web on a daily basis, while the "high marsh" areas are important to the system on a seasonal basis by providing much of the essential detritus, or decayed plant materials;* (2) the food web depends on the inter- relationships of a variety of wetland types; *See Bella, 1973, p. 28, for a discussion of the importance of timing of activities in the estuary environment. 44 (3) the total amount of organic material produced may be related to the amount of production of fish and wildlife useful to man;* and (4) productivity may be affected by changes in the watershed as well as in the immediate vicinity.' In recognition that approximately two-thirds of all coastal and marine fish and shellfish harvested are dependent on the estuary wetland ecosystem, Dr. Eugene Odum, a prominent Atlantic coast wetlands researcher, has developed the concept of a "marsh bank", a joint public and private effort to protect the food production function of the coastal environment. A discussion of productivity in the coastal environment is included in the appendix of this report. Although the discussion is from a report on Atlantic wetlands, many of the concepts are applicable to wetlands management on the Pacific coast. *Dr. Joel Hedgepeth, in Lauff, 1967, quotes research from different areas which establishes a correlation between the organisms present and gross plant production, although the applicability of the research to other areas is not accepted without question. 45 Fish and Wildlife Besides sustaining estuary and marine life through a complex food web, wetlands provide food and shelter directly to a great number of fish and wildlife. Clams, oysters, and crabs depend on the total production unit of the estuary made up of tideflats, eelgrass and marshes. Some fishes depend on eelgrass and marshes for food, protection and spawning areas. The most visible symbols of wetland importance are mammals such as the beaver, muskrat and otter, and diverse species of birds. Oregon's coastal wetlands are particularly important to the migratory waterfowl of the Pacific Flyway. Many species depend on estuarine habitats for the wintering season (eelgrass is particularly important to Black brant). An estimation of the numbers of birds using coastal wetlands is provided by winter inventory of waterfowl conducted each January by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. January Waterfowl Inventory, Oregon Coast 19.69-1972 County Total Ducks and Geese -1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 Average Clatsop 4,192 6,204 7,345 8,691 8,754 7,017.2 Tillamook 6,701 5,667 10,118 9,521 13,047 9,010.8 Lincoln 2,631 3,571 13,519 6,946 7,409 6,815.2 Coos 20,997 160,330 15,280 34,662 N/A 21,817.25 Curry 590 2,876 N/A 5,623 N/A 3,029.66 TOTAL 35,111 34,648 46,162 65f443 29,210 42,114.8 Coastal wetlands provide habitat for many types of birds other than waterfowl. While inland marsh and dunes marsh environments are equally significant for wintering waterfowl, the inland marsh areas are additionally notable for the production of aquatic birds and mammals in the spring and summer. Information on the fish and wildlife of wetland areas is provided in the Description of Individual Wetland Areas section of this report. 46 r 1,14, iq Great Blue Heron North Fork of the Siuslaw Erosion Control and Water-Storage As has been discussed previously, marsh vegetation accelerates the settling of silt and other debris from river and estuary waters. This function has particular significance in estuary areas where shellfish and other marine organisms may be disturbed or destroyed by heavy siltation. Additionally, undisturbed marshes may prevent silt from entering navigation channels. Wetland vegetation, particularly dense stands of marsh, act as a buffer for storm tides and waves, easing the potential of erosion. Marsh vegetation is a natural stabilizer of stream and channel banks, and the marsh acts to stabilize shifting river and tidal channels, lessening the potential for destructive erosion during high water flows. 47 re- 7,2 f *7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wetlands of Netarts Bay Since marshes absorb and release water slowly,.they moderate the rise of the tide upstream and the fall of the tide downstream. Fresh marshes often recharge streams and the groundwater table through the gradual release of water in the summer dry season. The buildup and consolidation of clay particles in the marsh also forms an impermeable layer which aids in preventing infiltration of brackish water into the fresh groundwater table. Pollution Control Wetlands are extremely important as natural purifying agents of water. In a recent Wildlife Management Institute study of wetlands, researchers James G. Gosselink, Eugene P. Odum, and R. M. Pope developed an economic evaluation of marshes. Marsh value was established at approximately 48 $4,000 per acre, of which $2,500, or almost two-thirds, was derived from waste assimilation capacity. Another recent-study demonstrated that a 1,500-acre Florida marsh can remove all the nitrogen and 25% of the phosphorous from the sewage of 62,000 people (Jahn and Trefethen, 1973). The 512-acre Tinicum Marsh near Philadelphia (which was receiving domestic sewage from treatment plants) absorbed phosphorous at a rate of 5 tons per day and ammonia at 4 tons per day, and in return, produced 20 tons of oxygen per day. Of course, each wetland area has a certain capacity for waste assimilation. To exceed the capacity would be to deplete the oxygen needed for a balance of biological activity, and possibly to set off other undesirable changes. Also, many coastal rivers carry a heavy load of oxygen-depleting nutrients, including wood waste and runoff from agricultural fields. Other,factors such as tides and currents may affect the 7, n. A _Nrl z-p, -S A-@ it IZ 15; Diking and Grazing Activities on' Salt Marsh L7 Siuslaw River 49 assimilation capacity of a marsh area, so that th e presence of marsh vegetation is no assurance that effluent will be absorbed in a given location. The potential -impact of domestic sewage and other organic wastes on weeland areas is a management concern in the Oregon coastal zone. Many communities in the estuary areas are currently anticipating development of sewage treatment plants, and past trends indicate wetland areas are the-usual location for outfalls. Additionally, septic tank effluent is a common problem in many wetland areas. In small quantitites, the effluent is harmless. In areas of increasing density, however, adverse effects result from the inability of the system to absorb increasing amounts of effluent. Temperature Reg ulation Marshes and the shallow estuary waters trap and hold heat from the sun, providing a tempering in-.'L:luence on cold waters entering the estuary from the sea and from the Coast Range. This function has a major significance in the spawning and growth rates of fish and shellfish in the estuary, and also affects local climatic conditions. USES OF WETLAND AREAS In the past, existing use patterns in the wetland areas and adjacent uplands have determined the nature of change in these areas. Because resource management is conducted to benefit man, these uses will continue to be important factors in management decisions. It is the purpose of a management systemi however, to assure that these uses are consistent with the need tc maintain the natural values of wetland areas. Current Uses Since Europeans first came to the Oregon coast, agriculture has been the major use of coastal marshes. The dairy industry developed on diked and drained salt marshes, 50 and grazing and cutting of marsh hay (especially in the mature and immature high marshes) continues to be a frequent use of these areas. Residential development on fills is an increasing use of the wetlands, as waterfront property becomes more in demand. This has not been a traditional wetland use, however,, because of flood hazard and problems of waste disposal related to high water table. Commercial uses have been primarily those related to sport and commercial fishing, although filling for commercial development has occurred frequently in wetland areas adjacent to urban areas. Wetlands often have been filled to create sites for industrial development, especially lumber processing.faciliti6B. Adjacent rivers and estuary waters provide.for log transpor- tation and storage, and often the dredging of navigation channels provides spoil for filling the large areas needed for AO' h, @T 7: Miami Cove Wetlands (Note Diked Areas Lower Portion, Recent Fill just Southeast of Railroad Bridge, City of Garibaldi in Background) 51 such operations. Additional filling of wetlands with wood waste has been a consequence of the estuary/floodplain location of these facilities. In the urban areas, some filling to create shipping docks and warehouses has taken place. Hunting for ducks, geese and band-tailed pigeons is a basic recreational use of wetland areas. However, the gathering of clams and crabs is more frequent and extensive. Little information is available regarding the amount of use of wetland areas for birdwatching, individual nature study, and enjoyment of the natural environment. It has been noted that nearly all the 15 million Americans identifying themselves as serious birdwatchers and wildlife photographers in the 1965 national outdoor recreation survey look to the wetland/estuary environment at some time for the unique wildlife and visual experiences available in these areas. Transportation corridors have traversed wetland areas throughout the coastal zone. Fills for highways and bridges have covered many acres of marsh, but these direct impacts are less significant than the subsequent indirect impacts resulting from altered circulation patterns, urbanization, and other transportation - corridor activities. Aquaculture is a common use of wetlands worldwide. In Oregon, Coos Bay, Yaquina Bay and Tillamook Bay are currently used for commercial oyster production. As conducted today, these activities are generally consistent with multiple use of the wetland environment. As aquaculture becomes a more common use of the estuary, however, individual projects will have to be evaluated in terms of demand on existing resources. The level of physical, chemical and biological controls needed for some types of aquaculture might require an exclusive use management approach to parts of the estuary environment. Suitability of Wetlands for Development Although wetlands possess natural values of great importance to man, some areas inevitably will be converted to urban uses. It is important to assure that, if such conversions are deemed in the public interest, the developments be appropriate to (1) local environmental characteristics; and (2) regional patterns of resource development. The inventory process being conducted by OCC&DC will provide a perspective on such factors of the local environment as soils, topography, climate, vegetation and land use, as well as regional considerations such as transportation corridors, urban growth trends and land needs for economic development. These factors 52 are not discussed in this report. However, the nature of the wetlands environment raises serious questions on the suitability of these areas for urban development. The following table from a recent report issued by the American Society of Planning Officials is an assessment of suitability for urban development of eight major natural areas. Degree of Intolerance Degree of Suitability to Human Use for Urban Use Surface water Flat land Marshes GREATEST Forest, woodland Floodplains Steep slopes Aquifer-recharge areas Aquifers Aquifers Aquifer-recharge areas Steep slopes 4f Floodplains Forest, woodland LEAST Marshes Flat lands Marshes Source: Michael J. Men shenberg, Environmental Planning 1, ASPO Report No. 263: Chicago, American Society of Planning Officials, 1970. As indicated, wetland areas have a low tolerance to urban development activities. This is because of the flooding potential, high water tables, aquifer recharge functions, and the compressible soils characteristic of these areas. FLOOD HAZARD As has been discussed previously, tidal marshes are part of the floodplain and surgeplain environment, and as such, are exposed to frequent flooding. Additionally, these areas have more of a potential for intensive and disastrous flooding than any other comparable area because of the possible coincidence of heavy rainfall and runoff with high storm tides, @and also because of the threat of tsunamis, or seismic shock waves. Filling sites in the floodplain/surgeplain environment to escape these hazards usually intensifies the threat to adjacent areas and activities. An identification and description of coastal flood hazard areas will be conducted as a part of a separate OCC&DC work element. 53 07 "A" 11,14f "2 IN 7;@ Wetlands Occur in Areas of Flood Hazard, High Water Table, and Unstable Soils. HIGH WATER TA13LE AND AQUIFER RECHARGE Areas of high water table and aquifer recharge (including immature and mature tidal marshes, inland marshes and swamps, bogs, and dunes marshes) are essential to the groundwater resource. Pollution from septic tanks, drainage from paved areas, and other sources of pollution pose a threat to both local and regional groundwater supplies. COMPRESSIBLE SOILS The instability of wetland soils (because of the process of deposition) has been discussed previously. In the earthquake-prone San Francisco Bay region, geologists have questioned the stability of structures on fills during an earthquake. Although this threat is not as great in the Oregon coastal zone, related problems such as differential settling indicate that increased engineering and construction costs are characteristic of these areas. 54 Classification of Uses The uses of the wetland areas of the coastal zone may be grouped into two main categories: those uses which are resource-dependent, or related to the inherent functions and values of the wetland area; and those which are resource incidental, not dependent.on the natural characteristics of the wetland area. Resource-dependent uses take place in a wetland area because it is a wetland, and contains specific water, plant and animal resources. These include: (1) educational uses (scientific research and nature study); (2) passive recreation (birdwatching, photography, and enjoyment of the natural environment); (3) active recreation (hunting, fishing and shellfishing); (4) commercial fishing and shellfishing; and (5) grazing and harvesting of marsh hay. Resource-incidental uses are those which are unrelated to the inherent functions and values of the wetland area. These uses may be divided among those which are water-dependent, and those which are displaceable in terms of waterfront location, in that they do not require proximity to the shoreline. uses which are water-related, occurring in wetland areas because of shoreland location, include: (1) marinas and harbors (and attendant boat sales and repair facilities); (2) marine industrial facilities (including log storage); (3) navigation (including dredge spoils); (4) sewage treatment plant outfalls; and (5) general and ocean-related recreation (campgrounds, parks and public boat landings). 55 Uses which are incidental to the wetlands resource and unrel-ated,to a shorelandlocation are very numerous.' The major activities.of this type include: (1) residential development (including single-family, mobile homes, and condominiums); (2) commercial development (including parking areas); (3) general industrial and related facilities; (4) non-water-related recreational; (5) fills for transportation corridors; mz,, lkl_ b" 7_4 nnd V Siletz Bay (Modifications of the Wetland Area have Resulted from the U.S. 101 Bridge Fill and the Siletz Keys Residential Development) 56 (6) solid waste disposal (including wood waste); (7) power lines; and (8) billboards and other advertising structures. Use Conflicts Inherent in the concept of environmental impact is the fact that some uses reduce or eliminate the inherent functions and values of a resource. These uses may be described as resource-conflicting. Other uses sustain inherent functions and values and therefore are resource-compatible. Relationships also exist between the various uses of the resource. These relationships may be described, as discussed previously, by the terms exclusive use, multiple use and displaceable use. Exclusive uses are those which conflict with all others. Multiple uses such as fishing, hunting, and oyster production, are those which may take place in the same area, either at the same time or separated by hours or seasons. Displaceable uses are those, as discussed previously, which are not dependent on wetland resources or proximity to them.. Each of these factors may be important in determining the appropriateness of a potential use of a wetland area, or any other natural resource. Assessed Value of Wetlands The economic value of wetland areas for incidental uses, those which do not depend on its natural characteristics, is a significant factor in recommending disposition of this resource. In order to determine appraisal procedures, value ranges, and factors affecting both, OCC&DC staff interviewed county assessors from Tillamook, Lincoln and Lane Counties.* *Phil Smith - Lincoln County; Mort Myers - Tillamook County; George Saunders - Lane County 57 The assessed valuation of tidelands (low water to high .*w'ater) and marshlands (high water to positive vegetation 13-ne) has remained relatively stable over the past two years. This reflects a lack of market activity due to tighter development restrictions regarding water supply and use of septic tanks. Wetlands in their natural state have little value for development. They may be used for recreation such as duck hunting and clamming or for pastureland. Development and use to a greater extent requires filling, provision of water and sewer services, and highway access. Accordingly, the appraised market value depends on the services available to the property, and the extent to which it is above water during the year. There appears to be standard value ranges for wetlands depending on existing use, access, water and sewer facilities and potential "highest and best" use. Tideland areas and marshes having little, if any, grazing potential are generally assigned a "minimum value" by assessors of $50 to $100 per acre. In Lane County this minimum value may be as low as $5 per acre. Marshland usable for pasture has a value of $400 to $700 per acre depending on how long cattle can be grazled during the year. Road access and filling may increase the value to @2,000 per acre. If sewage and water services are available and the property subdivided, valueis based on water front footage. This may range from $35 to $150 per front foot along rivers and $300 to $500 per front foot on the bays depending on what is considered the "highest and best use". Residential, marine commercial, and marine industrial are likely high value uses depending on the zoning and experienced demand. It is not uncommon for residential lots on filled marshlands to demand as high a price as $10,000 to $15,000 per lot. Before the recent restrictions on the use of septic tanks and the source of water, waterfront property values were increasing at approximately 30% per year. With these restric- tions, the market value has decreased and become more stable. However, much of the marshland area in the state is owned by private firms or individuals and it can be assumed that several of these holdings are forspeculative purposes. Once sewage services are obtainable, and federal money is now becoming available for that purpose, sales and consequent values of wet- land areas will begin increasing rapidly. At-present the market value of wetland property is low. For tax purposes, it may be assessed at even a lower value through farm or open space deferrals. Therefore, maintaining this type of property in its natural state is not an apprecia- ble financial burden on the property owner. However, the po- tential for rapid increase in value exists and should be con- sidered when recommending conservation and development policies for the wetlands resource. 58 MODIFICATIONS OF WETLAND AREAS Coastal zone management is often thought of as man's attempt to control the adverse impacts of his use of coastal resources. The impact of a resource use in the coastal zone on the natural resources, and on other uses, often results in a conflict. Thus, consideration of impacts is a key element in resource management. The two greatest changes in Oregon's coastal wetland areas have come about for greatly different reasons. The con- version of tidal marshes to pasture through diking and drain- ing has been a primary or direct modification of the environ- ment, and has resulted from man's desire to change the nature of the land. The expansion of marshes into the estuaries has resulted from activities in the watershed, not in theimmedi- ate wetland environment, and as such has been a secondary, or indirect modification. This distinction is important because in developing management guidelines there is a tendency to overlook the indirect, or secondary impacts of a resource use decision. In the past, the most significant primary impacts, or direct modifications of the wetland environment, have been: (1) diking and draining for agricultural purposes; (2) filling for residential, commercial, and in- 6 dustrial development; (3) deposition of dredge spoils; (4) storage of logs direct ly on tideflats and marshes; (5) refuse and wood waste disposal; and (6) construction of transportation corridors. Important secondary impacts, or indirect modifications of wetland areas, have resulted from man-caused changes in: (1) the flow patterns of rivers and estuaries; (2) water quality (both chemical and biological); 59 (3) the rates and types of sedimentation; (4) vegetation patterns because of the activities of introduced plants; (5) the levels of the groundwater table; and (6) in the chemical nature of sediments in the tideflats and witarshes (prinnarily through log storage and waste disposal). Determining the primary and secondary impacts of re- source and land uses, and evaluating the consequences on wet- land resources in a systematic fashion has been done in a number of states. Possibly the most extensive system of this type is one developed by Jens Sorensen for the California Coordinated Ocean Area Plan. OCC&DC is currently investiga- ting the applicability of this system to.bregon coastal problems. Impacts on Estuary Wetlands PRIMARY IMPACTS A general evaluation of primary impacts on estuaries is available from the 1970 National Estuary Study. In the Paci- fic Northwest Region, this study listed the following impacts in order of severity: Impacts on the Estuary Most Severe Domestic Sewage Industrial Waste Bulkheads, dredge and fill to create land River impoundment and flow control Diversion of fresh water destined for estuaries Seawalls, dikes and levees to prevent flooding Channel dredging and spoiling for transportation Moderately Severe Oil pollution 60 Mining and mineral recovery Thermal pollution Pesticide pollution Solid waste disposal Ditching and draining Least Severe Modify tidal exchange Salt water barriers to prevent salin- ity intrusion Coastal impoundments for fresh water Supply Agricultural waste These impacts were then related to the uses of the es- tuaries, and a use-ranking developed to describe which acti- vities were compatible or conflicting with estuarine functions and values in the Pacific Northwest. Causes of Impacts on the Estuary Great Impact Industry Power production Urbanization Waste disposal Water supply Moderate Impact Pest control Transportation Recreation Small Impact Agriculture and forestry Commercial fishing Fish and wildlife Mining Research and education Sanctuaries Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Estuary Study, Volume 2, Washington, D.C., 1969. SECONDARY IMPACTS There are two important secondary impacts which must be considered in developing management guidelines. These include 61 (1) the consequences of continued siltation on estuary wetlands, and (2) the potential expansion of tidal marsh, either naturally or resulting from the introduction of Spartina. Siltation in the 'estuaries at rates which followed the extensive logging and burning of the Coast Range will probably never occur again : Hpwever, these activities have resulted in a level of siltation,*hich has greatly accelerated processes of shoreline change, as described by Johannessen (1961). Addi- tional slight increases in tideflat elevations may dramatically increase this process of shoreline change, even though the periods of massive sediment deposit are in the past. A related problem is the potential of introduced species to change the nature of wetland communities and possibly to accelerate marsh expansion. Various species of Spartina (salt marsh cordgrass), probably the most widely distributed salt marsh plant, have been introduced into wetland areas through- out the world primarily for land reclamation. one writer de- scribes the introduction of Spartina angZica as among 11 ... the most powerful human influences on salt marshes in Europe", and that,introductions there and other places in the world are -often questionable (Ranwell, 1972). Spartina hybrids have been used in many locations including the Netherlands and North Carolina to reclaim tidelands. Some hybrids have shown very aggressive and adaptive traits, and have been difficult to eradicate once introduced. Introduction of SpaTtina into Willapa Bay, Washington, resulted in a rapid expansion of the species across the tideflats and into oyster-raising areas. once this expansion takes place, a favorable environment for expansion of the native species is created, and the natural marsh succession process is accelerated over a large area. There is some indication that the introduction of Spar- tina may be considered to stabilize dredge spoils in the Col- umbia River, and there is always the possibility that a curi- ous individual might plant a colony in any given estuary, as has happened in Washington State. Although the nature of Oregon estuaries (in that fresh water influences are dominant during marsh germination)may be such that Spartina could not survive here, the subject deserves research. The Oregon coastal experience with introduced upland plants is such that local residents probably realize the implications of a simi- lar process in our limited estuary areas. 62 DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL WETLAND AREAS The following section contains a description of the mAjor estuary and inland wetland areas of the coastal zone. Maps are provided for most of the tidal marsh areas and the main areas of inland-marsh. These maps are included only for purposes of illustrating discussions in the text. More de- tailed, larger scale maps of these wetlands are being used by OCC&DC in developing a coastal zone management program. Although eelgrass areas are discussed in the following section, maps of these areas are not being printed, except for Coos Bay, which contains extensive areas of eelgras.s. The Fish Commission of Oregon is currently releasing a series of reports on the fishery resources of Oregon estuaries which include maps of eelgrass beds. Discussion of these areas in this report is based on the large-scale eelgrass maps provided to OCC&DC by the Fish Commission. Information on the location and extent of estuary areas in the following section is derived from the Oregon Estuaries (June, 1973) report of the Division of State Lands. Informa-, 01 tion regarding physical characteristics taken from Descriptions and Information Sources for Oregon Is Estuaries, a March, 1973 report of the Water Resources Research Institute at Oregon State University. Descriptions of the Fish and Wildlife resources of estuary areas is derived from field reports of Oregon Wildlife Commission biologists to Rolland F. Rousseau of the Wildlife Commission's headquarters staff,who provided them to OCC&DC. Description of estuary waters and tidelands is derived from the Inventory of Filled Lands completed in 1972 by the Division of State Lands. Descriptions of tidal marshes and inland wetlands is derived from field work and map and aerial photograph inter- pretation by the authors. Information on the original extent, modification and expansion of marshes is taken from the work of Dr. Carl L. Johannessen of the University of Oregon, as cited elsewhere in this report. Land and tidelands ownership information is taken from a variety of sources, including small scale land ownership maps developed by the Widllife Commission as part of the State-wide Fish and Wildlife Plan, and the tide- lands ownership maps developed in 1972 and 1973 by the Division of State Lands. 63 Wetlands of the Columbia River - Youngs Bay Area LOCATION AND EXTENT The estuary wetlands of northern Clatsop County are in two locations. The major wetland area is the Lower Columbia YOUNG'S BAY MARSHES CLATSOP COUNTY Coastal Wetlands Study Oregon Coastal Conservation And Development Commission i@x . ................ .......... ........... LrrrLr-, wAt-Wex, @@7Z .... ...... .... ... ..... . . ..... ... ...... .... XF: J4AV_N 'r(X,KP,iZ C, r- ...XXX - 6L. 7-:1 Coastal Marsh 64 River marshes, extending from 5 miles above Astoria upstream 17 miles to Puget island. The second area includes a number of small tidal marsh areas along the Youngs and Walluski Rivers south of Astoria. The Columbia River estuary covers 93,782 acres. DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS The Columbia River - Youngs Bay area contains a vast amount of shallow estuary waters of which approximately 23,000 acres are estimated to be of habitat value by the Oregon Wildlife Commission. The estuary also contains 24,500 acres of tidelands. Almost all of the 8,660 acres of the coastal salt marsh habitat type in Clatsop County is located in the Lower Columbia River marshes. These islands ate in the surgeplain, and therefore contain some vegetation (such as Phragmites) which is characteristic of fresh water marshes. COMMENTS The smaller tracts of salt marsh along the Youngs and Walluski Rivers are primarily in private ownership. Eight thousand two hundred acres of the marsh islands of the Columbia River, which are the most significant wetlands in the coastal zone, are scheduled for purchase by the federal government, to establish a national wildlife refuge. 65 Clatsop Plains Wetlands LOCATION AND EXTENT The Clatsop Plains area is a broad expanse of sand extending from the Columbia River southward to the Seaside- Gearhart area. Most of the inland wetlands of this area occur between the primary dune and U.S. 101. a 0 Pa r In_ L-K. 101 AP CLATSOP PLAINS WETLANDS CLATSOP COUNTY Inland Marsh Coastal Wetlands Study Oregon Coastal Conservation %, AndDevelopment Commission DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS The Clatsop Plains contain the major inland wetland area of the coastal zone. As shown on the accompanying mapir there are numerous long sinuous lakes filling low areas and, depressions between the beach ridges, and inland from the edge of the sand mass. Besides these lakes, there are numerous areas of fringe marsh and riparian vegetation, bogs, and shrub swamps. The two major wetland types of this area, however, are the inland marsh and the dunes marsh. 66 The inland marsh areas are very numerous, occurrin,j along and between the variety of lakes. Two large inland marsh expanses occur south of Coffenbury Lake and around Clear Lake in the Warrenton area. Extensive areas of deflation plain occur immediately inland from the primary dunes throughout the Clatsop Plains. over the past several decades extensive stabilization activities have been undertaken in this area, providing an environment for the establishment of deflation plain marshes. These areas are of great value for wintering waterfowl and other wildlife. As was previously discussed, however, these areas rapidly succeed to shrub swamps and upland vegetation types. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates there are approximately 4,600 acres of inland marsh in this area. Of this, probably 1,500 acres are inland marsh, wetted all year, with the remainder being marsh areas in the deflation plains. LAND OWMERSHIP Most of the wetland areas of the Clatsop Plains are in public ownership either federal, state or county. Much of the deflation plain areas between Gearhart and Sunset Lake are in private ownership. 67 Wetlands of the Necanicum River LOCATION AND EXTENT The Necanicum River enters the Pacific ocean between the cities of Seaside and Gearhart in Clatsop County, approxi- mately 16 miles south of the Columbia River. The estuary covers 278 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Necanicum River and its principal tributaries, the Neawanna River and Neacoxie Creek, drain an area of approxi- mately 78 square miles. Sedimentation is active in the river, as evidenced by past migrations of the mouth of the bay. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates 1,620 Coho Salmon,_ 2,000 Steelhead Trout, and 5,000 Cutthroat Trout pass through the bay on spawning runs. other fish in the bay include herring, sculpins, perch and flounder. DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS The Necanicum estuary contains approximately 200 acres of shallow water and 149 acres of tidelands. The only remaining tidal marsh includes a small 20-acre area of immature high marsh on the Gearhart side of the Neawanna Channel, and a small 10-'acre area of mature high marsh along the Necanicum River east of the sewage treatment plant. Both sides of the lower Necanicum exhibit fringe marshes of sedge. Most of the upper river is riprapped. Tidat r". wbk 68 LAND OWNERSHIP Private. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP Most of the lower bay is in state or local government ownership. Tidelands in the upper bay are in private ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Almost all of the area surrounding Necanicum Bay is urbanized. Therefore, the major conflicts are domestic sewage and other flows entering the bay from urbanized areas, and development on lands subjected to tidal influence. 69 . . . . . . . . . . COASTAL WETLANDS V@d of T* STUDY CCC&oc GEARHART 10 09LCGON WWWE AIRPOK z 777@@ SW&EY LAKE SALT ARSH VEGE ION 0 LOW 13 P40 MARSH 13 LT MARSH seor-E MAF413H IMMAT RE HIGH MARSH mATu E HIGH MARSH LL 13ULRU H & SEDGE DAL GRAVEL MARS;H DIKED MARSH LEGEND SECTION CORNERS FOUND. CORNERS LOCATED FROM aniER + ---+ROJECTED CORNERS HWdf Tift -TIDELAND BETWEEN ELEVATIONIS OF MEAN LOW WATER AND MEAN MW WATER. MLL POM K.W 0 Tft- 27 4- sc&E smmmmc=z____= T T 13 rql a LT 3E@ M TIDELAND MAP _vwd V,4 "m 1971 -,d OWWWCOV, Fdd Owt WV0%WtM Fatk ISM of CW*M h- 0.q@ 8W. 0.0. .1 R@ F..d C@ N@p@ NECANICUM RIVER ow sww STIWE of OREGON Fba.qs. DIVISION of STATE LANDS 1973 Rlow w Wetlands of the Nehalem Bay .LOCATION AND EXTENT The Nehalem estuary is located in northern Tillamook Countyp 40 miles south of the Columbia River. The estuary is 2,309 surface acres in extent at mean high tide, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Nehalem River drains a watershed area of approxi- mately 847 square miles, 91% of which is heavily forested. Part of the watershed was damaged by an episode of the Tilla- mook Burn in 1933. One-hundredsixteen-thousand tons of sedi- ments ranging from sand to clay are deposited in the estuary annually. Sedimentation in Nehalem Bay has resulted in a major expansion of the marshes onto the mudflats. Johannessen (1961) estimated that the margin of the marsh expanded 1200 feet across the bay between 1875 and 1939 at a rate of 18 feet per year, and that since 1939, the rate has increased to 27 feet per year. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Nehalem River is estimated to have an anadromous spawning population of: (1) 4#000 Fall Chinook Salmon; (2) 21#840 Coho Salmon; (3) 200 Chum Salmon; (4) 11,000 Winter Steelhead; (5) 8,000 Sea-run Cutthroat. Fish and shellfish regularly taken from the estuary in- clude perch, sculpin, crabs and softshelled clams. The bay has a large population of waterfowl during the fall and winter, including Black brant during March and April. Salt pans on the northeast edge of the estuary are particu- larly important as watering areas for approximately one thou- sand band-tailed pigeons. Oregon Wildlife Commission data 70 indicates the estuary supports the Whistling Swan, 6 species of geese, 24 species of ducks, 22 shorebird species, and 47 other species of aquatic birds. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimated 1970 - hunter-use of the area as 1,875 hunter days for waterfowl, and 900 hunter days for Band-tailed pigeon. Marine mammals using the estuary include the hair and fur seals and the sea lion. DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS Considerable shallow water areas are located north of the main river channel between Fishery Point and Wheeler, and east of the channel between Fishery Point and Brighton. In these areas occur much of the bay's 1,078 acres of tidelands. Two large beds of eelgrass occur on these tideflats, one south of Fishery Point along the east bank of the river, and another along the main channel at the north-central margin of the estuary. Most of the marshes of Nehalem Bay occur in the large embayment extending northwest of Wheeler and south and west of Dean Point, a high wooded ridge separating the embayment from the river channel. As shown on the accompanying map, the estuary contains extensive areas of immature high marsh, out- ward from which two major areas of low silt marsh are expanding. Areas of mature high marsh are found along both sides of the river south of the Highway 101 bridge, and along the south and southwest margins of Dean Point. A small acreage of low sand marsh is found along the west margin of the large embayment. Fringe marshes of sedge extend north- ward from the U.S. 101 bridge along both sides of the river. LAND OWNERSHIP Much of the margins of Nehalem Bay are in public owner- ship. The west margin of the lower estuary and the embayment, and the immature high marsh islands south and west of Dean Point are in state and county ownership. Dean Point and the fringe of mature high marshes to the south and east are privately owned, as are the mature and immature high marshes and sedge marshes along the east margins of the estuary between Wheeler and Nehalem. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP The majority of the tidelands in the large embayment are in public ownership. The west margin of the embayment near Nehalem State Park is in state ownership. The tidelands on the south and east sides of Dean Point and those along the 71 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY Occ&oC 24 tl4'JZ4WrA 25 36 35 wmlmr& 13ALT M, I -9 VEGETATION AAmvmw LOW SAND MARSH RSH SEDGE MA H IMIWKfdRE IGH MARSH 17 16 MATURE Hl H MARSH T- MU&NUM SEDGE INTERTIOAL GRAVEL MARSH OWED MAP113H ---swnw coaM" Potm -SEV?KW C40WAM LOCAM OWW 077" SOCOM + -----PfioAt= cofirAm 41 of7um LrLtwxw or &VAN Lm VAMP AM AT" AWW IVA= IrI .W.&Z COVIM got* @w w snar or aTESM O&MM OF S?;Ur "ms an east margin of the estuary are in private ownership, with the exception of the inlet near Wheeler and the areas just north and south of the Tillamook County boat landing, which are in public ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Tbe estuary watershed is used extensively for logging, dairy farming and cattle production. The immediate area of the wetlands is used for urban and recreational activities. Exist- ing and potential impacts of land use on wetland resources as estimated by the OregonVildlife Commission include: Existing Impacts (1) untreated sewage from local communities; (2) siltation from gravel removal; (3) siltation and debris from logging in the estuary watershed; (4) dredging and filling for residential development; Anticipated Impacts (1) wildlife harassment from increased recreational boating traffic; (2) construction of new U.S. 101 high- way bridge; and (3) additional gravel dredging. 72 Wetlands of Tillamook Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT Tillamook Bay, third largest estuary in Oregon, is lo- cated in central Tillamook County 50 miles south of the Colum- bia River. The size of the estuary is 8,289 acres at mean high tide. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Tillamook Bay receives the waters of five major rivers --the Miami, Kilchis, Tillamook, Trask and Wilson--which drain a watershed of 574 square miles. Precipitation ranges from 150 inches in the' upper watershed to 90 inches annually along the coast. The rivers empty an estimated 135,000 tons of sediment annually into the estuary. Because of extensive sedimentation following the Tilla- mook Burn in 1933 the estuary is considered to be 40% its ori- ginal size. Rapid expansion of tidal marsh has occurred in the delta areas of the Kilchis and Wilson Rivers, because of the resultant buildup of the tideflats. Johannessen estimates a marsh expansion rate of 14 feet per year from 1867 to 1939, and nine feet per year from 1939 to 1969. Since European set- tlement the marsh has expanded approximately one third of a mile outward onto the tideflats. Diking of tidal marsh land- ward from the deltas for dairying has reclaimed extensive areas over the past century. Over 2,700 acres of the Tilla- mook plain have been included in five drainage districts (Johannessen, 1961). FISH AND WILDLIFE Tillamook Bay and its five major rivers provide spawn- ing habitat for a large number of trout and salmon which are of special recreational significance to many sportsmen in the northern Willamette Valley, as well as elsewhere. These spawning populations include: (1) 6,120 Spring Chinook Salmon; (2) 33,705 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 33,625 Coho Salmon; (4) 9,900 Chum Salmon; 73 (5) 49,575 Winter Steelhead; (6) 2,400 Summer Steelhead; and (7) 18,000 Sea-run Cutthroat-Trout. This estuary is important for the commercial raising of oysters, as about 80% of.Oregon's oyster production comes from Tillamook Bay tidelands. The significance of Tillamook Bay for waterfowl was severely reduced in 1952, when the Bayocean Peninsula-broke through and buried extensive areas of eelgrass. These beds are now being re-established and provide habitat for Black brant and numerous ducks. The bay supports seven species of swans and geese, 24.species of ducks, 23 shorebird species, and 24 other species of water-associated birds. DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS Because of extensive siltation, Tillamook Bay contains an extensive amount of shallow water. There are 4,163 acres of tidelands, on which numerous large eelgrass beds occur. There are three spearate areas of tidal marsh in Tillamook Bay. The main concentration of marsh is in the delta area of the Wilson and Kilchis Rivers, which extends over a square mile. The area contains primarily mature and immature high marshes, with some sedge islands occurring in the fresher areas at the mouths of the rivers. An area of low silt marsh is expanding outward onto the tideflats in the area between the channels of the Wilson River. An island of immature high marsh of approximately 20 acres occurs in the delta area of the confluence of the Trask and Tillamook Rivers. A fringe marsh of sedge extends along the west margin of the Tillamook River. The second marsh area, consisting of immature high marsh fringed with sedge marsh and low silt marsh, is located at the delta of the Miami River. Upriver diking has reduced the size of this marsh by half. The third marsh area is the diked Biggs Cove area, a former salt marsh which is being revegetated with a bullrush- sedge community because of fresh water influence within the dikes. Areas outside the dikes are characterized by low sand salt marsh vegetation. Extensive fringe marshes of sedge are found on both sides of the Miami, Wilson, Trask and Tillamn,-ok Rivers, extend- ing landward well into the diked pasturelands. 74 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY 15 OCC&OC A -N- IN 54 3.4 9AY 15'N @s 7, S, g", v . . . . .SN L�U 8 OWT MA ME-TAtION n., LOWOMAp M LOW SILT MAR H SEDGE MARSH MARS RSH GE 2@4wi-RTIOAL GRAVEL MARSH Z2 NO DIKED MARSH 25 4- ----- CoRtlow FRW OMW SOURCE's Amerwo caelm E*7=W 6"AMM OF NEW LOW WAnN FBI AW 4!FAN @ WAMW rvEL4W x4p or 7XLAW= 424Y $CAE kv #Err SUM aF OWEGON MMON OF SW.' I.ANDS AM 1972 LAND oWNERSHIR" With few exceptions, the marshes of Tillamook Bay are privately owned. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP Tideland ownership in Tillamook Bay is fragmented. The tidelands of the Wilson River delta is in state and private ownership. The Miami River delta area is in private ownership. LAND USE AND USE IMPACTS The major land uses in the watershed are forestry and cattle production. Dairying is a major use of the.Tillamook plain area. Thirty-nine manufacturers, primarily dealing in wood products and fish processing, are located in the communities around the estuary. Commercial oyster production takes place in the south end of the bay. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates.the use con- fliots with local resources to include: (1) gravel dredging in the Miami, Kilchis, Wilson and Trask Rivers, which produces siltation affecting eelgrass and other waterfowl feeding areas; (2) log rafting and log storage on wetlands in Miami Cove;. (3) potential channel dredging to facilitate navigation; (4) potential expansion of marina facilities in areas used for wildlife; (5) potential landfilling for waterfront development; and (6) potential harassment of waterfowl from increased recreational boating traffic. 75 Wetlands-of Netarts Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT Netarts Bay is located in central Tillamook County, about 7 miles west of the City of Tillamook. The bay covers 2,325 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Netarts Bay"is influenced primarily by the tides, as, the bay watershed covers 14 square miles and Yields only 42,000 acre-feet of fresh water per year. Little sedimenta- tion occurs as-well, averaging 2,250 tons per year. FISH AND WILDLIFE This area is primarily a shellfish bay, with minor sport fishing. The Oregon Wildlife Commission indicates win- ter steelhead, coho salmon and sea-run cutthroat are present in the small tributaries with some perch, flounder and rock- fish occurring in the bay itself. The bay is an important area for migratory waterfowl, especially Black brant, which depend on the eelgrass of the estuary, and require more f reedom f rom harrassment than other waterfowl. The bay provides habitat for the Whistling Swan, 5 species of geese, 24 species of ducks, 23 species of shore- birds, and.25-other species of aquatic birds. There are an estimated 180,000 waterfowl-use days onthe bay during the win- tering season. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Netarts Bay is significant primarily for large areas of shallow waters, tidelands and eelgrass. The bay contains 1,513 acres of tidelands, and the Oregon Fish Commission has mapped 5 large eelgrass beds in the bay, occurring along the east shore of the upper bay and in the center. The bay contains only 164 acres of tidal marsh, occur- ring in two major sections. The entire length of the sand- spit is fringed on the bay side with narrow bands of low sand marsh and immature high marsh. The lower end of the bay is. marked by a 100-acre mature high marsh, in the area of Cape Lookout State Park. Some minor areas of sedge marsh and mature high marsh occur along the east margin of the bay. 76 LAND OWNERSHIP The entire west margin of the bay is in State (Park) ownership. The immediate shorelands on the east side of the bay (west of Highway 617) are in small private ownership. The uplands above the east side of the bay (east of Highway 617) are primarily in corporation (.timber) ownership. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP Except for two areas totaling about 120 acres on the east-central margin of the bay, all@tidelands are in State ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS The Oregon Wildlife Commission indicates the primary problem in the past has been domestic sewage (from septic tanks) entering the bay. A proposal to discharge treated do- mestic sewage from a municipal treatment plant into the bay is currently being studied by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 77 CCAS"rAbw. WETLANDS STUDY or_ C & oc 121 2, 7 SA'LT MARSH V@GETATION 01 oW SANO MARSH OW SILT MARSH R E Eor IMMAT RE HIGH MAR 20 MATUR HlGjW&4MRS BULR SH & SEOGE INTER IOAL GRAVEL ARSH OIKEO MARSH + srCrioV COMWR$ FOUND SrCrtoN CaVMWS LOC,4rED -WOW 07WER SWRCES PRtvEc7Ev casvk@ rlDaAAlO SEMEDV ELEVArIONS OF MEAN LOW wAreR AND "FAN MWH PArER PAVMWA@Al 0=0 0"M AMZ7M=M@ @XPZW Vra coda ogwr mm ROEI.AND VAP COW NEr4RrS SAY SrArE OF OREWN sCar IN F&r DMS"V OF SWE LAWS MAY 1972 Wetlands of the Sand Lake Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT The Sand Lake Estuary is located in southern Tillamook County, about 15 miles southwest of the City of Tillamook. The estuary covers 528 acres, although the total wetland area is much larger. PHYSICAL CHARA CTERISTICS The tributaries of the Sand Lake estuary drain an area approximately 17 square miles. Sedimentation averages approx- imately 2,500 tons per year. The estuary is one of three in the coastal zone with a sandy rather than silty bottom, or sub- strate. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS, Sand Lake contains a large area of shallow water, 397 acres of tidelands, and three distinct eelgrass beds. The estuary contains one of the most diverse tidal marsh areas in the coastal zone. There are extensive areas of five marsh types totaling approximately 702 acres. Active expansion of marsh onto the tideflats is occurring between the numerous islands (most of which are covered with immature high marsh) and the east margin of the estuary (which contains large areas of mature high marsh). The northern area of the estuary is fringed with sedge marsh, while the southern portion is fringed primarily with low sand marsh. Extensive diking for pastureland has occurred an both the northern and southern margins of the estuary. The Beltz Dike has resulted in a recent reduction of the salt marsh in the area north of the community of Tierra del Mar. LAND OWNERSHIP The Sand Lake area is characterized by large areas of small private., corporate, county, and federal ownership. Most of the marsh areas are in individual private holdings. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP Except for one tract immediately north of the Beltz Dik% all of the tidelands of the estuary are in State ownership. 78 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY OCC&OC 20 45- 17'SO' 610,000 + SIX# Llr CAMP 9 .... ....... .. ... w -ell AWT-@@Rl Tj 10 VEGETA i LOW SAND RWtREGoV LOW SILT MA SH SJSOGE MAR XV IMMATURE HIGH MARSH MATURE HILGE6HENDMARSH SEC77ON CORNERS LOWED FROM COWROL MAPS BULRUSH& SEDGE -fWffffiTiffXiS GRAVEL MARSH [A-QWtF;MEM9&fW**4T1ONT OF MEAN LOW VA7ER AND MEAN HAr-y WA7rR. Soo, COG + scALE IN FeEr .......... moo 0 few 200wo 3 Sam rIDELAA0 MAP SAND L,4KE 7ZO&AW MAP COMPILED ON A KIEL RACIAL PLANINI-YRIC TIERRA OEL MAR PiOrr" P9dV MAY 1970 AER14L ANOYOORAPHS. REW PA1070 l0EXretCArf0W FERRVART 1072 SWE OF OREGON COMMOL FROM ORESON STArr VOARV OF FDRf$7RY AND 45- 15 DIVISVV OF SrArE LAND$ ovzocw or REvEmIr pv#rsr cowR m4ps MAY IV7Z 42NEVON SWE PLANE COO&D1wrrs. JVO.?7)V ZONE LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS past modifications of the marsh areas have resulted from agricultural uses, The margins of the estuary have ex- perienced pressure from residential usesf particularly mobile homes, and recreational-use of the sand areas to the northwest of the estuary has increased in recent years. To date, however, few modifications have resulted from other than agricultural activities. 79 Wetlands of the Nestudea Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT Nestucca Bay is located in southern Tillamook County near.Pacific City, Oregon. The estuary is approximately 1,000 acres in size at mean high tide. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The estuary receives drainage from a 3.22 square mile watershed which is mostly forested. The Nestucca and Litt,16 Nestucca deposit about 54,000 tons of sediment annually rang- ing from sands to clay. Sedimentation and flooding resulting from constriction of the estuary mouth by shifting dunes are considered major problems. rg A Nestucca Bay so FISH AND WILDLIFE The Nestucca River system and estuary is an important spawning ground for anadromous fish, including; (1) 1,890 Spring Chinook Salmon; (2) 20,565 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 18,580 Coho Salmon; (4) 2,000 Chum Salmon; (5) 37,290 Winter Steelhead Trout; (6) 5,600 Summer Steelhead Trout; and (7) 5,800 Sea-run Cutthroat Trout The Bay is a significant migration and wintering'area for waterfowl, with an estimated 69,000 waterfowl-use days occurring between October and April. Habitat is provided for 26 species of ducks, 7 species of geese, 23 shorebird species, and 25 other species of gulls, terns, cormorants, herons, grebes and loons. Nestucca Bay also contains saline flats which are used for watering by Band-tailed pigeons. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Wetlands are locatedprimarily in the two large embay- ments of the estuary, as shown on the accompanying map. Of the 1,000 acres of the estuary, 578 acres are tidelandsi Oregon Fish Commission data indicated three large eelgrass beds in Nestucca Bay, two in the Little Nestucca embayment and.one in the main embayment. The marshes ofthe Nestucca estuary, although not ex- tensive, are extremely diverse. There are approximately 222 acres of tidal marsh in the estuary. The marsh system is cen- tralized in the area of confluence of the Little Nestucca River embayment and the Nestucca River embayment. Within an area of approximately.100 acres, there are two large tracts of immature high marsh surrounded by an expanse of mature high marsh, several sedge marsh islands, all with margins of low silt marsh filling the intervening areas shown as channels on the Division of State Lands Tidelands Map. An expanse of mature high marsh of approximately 50 acres occurs on the west margin of the estuary. The entire east margin of the Little Nestucca 81 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY OCC&OC 31 5ezooo + ),Y- -N- SALT MARSH VEGETATION MLOW T^NO MAPS" LOW SILT MARSH + SEDGE A am IMMATU E HIGH MARSH PACIFIC C/Ty MATUR HIGH MARSH OREGON H&2d of fmo acf-et,,-5*pftLR&0 H& SEDGE INTER IDAL GRAVEL M RSH 901 MARSH 30 LEGEND ---SFC770,V CORWRS Folvv + ---sEcr1av coeww toavED FROM 07HER + SOMMS. AqalECrEv cohw,9s --riDELAND BEMEEA( ELEVATIONS OF ACAN jow WA7ZW AAD MEAN HIGH WATER 4- rj.@w 44V @Wld f- aW- StVAI Hio.-y 04wt w, CAP KIWAAM - Ae-9t=N, /gb7, SAft Vig-W D- -W #WMvp@y, AtWO-4197(% C"Wkd 4@1 f;*& @-NgmA.@, Apdl & AAV@ 1970. + +572,ow Ilk, 95 6 + -iv' + SCALE IN FEEr 0 /000 1000 2000 WELAND MAP + ru NESrUCCA BAY srArE OF OREWS Aww a Nw z *v a/Mg4V or SrArE LAWS ff. cow&@ f Fay cl-k. embayment is fringed with immature high marsh (with numerous areas of low silt marsh expanding outward) backed up to an extensive dike running from Brooten Road to the south end of the embayment. At the south end is located approximately 18 acres of immature high marsh and low silt marsh, and a 15-acre delta area of immature high marsh fringed with sedges. Fringe 7 marshes of sedge also occur along the margins of the Nestucca channel near Woods and Pacific City. LAND OWNERSHIP With the exception of the mature high marsh area on the east margin of North Spit (which is state-owned) the marshes of the Nestucca Estuary are privately owned. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP Nearly all of the tidelands of Nestucca Bay are in state ownership. The only major exception is a small tract of pri- vate ownership of a few acres in the center of the large marsh south of the Pacific City boat ramp. LAND USE Most of the estuary watershed i s used for forestry, with the floodplain areas being used for pasture. Six firms in the estuary area are involved in manufacturing, primarily timber handling and fish processing. Some grazing takes place, usually on the mature high marsh areas. EXISTING AND ANTICIPATED USE IMPACTS. No significant fills have occurred in the estuary. The Oregon Wildlife Commission considers disturbance of North Spit (which might result in sand deposition into the estuary) as the only apparent potentialuse conflict. 82 Iletlands of the Salmon River Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT The Salmon River enters the Pacific Ocean 85 miles south of the Columbia River, on the border of Tillamook and Lincoln Counties. The estuary covers about 204 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The total watershed of the Salmon River is about 78 square miles. The river rises in a wetland area, the Jeeter Prairie - Lost Prairie - Elk Wallow vicinity approxi- mately 12 miles east of Rose Lodge. Approximately 14,000 tons of sediments enter the estuary annually. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the spawning population of anadromous fish is: (1) 2,040 Fall Chinook Salmon; (2) 180 Spring Chinook Salmon; (3) 5i730 Coho Salmon; (4) 4,180 Steelhead; and (5) 3,770 Cutthroat Trout. It is noted in a recent Oregon State University publication (Percy, 1973) that these totals are low for an estuary of this size. Additionally, there are approximately 18,000 waterfowl- use days on the estuary during the wintering season. The estuary is an important habitat area for the Whistling Swan, five species of geese, 26 species of ducks, 23 shorebirds, and 25 other species of aquatic birds. *A detailed study of this area entitled Cascade Head-SaZmon River Land Use and ownership PZan was completed by the U.S. Forest Service in June of 1972. 83 DESCRIPTION OF WETLAND AREAS The Salmon River estuary contains less than 200 acres of shallow waters, and 126 acres of tidelands. The Oregon Fish Commission has mapped two major areas of eelgrass in the estuary, one extending from the mouth of the estuary upstream about one mile, and another occurring about one mile downstream from the U.S. 101 highway bridge. There are approximately 552 acres of tidal marsh, approximately half of which is mature high marsh, with the remainder being diked marsh. There is one small area (approximately five acres) of low sand marsh in the lower part of the estuary. LAND OWNERSHIP Private. AIR M .-7, *k- "A-M-P '411 X Salmon River Wetlands (Pixieland in Lower Right) 84 71f COASTAL WETLAN013 'STUCY + Qcc&oc 15 14 ASO dame Z- SALT 48H VEGE @50 M TA N MY A wlw 0 L modws OW SA MARSH L ow al MARSH RsH IMMAIeURE 'HIGH MARSH MATuptr= ''miGm r@AFM- H BULRUSH & SE0Gr= 2 4' WTERTIOAL G AVEL MARSH 01 kE-0: MARSH 26 a 30 0 maim AM MEOW A@ Lsom --M"M CAWAAWAP AMM ---AWd-l VAINIM LOCOID AVW OrAW? SOMM + --AVAWW COVAIM naftAw Aw COMM FV" 04r IM "ood @CA LE dw Impodam.0 Foup Aw" Aww@ iskm -?ATAA AW70M AMZVAOMW a@ AOW LOW SA&AW ARW NNW AM mom, Mov INFIN osw9ft MOW Ueda 40 0ASOM sm7r comm ow L sow ft4w asommmazo mwm zaw MASON Or mff 44401110 am -Aooffwa TIDELAND OWNERSHIP State of Oregon. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS As may be seen on the accompanying picture and map, much diking has occurred in the past in this area. Grazing and cut- ting of marsh hay (see right center of photo) are traditional uses of the Salmon River estuary. Recently, filling for resi- dential homesites has occurred in the area despite flood haz-. ards. The U.S. Forest Service has recommended a management plan for the wetland areas of the Salmon River area, as part of a proposal to associate' the estuary with the Cascade Head Scenic Area and Experimental Forest, and the Neskowin Crest Research Natural Area, located immediately to the north. This proposal includes a recommendation that the wetlands should be: ... managed to protect and perpetuate the fish and wildlife, scenic, and research-educational values, while allowing dispersed recreation in the form of sport fishing, non-motorized plea- sure boating, and waterfowl hunting. Agricul- ture (grazing or forage production) could be allowed to continue at least until such time as a decision is reached on the feasibility of breaching the dikes. The propos al also includes the observation that: ...the possibility exists that at some point in the future the area could become commer- cially or industrially developed. For this reason, the estuary and associated wetlands deserves and requires protection through pub- lic ownership. 85@ Wetlands of Siletz Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT Siletz Bay is located in northern Lincoln County, imme- diately south of Lincoln City. The estuary covers 1,187 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Siletz Bay receives drainage from a 364 square mile watershed, much of which has been logged. Seventy-four thou- sand tons of sediments enter the estuary annually. Heavy sil- tation has occurred in the past. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the spawning population of the Siletz estuary to include: (1) 24,500 Co ho Salmon; (2) 1.3,600 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 7,700 Winter Steelhead Trout; C4) 4,900 Summer Steelhead Trout; and (5) 21,300 Cutthroat Trout. Other bay fish include herring, perch, starry flounder, tomcod and shad. Siletz Bay provides habitat for the Whistling Swan, 5 species of geese, 26 species of ducks, 23 shorebirds and 25 other species of aquatic birds. An estimated 85,000 waterfowl- use days occur on Siletz Bay during the wintering season. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Siletz Bay includes a considerable area of shallow water, partly because of the extensive siltation of recent years. The bay has 775 acres of tidelands. Oregon Fish Commission maps indicate only three small eelgrass beds in the estuary, two of which are immediately adjacent to the mouth. The extent and location of these beds are-probably indicative of the sedimen- tation problems in the estuary. 86 The bay contains -322 Acres of tidal marsh-, most of which has been fragmented by development. A large 90 acre tract of mature high marsh occurs between Millport Slough and the main channel of the Xiver. This area is nearly surrounded by dikes, roads and higEways, spoils disposal areas and other fills. The new U.S. 101 bridge fill and the Siletz Keys de- velopment, Cas well as the old U.S. 101 bridge) has separated the mature high marsh area from the sedge marsh islands further out on the tideflats. North of the main channel in the embay- ment near Cutler City, several immature and mature high marsh islands occur. The east and north margins of the estuary are fringed with low silt marsh, while the bay side of the Salishan Sandspit is fringed with low sand marsh. The east side of The Lagoon on the Salishan Sandspit is fringed with mature high marsh. Extensive diked areas Capproximately 90 to 100.a,cres) occur along both sides of the river above Kernville. LAND OWNERSHIP All of the immediate Siletz Bay area is privately owned. Most is in small individual holdings, except for two or three areas of corporate ownership. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP The.State of Oregon owns all the tidelands of Siletz Bay. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS The major conflicts of uses with resource functions and values in Siletz Bay are direct--sedimentation from the water- shed, and fills in the estuary. Future conflicts may develop from additional recreational development, including small boat basins and related marine commercial facilities. Some of the marsh areas of the estuary are included in the "Marshland" category of the Siletz Bay Land and Water Use Plan, and are therefore, designated as "Natural Resource" areas in the Lincoln County zoning ordinance (included in the MANAGE MENT section of this report). 87 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY OCC&DC OREGON wr TA. S5 @@w ff clirl-Ep v elry 8,A 'r MAROM TATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L SAND MARSH L SILT MARSH 2 @w ;OGE MARSH MATURE HIGH MARSH e MATURE HIGH M-@PSIH B JLRUSH & SEDGE OA -JMITERTI GRAVER MAQSH DIKED MAR13H Cown Lowm nPow 07hew sookars + FffOJE= COAPIEWS 7)VC"W BETWEN ZZCW10W OF WAN t6W W.MW AW WAV MIN M07ER 7WELAW MAP OF Sll-ErZ &A Y SCAC frr) SrATE OF ORECON DIVISM Cr SUM L4AW Wetlands of Yaquina Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT Yaquina Bay is located in central Lincoln County, adja- cent to the city of Newport. The estuary is the fourth largest in the coastal zone, covering 3,910 acres. PHYSICAL CRARACTERISTICS The Yaquina Bay wa tershed covers 389.square miles. Sed- imentation averages 30,000 tons per year. FISH AND WILDLIFE Yaquina Bay is one of the most popular sport fishing centers in the coastal zone. The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the following spawning population of game fish in the estuary area: (1) .12,600 Coho Salmon; C2) 2,100 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 2,300 Steelhead Trout; and (4) 7,500 Cutthroat Trout. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates 180 spe- cies of birds use the Yaquina estuary. the upper bay is im- portant for wintering waterfowl, with a peak of 30,000 water- fowl use-days occurrinq. Two Band-tailed pigeon areas are located in the upp er bay near Toledo. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Yaquina Bay contains extensive areas of shallow water in the large embayments of the lower estuary, and in the sloughs of the upper estuary. There are also 1,353 acres of tidelands in the bay. The estuary is notable for the large eelgrass beds which occur in the lower and middle portions of the bay. A resource inventory entitled Fish and Witdlif6 of Yaquina Bay, Ore on, was completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-- vice in 1968, 88 COASTAL WETLAPJ093 STUOY OCC&OC; DAY Mmo SALT MARSH 'VEGETATION 4- L.0 0 MARSH W@ LO SILT MAR93H SIR GE ii 20 IM ATURE HIc3H M ASH M E-HiGH M sm BULRUSH & SEOGE OIKEO MARSH Xa or Rs 30 Z9 JuVER z -armv emm" mtw 53 + mwwm Lwow Avav 07" Av@ )WOWN4 AVAgVM COWAM i 51 E3ZM-nK%AW MTWW arM"00 0)' AWW tW sumv 30 *0 AWAV AW# NOW 7749" MAP OF YAQUINA BAY SWE OF ORE"w + I i I Dlp*wN oF SWE 4AACS Yaquina Bay contains 819 Acres of tidal marsh. This @total occurs in two major categories--low fringemarshes'in the embayments of the lower estuary, and high marshes in- the sloughs ot the middle and upper estuary. In the lower bay, Sally's Bend is fringed with low silt@ marsh, while the area between the Marine Science Center fill and Hinton Point is fringed with low sand marsh. The major marsh area of Yaquina Bay is the mature and immature high marsh which extends the length of McCaffery and Pooles Slough. McCaffery Slough is primarily an area of imma- ture high marsh fringed with mature high marsh. Pooles Slough is primarily mature high marsh. The delta between the two sloughs is.an area of expanding low silt marsh. The sloughs of the upper bay are fringed with immature and mature high marsh.and sedge marsh. An extensive area of diked marsh occurs along Boone's Slough. LAND OWNERSHIP All of the immediate uplands of Yaquina Bay Cexcept the Marine Science Center fill) are in private ownership. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP Other than the tidelands adjacent to the Marine Science Center, which are state-owned, most of the lower bay is in local government ownership. The middle and upper bay, includ- ing McCaffery and Poole's Slough, are in, private ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Landfills in tile estuary are the primary conflict in Yaquina Bay. Because of the location and importance of the bay as an educational, industrial and sport fishing center, de- mands on the estuary and adjacent uplands are intensive. Much of the we-tland area is contained in the "Marshlands" and "Tide- lands" categories of the Yaquina Bay Land and Water Use Plan, and'therefore, is included within the "Natural Resource" desig- nation of the Lincoln County Zoning Ordinance. 89 Beaver Creek Marsh LOCATION AND EXTENT Beaver Creek enters the Pacific ocean about 7 miles south of Yaquina Bay. The marsh area.covers approximately. 80 acres. 101 0"V BEAVER MARSH LINCOLN COUNTY Inland Marsh Coastal Wetlands Study Oregon C.,t.1 C..,, .... Ilan And Development DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Tidal influence extends up Beav er Creek to the area just above the Highway 101 bridge. The damming effect of this tidal influence causes high fresh water flows in the creek to surge over the adjacent lowlands, thus bringing about a marsh envir- onment primarily fresh water in character. On the margins of the fresh marsh, areas of fresh water swamps merge with the edge of the spruce forest, providing a diversity of habitat types within a small area. 90 @ ! @ @7a 7- & Pk@ @7 11 Upland Edge of the Beaver Creek Marsh LAND OWNERSHIP Private. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS This area is currently used for grazing and forage pro- duction, with no apparent conflicts to the value of the area for wildlife. I - A-V PRO 91 Wetlands of AlseA Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT The Alsea River enters the Pacific ocean immediately west of the City of Waldport in southern Lincoln County. The estuary covers 2,14G acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Alsea River drains an area of 474 square miles. Most of the watershed is heavily forested with regrowth from forest fires which occurred in 1847. Sedimentation is esti- mated at 249,000 tons annually. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Alsea watershed is one of the most important sport fishing areas of the coastal zone, The Oregon Wildlife Commis- sion estimates the spawning population of the Alsea Bay system to include: (1) 58,000 Coho Salmon; (2) 20,000 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 300 Spring Chinook Salmon; (4) 7,640 Steelhead Trout; and (5) 28,600 Cutthroat Trout. Other bay fish include herring, starry flounder, sea perch and shad. Alsea Bay provides habitat for wintering waterfowl, including.the Whistling Swan, 3 species of geese, 25 species of ducks, 27 species of shorebirds, and 19 other species of aquatic birds. There is one Band-tailed pigeon watering area which is used by an estimated 1,000 birds, one of the heaviest concentrations in the coastal zone. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Alsea Bay contains an extensive area of shallow water in the large embayment north of Waldport, and over 970 acres of tidelands. Four large eelqrass beds occur in the estuary, 92 one at the mouth-and the other three along the north margin of the large embayment. Alsea Bay contains 640 acres of tidal marsh, nearly all of which,i,s mature highmarsh. There is no other estuary in the coastal zone which contains so much undiversified marsh- land. The major expanse of mature high marsh has occurred along the north shore of the estuary and on the marsh islands which have developed since barriers were placed in the north channel of the bay. Small areas of immature high marsh and low silt marsh occur along the margins of Lint, McKinneys and Eckman Slough. Areas of diked marsh occur along lower Drift Creek and between U.S. 34 and the upper estuary. Johannessen (1961) states that little marsh expansion has occurred in the estuary. In fact, the southern and western shorelines of the marsh islands are retreating. LAND OWNERSHIP All of the uplands immediately adjacent to Alsea Bay are in private ownership, including small private corporate and timber holdings. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP With a few exceptions of private ownership, all of the tidelands of Alsea Bay are in local government (port, county and city) ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Past conflicts have been primarily related to erosion and siltation. Future problems will. probably involve pressure for filling the-very extensive areas of mature high marsh in the north part of the estuary. Much of the mature high marsh areas are designated in the "Marshland" and "Tideland" categor- ies of the Alsea Bay Land and Water Use Plan. 93 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY Doc r. OC q <Z- ALSEA &) 19 VEGET LOW BAND M RSH Low SILT MA@SH srsoC&E MARS14 immA-r R AR MATUR HIGH MARS I --M-13ULRU H &O�V"E INTE IDAL GRAVEL ARSH DIKED MARSH 7X")h1AAV hd4P or + ALSISFA BAY SEPM46ER 072 wm .7rR A@ sm7r a@ OpEoav aVSM OF SMC LAWS mm NIS Wetlands of the Siuslaw Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT The Siuslaw River enters the Pacific Ocean about 3 miles northwest of the City of Florence, in western Lane County. The estuary covers 2,245 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Siuslaw drains a watershed of 773 square miles, and deposits an average of 103,000 tons of sediment in the estuary each year. Extensive sand deposition also results from wind action on the large dunes at the southern margin of the lower F bay. The Siuslaw is one of three estuaries in the coastal zone with a sandy rather than silty substrate. F FISH AND WILDLIFE Wild spawning populations of game fish in the Siuslaw estuary have been estimated by the Oregon Wildlife Commission as follows: (1) 25,000 Coho Salmon; (2) 4,500 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 7,300 Steelhead Trout; C4) 36,000 Cutthroat Trout; (5) 1,000 Striped Bass; and (6) -30,000,Shad. The Siuslaw is considered the finest Cutthroat Trout estuary in the coastal zone. Other bay fish include herring and anchovies, ocean perch, sole, tomcod, lingcod, greenling and flounder. A watering area for Band-tailed pigeons is located in the Duncan Inlet vicinity. A Bald Eagle has been observed in the bay in the summer of 1973, and apparently an active nest has been identified on the margin of the estuary. 94 COASTAL WETLANDS + + + + + STUDY c c r. 0 c 14 /8 17 15 14 + fiA MARDH L--r VEG@ TATION SAND MARS14 Low 81 SEDGE ARSH RIP IMMAT pE %%* MA 93H 4- MATU E HIGH MAR H Ad- BULRUSH &SEDGE 34 56 owail fzmalyip@@ + + + a@ rAT OF az2v= DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS The Siuslaw estuary contains few areas of shallow water compared to other large estuaries in the coastal zone. Shallow water and tidelands occur in the upper bay,.-in South Slough, and in the lower portion of the North Fork. The bay contains 756 acres of tidelands. The Oregon Wildlife Commission'and the Fish Commission have identified extensive areas of eelqrass in the central portion of the estuary, between Cox Island and the U.S. 1.01 bridge. The Siuslaw estuary contains one of the largest and most diverse marsh expanses in the coastal zone. Six marsh types .cover 1458 acres. Only the low sandy marshand gravel marsh types are not found in this estuary. The Siuslaw marshes occur in two major components, one expanse consisting of Cox Island and adjacent islands and sloughs in the main channel area, and a large expanse in the tidal portion of the North Fork. Cox Island is the dominant marsh feature, a 170 to 200-acre expanse of immature high marsh fringed with sedges in the numerous channels and ditches extending through the Island. Upstream from Cox Island are large islands of sedge marsh and an 80-acre expanse of bull- rush and sedge marsh between the railroad bridge and Cox Is- land. The North Fork area contains a large 90-acre expanse of mature high marsh, a 50 acre.island of sedge marsh, and one 50-acre expanse of immature high marsh. Extensive diked marsh areas are evident on both the main stem of the river and in the upper areas of tidal influence on the North Fork. The relatively large areas of bullrush and sedge marsh indicate fresh water influence in these diked areas. IAND OW14ERSHIP The southern margin of the lower estuary is in federal ownership. Nearly all of the marsh areas of the estuary are in,small private or corporate (timber) ownership. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP Tideland ownership is fragmented. most of the tidelands surrounding Cox Island and adjacent to the other marsh tracts are privately owned. 95 LAND USE AND USE IMPACTS Consi.derable modification of marshes has occurred in the past through agricultural uses, Current pressures are from residential and commercial demands. Future demands for modi- fication may come from dredge spoils disposal, log storage, marinas and related commercial development, and a variety of industrial and urban uses in the accessible areas along the north margins of the estuary and the west margins of the North Fork. Domestic sewage from the Mapleton area has been noted as a problem by the Oregon Wildlife Commission. 96 Wetlands of Umpqua Ray LOCATION AND EXTENT The Umpqua River enters the Pacific ocean approximately r 4 miles west of the city of Reedsport in western Douglas County. The estuary is the fourth largest in the coastal zone, covering over 6,830 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Umpqua River rises in the Cascade Mountains and drains a watershed area of over 4,500 square miles, most of which is east of the crest of the Coast Range. Sedimentation from the drainage basin averages 564,000 tons per year. How- ever, the fresh water flow averages 6,700,000 acre-feet per year, and tideflats occupy less than one-quarter of the estu- ary. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the spawning populations of the Umpqua watershed to include: (1) 24,000 Coho Salmon; (2) 12,000 Spring Chinook Salmon; (3) 3,000 Fall Chinook Salmon; (4) 40,000 Winter Steelhead Trout; C5) 13,500 Summer Steelhead Trout; C6) 10,000 Cutthroat Trout; C7) 44,000 Striped Bass; and (8) 340,000 Shad. The estuary is of importance to the scaup duck Cblue-- bill). Ten to fifteen thousand of these birds winter in the estuary. Some Band-tailed pigeon use occurs in Hudson Slough of the Smith River portion of the estuary. 97 STArE OF OREGON DKISION OF STATE LANDS TOELAM MAP oF UMPOUA RIVER M72 JLLY N h&- @4* W@ aw@ st-.. *gob*- a. COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY OCC&OC MA am v is ETATi N ___ffrLOW BAND MARSH LOW@mltr WMIX814"@ OREGON MATURE Hiom MARSH OULRU13H & sEorm INTOPTIOAL GRf@VEL MARSH 9101KE0 MAR85@; DESCRIPTION OF WETIAMS The Umpqua estuary has'be@n'described as a fresIL water channel affected by tidal action. The type and distribution of wetlands in Umpqua Bay demonstrate the fresh water and strong current aspects of this estuary, Shallow water areas occur around the islands and along the margins where deposi- tion has resulted in 1531 acres of tidelands. Eelgrass beds are limited to these shallow areas in the lee of islands and within the numerous coves of the lower bay. There are 344 acres of tidal marsh in the estuary. The dominance of fresh water is noticeable in the upper bay. Bullrush and sedge marsh is dominant in both the Umpqua and Smith Rivers above Reedsport, with a comparatively large area of 45 acres occurring along Butler Creek. Another area of bullrush and sedge marsh occurs on the east tip of Bolon Is- land. With the exception of a few islands of sedge marsh in the mouth of the Smith River, the lower bay (below Reedsport) is dominated by high marsh. Steamboat Island consists of a 60- acre expanse of immature high marsh. A 55-acre tract of mature high marsh occurs on The Point and adjacent uplands Extensive areas of diked marsh occur throughout the estuary, including large segments along Providence Creek, Bolon Island, and along the east margins of the Smith River and the north margin of the Umpqua River. LAND O'WNERSHIP With the exception of the Umpqua spit,, which is in fed- eral ownership, the immediate uplands of the estuary are in small private and corporate ownership. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP Tidelands in the lower bay (below The Point) are in state ownership, while those adjacent to Bolon and Steamboat Islands are in local government ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Primary use conflicts as indicated by the Oregon Wild-- life Commission include gravel dredging in the upper bay, log storage, effluent from domestic and industrial sources, and demands for increased recreational boating facilities. 98 Wetlands of Coos Bay* LOCATION AND EXTENT Coos Bay enters the Pacific Ocean 7 miles west of the city of Coos Bay in northern Coos County. Coos Bay, covering 12,380 acres, is the largest estuary totally within Oregon. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Coos Bay receives the drainage of a watershed of approx- imately square miles. Sediment deposition in the estuary is estimated at 72,000 tons annually. There are also extensive areas of dredge spoils in the estuary and along the shorelines in a number of locations. FISH AND WILDLIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the spawning population of the Coos Bay estuary watershed to include: (1) 8,300 Coho Salmon; (2) 500 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 5,000 Steelhead Trout; and (4) 3,500 Sea-run Cutthroat Trout. Other fish in the bay of importance to sportsmen include sea perch, sculpin, and especially striped bass and shad. Coos Bay is of special importance to migrating waterfowl because of the extensive areas of eelgrass present and the relative scarcity of large bays available for feeding and rest- ing in the northern California-southern Oregon portion of the Pacific Coastal Flyway. The Oregon Wildlife Commission esti- mates a peak of 15,000 waterfowl-use days on the estuary. Im- portant waterfowl areas of the estuary include South Slough, Marshfield Channel, Pony Slough and Jordan Cove. A natural resource inventory of this estuary entitled Natural Resources, Ecological Aspects, Uses and Guidelines for the Man- agement of Coos Bay, Oregon, wascompleted by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1971. 99 DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS Coos Bay contains a great amount of shallow water in the main embayment of the estuary (adjacent to the cities of North Bend, Coos Bay and Eastside) and in North, South, Pony and Isthmus Sloughs and Haynes' Inlet. The majority of the bay's 6,200 acres of tidelands are in these areas and along the mar- gin.s of the.Marshfield Channel. Because of strong tidal action and relatively higher salinity(compated to other Oregon estuaries) Coos Bay contains extensive areas of eelgrass, approximately 1,400 acres. These eelgrass beds are depicted in the recent report Coos Bay Estu- ary of the Fish Commission of Oregon, and are included on the accompanying maps in this report because they are so extensive as to be of major significance. Nearly all of the 2,738 acres of tidal marsh in the Coos Bay estuary are located within the seven rivers and sloughs which enter the main bay. The main exception is the Coos River delta area, where there are several extensive islands of immature high marsh. The east margin of the bay in this vicinity contains a large immature high marsh which is fringed with sedge marsh. An extensive diked marsh area is located on both sides of the Coos River and Catching Slough. The flats north of Eastside con- tain a large area of mature high marsh and a number of islands of immature high marsh. However, most of the marsh in this area is diked. Marsh areas which previously existed in this part of the bay (in the vicinity of Eastside and Coos Bay) have been covered by urbanization. Johannessen (1961) states that the original extent of marsh in the Coos Bay-Bunker Hill areas may be delimited by the margin of the older residential dis- ricts. The status of the wetlands in this part of the estuary may be characterized as expanding on the southeast margins of the bay and decreasing on the southwest. Three large (and several small) islands of dredge spoils are located in the main bay adjacent to the south end of the city of Coos Bay. Low sand marsh vegetation occurs on the mar- gins of all these islands. The interiors of these islands are generally elevated well above submergence levels and as a re-. sult, are covered with species of upland vegetation. Kentuck Slough has been diked and modified extensively, and the current pattern at the mouth of the Slough has been altered considerably. Johannessen (1961) indicates these changes have brought about a rapid expansion of the marsh at the mouth of the inlet, in effect a doubling of marsh area be- tween 1939 and 1961. 100 LEGEND 9 North Bend 44 SALT MAR8H VEMETATION LOW SAPJO MAPSH LOW SlI.T MARSH Coos SEOGE MARSH immA-ruRe HIGH MARSH MATURE HIGH MAR13H BULRUSH &SEOGF- INTERTIOAL GRAVEL MARSH OIKKO MARSH T. Fil ID There are extensive marsh areas still remaining in Isth- mus Slough, despite the intensive diking and filling of wet- lands which have occurred between the mouth of the slough and the Coos city Bridge. The lower slough (between Hayden and Coos Bay) is dominated by diked marsh, sedge marsh, a large fringe of immature high marsh on the east margin of the Slough across from Millington, and a large area of low silt marsh about a mile south of Eastside. The entire Shinglehouse Slough area is dominated by a large sedge marsh. Above the Coos city bridge, the Slough contains pri- marily bullrush and sedge marsh, indicating the increasing dom- inance of fresh water. Coalbank Slough contains two large remnants of sedge marsh adjacent to the city of Coos Bay, while the upper por- tion of the slough has been diked. Pony Slough is fringed on the east and west sides with narrow bands of immature high marsh, and on the west side by an expanse of low sand marsh. These relatively small marsh areas are important because of the heavy use of Pony Slough by waterfowl, especially during stormy periods when the slough offers protection from the high waves of the main bay. Pony Slough is currently managed by the State of Oregon as a wildlife refuge. An extensive road dike system has separated both Haynes Inlet and North Slough from full exposure to the main bay, and both of these contain large areas of tideflats. Haynes Inlet is fringed with mature and immature high marsh on both sides from the U.S. 101 fill to the edge of tidewater, which is dom- inated by a sedge marsh. Extensive areas of diked marsh occur in the upper area of the slough. North Slough contains a large expanse of intact, unfrag- mented and diverse tidal (and non-tidal) marsh. The east mar- gin of the slough is dominated by a large sedge marsh and imma- ture high marsh. The west margin contains large areas of bull- rush and sedge marsh, and mature and immature high marsh. The Southern Pacific railroad dike provides a distinct boundary be- tween fresh water and salt water influence in the North Slough marsh community. South Slough, along with North Slough, is an estuarine environment of major significance. North Slough is important for the large, unbroken area of tidal marsh it contains, while the value of South Slough derives from large areas of undis- turbed tideflats and extensive fringe marshes. Nowhere in South Slough is there a single large tract of marsh (over 10 acres) yet, nearly the entire slough is fringed with mature and immature high marsh, creating a total wetland area of major importance. The functions and values of fringe marshes as 101 "edge environments" important to wildlife and as buffers from storm waves(and particularly erosioW has been discussed pre- viously. In Joe Ney Slough, the lower margins are fringed with low sand marsh and immature and mature high marsh, while the upper margins are fringed with sedges. The extreme upper end of the slough is a diked area. The main channel area of Coos Bay (between the North Bend airport and Charleston) is almost devoid of tidal marsh. The east margin of the channel (visible from the Empire- Charleston Highway) is fringed with a narrow band of low sand @marsh (near Empire) immature high marsh (near Sitka Dock) and sedge marsh (on both sides of Pigeon Point). LAND OWNERSHIP With the exception of the North Spit and the Pony Slough areas which are in public ownership, most of the.uplands adja- cent to the Coos Bay estuary are privately owned. The majority of this is in individual private holdings, although large tracts of corporate ownership are located in the Coos River delta, North Slough-Haynes Inlet, aVd South Slough areas. TIDELANDS OWNERSHIP The pattern of tidelands ownership in Coos Bay is com- plex. Major@areas in private ownership include Isthmus Slough, most of the Coos River delta area, the Kentuck Inlet-Glasgow portion of the main bay, and North Slough. Areas of local government ownership include the main bay north of Coos Bay and Eastside, Pony Slough and Jordan Cove. State tidelands owner- ship includes part of the Coos River delta, Catching Slough, Shinglehouse Slough, Haynes Inlet north of the channel, and. much of South Slough. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Historically, much of the marsh and tidelands of Coos Bay were diked and drained for pasture to support the active dairy industry. Additional areas were covered with the spoils which resulted from the constant dredging of navigation chan- nels, and large areas of marsh and tidelands have been used for log storage. With the exception of South Slough, there are no major wetland areas of the Coos Bay estuary which have not been modified by man's activities. The presence of Cotula, or brass-buttons, a small yellow exotic plant native to South 102 T- CIO Lutj] V E; w- Yowki t-J,6%yWOOr C-K. PAY 69MY- NO 112@wl:2 roll-4T SOUTH SLOUGH MARSHES Coastal Marsh COOS COUNTY Coastal Wetlands Study Eel Gross Oregon Coastal Conservation SOURCE: Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Oregon Fish Commission k.. And Development Commission Africa (which prospers in marsh areas where wood waste mater- ials are incorporated into the soil) throughout the Coos Bay estuary is indicative of the intense use which has been made of this area for logging, wood storage, processing and shipping. Unlike other estuaries, in which residential 'and recreational pressures dominate, the Coos Bay estuary will continue to be a center of marine industrial activities. The estuary contains a large total area of tidal marsh, however, and extensive areas of tidelands and eelgrass. Rela- tively undisturbed tracts of tidal marsh and tidelands remain in North and South Sloughs, indicating the vitality of the wet- lands system within a heavily-used estuary. The North Slough is of parti cular significance as a visual asset, with the exposed sand of the Oregon Dunes Nation- al Recreation Area forming a backdrop to the extensive marshes clearly visible from U.S. 101, which forms the east border of the present marsh area. The marshes and associated dunes con- stitute (principally for south-bound U.S. 101 traffic) one of the most characteristic and scenic coastal landscapes availa- ble to the traveler. Although it is an outstanding community entrance resource for the Coos Bay urban area, the visual im- pact of this scenic landscape is diminished by the joint use of the area as a billboard corridor. The Coos Bay Estuary Plan contains land and water use provisions for tidelands and marshlands, as discussed in the MANAGEMENT section of this report. 103 Coos Dunes Wetland Area* LOCATION AND EXTENT The Coos Dunes area extends from the North Spit of Coos Bay to Tenmile Creek, between U.S. 101 and the ocean shore in northern Coos County. Several large and numerous small inland marsh areas and some dunes, or deflation plain marshes occur throughout the area, totaling an estimated 1,000 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The Coos Dunes area consists of active and older stabi- lized sand dunes, shore pine and spruce forests, and a large number of lakes. Formation of the area resulted from inland sand movement blocking seaward drainage from the coast Range. Low-lying wetland areas are sustained by water storage in the dunes and water movement out of large Coast Range lakes. DESCRIPTION OF WETLANDS The area contains several large inland marsh areas, ex- tending from the Henderson Marsh near Coos Bay northward to Horsfall and Sandpoint Lakes, and numerous small valley marshes inland from the dunes sheet. Within the dunes are a number of deflation plain marshes. These areas are secluded and rela- tively inaccessible and have a high value for wildlife. Be- cause of sand movement in this area, some of thp shallow water areas are rapidly succeeding to shrub swamp communities. LAND OWNERSHIP This area contains a mixture of federal and private ownership. Many of the lakes in the area have been purchased and used as waterfowl hunting retreats. Except for the ex- treme southern portion, most of this area is included within the Inland Section of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, which indicates that the national forest master plan for the area (to be completed in 1974) will determine the compatibility of proposed uses in this area. *A detailed analysis of this area is available in the Oregon Dunes NationaZ Recreation Area Inventory, compiled by the staff of the Siuslaw National Forest. 104 0'i M Wt@ V Y, M a ".LK RU Rom fill, 14, 19h I-A V; in iA P, ocvr All l,,@ 41 V.% b 14 a 0i VIA 17 @@Y!4 ""Will ..... . .......... 641AVP CR 10k! '53M a Nil I,g i 0 01W 0 2', NORTH SLOUGH COOS DUNE MARSH Inland Marsh COOS COUNTY Coastal Wetlands Study Oregon Coastal Conservation AnclDevelopment Commission Wetlands of Coquille Bay LOCATION AND EXTENT The Coquille River enters the Pacific Ocean one mile west of the City of Bandon, in southern Coos County. The Co- quille is one of the smaller estuaries in the coastal zone, covering approximately 771 acres. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The estuary receives an average of 100,000 tons of sedi- ments each year from a watershed of 2,390 square miles. Much of the lower watershed is a broad marine terrace, formerly salt marsh, which has either matured to upland meadow or has been diked and drained for pasture. The Coquille has a sandy rather than silty substrate. Logging and burning in the water- shed resulted in a period of intense flooding and siltation in the past. Johannessen (1961) indicates large areas of the estuary have silted in since 1895. FISH AND WILI)LIFE The Oregon Wildlife Commission estimates the spawning population of the Coquille estuary to include: (1) 23,000 Coho Salmon; (2) 4,900 Fall Chinook Salmon; (3) 16,000 Steelhead Trout; (4) 12,000 Cutthroat Trout. Striped bass and shad spawn in the estuary. The bay is not of major importance to waterfowl, al- though several species (including widgeon and pintails) winter in the area. Wet meadows in the upper bay are used by many . thousands of feeding waterfowl. Band-tailed pigeons are found in the vicinity of Prosper in the upper bay. one large area of shallow water occurs in the embayment north of Bandon. Most of the 301 acres of tidelands in the estuary occur in this area also. The Oregon Fish Commission maps indicate three large beds of eelgrass along the east mar- gin of the bay between Bandon and the U.S. 101 bridge. 105 ft. 110 W. COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY OcCaDc - - - - - - - - - --T ="RD$ BEACH SrArf PAW E3 LT "ARSH 18 VEOdTATION LOW SAND MARSH k@ LOW BOLT MAPS" a I SEDGE MARSH IMMATURE HIGH_MARSH MATURE HIGH MARSH BULRUSH'& SEDGE INTERTIOAL GRAVEL MARSH OfiffiW9MARSH SECMN COMERS POUND SECTION COMERS I OCATED FROM OTHER BOUNCE$ -94 PROJECTED COMERS Q 77DELAND BETWEEN ELEVATIONS aF AMAN LOW WATER AND AWAN MON WATER OREGON T. Re S. 0,S.H,D Zwo LWO IL SCALE 7. Woo sow 4=0 scoo low 0 BANDON at' TIDELAND MAP TXgLAND 494P COUPO" MON APRIL 1071 AERML PNOTOMAPNY. PffLO PHOTO IVENMWATYM NOVEAWR IM COMILLE RIVER commm For. cm4er NO COMM SrAlr PLANE COORDINATES SOUTH ZONE STATE OF OREGON RECrANCULAR 6" DIVISION OF ST47E LANDS I movasm 11971? The Coquille. estuary contains 373 acres of tidal marshr including the major low sand marsh area in the coastal zone. Two major areas of this marsh- type Ctotal:Lng approximately 120 acresl are located in the lower bay north of Bandon. Three large areas of 3'J=ature high marsh totaling approximately 75 acres are located adjacent to the low sand marsh. An exten- sive diked marsh area is located along the north margin of the upper bay above the U.S. 101 bridge. Johannessen (.1961) indicates that the low sand marsh has been expanding rapidly since 1895, as a response to the intense sedimentation which followed logging activities in the watershed. In 1995, only fringe marshes existed where the major marsh expanse in the large embayment north of Bandon occurs today. Johannessen indicates the rate of marsh expan- sion between 1887 and 1916 was approximately 70 feet per year (for a total of 1500 feet), and that this rate continued until about 1939. Since 1939, expansion has proceeded at about four to five feet per year. LAND OWNERSHIP The uplands west of the estuary are in state ownership (Bullards Beach State Park). The remainder of the upland area is in private ownership. TIDELAND OWNERSHIP The tidelands adjacent to Bullards Beach State Park are in state ownership. Most of the remaining tidelands are in local government ownership. LAND USE AND USE CONFLICTS Primary conflicts in the past have resulted from log storage and some limited industrial effluent and wood waste disposal. 106 7 COASTAL WETLANDS STUDY occamc p i@l -N- M000 or 4; a k", 18 17 16 c.j Q qT 4L 20 -21 OREGON Fl@ 25 WEDDEMM 29 LEGM --RD=TED CORNM, SALT I" Rem V GETA@TION 9. q Fil LOW MARSH (::z-m4u mTwm T@et mmm w SAND Low Sr MARSH Q. 2v m, sie-orse !MARSH... GOLD BEACH IMMATU'RjE HIGK "R" R@w wm MATul_RE HIGH MARSH TCELAND MAP BULRUSH &-@-IMEOGE ROME RNIM INTERTIOAL 6RAVEL MAROM SUTE of OREGON IN DIKED MARSH Owom of SrTATE Wetlands of the Rogue and Chetco Rivers The Rogue and Chetco Rivers are located in southern Curry County, adjacent respectively to the cities of Gold Beach and Brookings. These rivers are primarily fresh water channels with a tidal bore which precludes extensive deposition of sedi- ments. Large gravel deposits are common in the lower portions of both these rivers. The Chetco River contains only 12 acres of tidelands and the Rogue 149 acres. No eelgrass is present. The gravel bars in each estuary support a few acres of a sparse marsh type which has been named "Intertidal Gravel Marsh" by Jefferson. This marsh type (as discussed previously) is a low-salinity community composed of spike rushes. Both of these estuaries have significant fish and wild- life values which are sustained by the entire watershed and the marine environment. Floras Lake - New River Marshes A major area of inland marsh is located in the Floras Lake New Lake area on the border between Coos and Curry Counties. The marsh has developed just inland from the primary dune. The area consists of approximately 400 acres in total of inland marsh. The marsh is important to migratory waterfowl, and is especially notable because it is somewhat inaccessible, providing freedom from harassment for many wildlife. The area is primarily privately owned, with some Bureau of Land Manage- ment ownership in the timbered uplands. 107 m m = =,= = m = R ljw wow COASTAL WETLAPJOS rkbMW I^p mwW f- A@ MV MW STUDY pftoft MwO.A. A* MY. Q.wd f@ go" dAw ftam a am" SAM #me Occ&OC ol ffl@ R@w cow m1p. amm sftv m- cAwmw" sow* Z- 32 33 r4os wu ORECav SECMW COMERS FOUAV ---- SECrIOV COAKE-RS J.0C4W PROW XMW 5OURCE5, ---- PRWECrED COMERS rrHE L.1W OF MEAN HIGH WE, 0810W #A9 hf0d Of 9*) #W OF ORD OW WA r&W f" Mw ofIZW f 0 rI&FLAA0 REMEEN ME ELEWYON OF 47 4 REM HIGH 77AF AAO MIAN L oW r1m. OAVIVARY HXH WA7ER WHEN OIFFERENr FROM MEAN HIGH WA7V?. /o/ 6RAPEt 8EMEEN ME ELEVAMAIS OF MEAN ma MMY 77DE AAV OfiV1hARY HnH WAM two AWO Now SA ARSH M4CXLM COW VEG ION clvrrco cow /00@000 566 SHD R-11 LOW 8 0 MARSH + oh ZCWL LOW 13ILT ARSH '04 SEOUE M A H r4ls wm jMmATupE H MARSH rIDEL AMD AfAP MATURE HIG RSH -c4,V CHETCO RIVER BULRUSH a rmoG JNTER-rioAL RAVEL ARSH SWE OF OREGON it's analoN Or smrE 1AAw DIKED MARSH F"AwRy A= mmumomm"mom OJLH@lm@lewHwv m ff if) MANAGEMENT NEEDS AND GOALS The overriding goal of coastal zone management is to maintain and protect the essential character and quality of the coastal environment, the basic support system for man's use of the coastal zone. This goal is inherent in the OCC&DC legislative charge which states that the Commission is to Ustudy the natural resources of the coastal zone and recommend the highest and best uses of such resources" (ORS 191.140). In the event of conflicting uses, the Commission is to estab- lish a "...system ofpreferences between such conflicting uses that are consistent with the control of pollution and the pre- vention of irreversible damage to the ecological and environ- mental qualities of the coastal zone " (ORS 191.150). Another major part of OCC&DC's legislative charge is to provide the necessary balance between conflicting public and private interests in the coastal zone" (ORS 191.110). Managing the wetlands resource presents a major example of the conflict between conservation and development. While wetland functions and values represent a resource of major significance to the general public, "...it is frequently dif- ficult for the owners of marshes (and other wetlands) to cap- ture any significant portion of the benefits of their property when it is in the form of wetlands" (Goldstein, 1969). When the public seeks to preserve the inherent functions and values of wetland areas, there is often a conflict with the assumed right of private landowners to do whatever they wish with their wetland holdings. Because much of the wetlands resource is shoreland, there has been considerable purchase of these areas in anticipation of filling and the providing of ser- vices for residential and other development. Despite the values of these areas to the public, and the hazards to development they generally present, there has been little guidance in the past from federal and state government regarding protection of wetland areas. The private landowner has been, in effect, either directly or indirectly encouraged to convert wetlands to other forms of land which will produce economic benefits directly to him. 108 Recent policy statements from federal agencies (such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) indicate a possible change in this trend. Also a number of the states have recently established wetland protection goals. The Executive Department of the State of Oregon recently published a document entitled Oregon Areas of Environmental Concern which describes wetlands protection as a goal of state-wide significance. Although this document is primarily informational, it indicates a concern and interest on the part of state government which could develop into an adopted state-wide policy in the near future. The basic goal for wetlands management, therefore, is seen as the protection of inherent functions and values of the resource, while providing opportunities for resource use. Additionally, OCC&DC must approach this goal from a regional, coast-wide perspective. The importance of this is demonstrated in the relative distribution of wetlands along the coast, in that Curry County contains almost no tidelands, eelgrass or tidal marsh areas, and (excluding the Columbia River) Lincoln and Tillamook Counties contain a major portion of these resources. Thus in the regional context, wetlands use must be, consistent with the overall resource management system being developed coast-wide by OCC&DC. These regional goals include: (1) Maintaining a diversity of habitats for the plant and animals of the coastal zone; (2) Identification of fragile environments and critical habitats; (3) Identification of areas hazardous or inherently unsuitable for development; (4) Prediction of changes in the environment through natural processes (such as plant succession), or alteration of water quality, or erosion, and evalu- ation of the management implications of those changes; and (5) Identification of methods of restoring an environmental resource or increasing the capacity of the resourco for desirable uses. 109 EXISTING FEDERAL MANAGEMENT POLICY Previous federal leadership in wetlands management has come primarily from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency long concerned with the destruction of waterfowl habi- tat. The service coordinated the 1954 survey of wetlands in Oregon and in 1971 completed resource surveys in Coos Bay and Yaquina Bay which contained management recommendations for wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a major force in the conversion of wetlands to other uses nationwide, has indicated interest in the wetland inventory process. In a recent court decision in New Jersey, the Corps was upheld in extension of jurisdiction (as defined in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899) from mean high tide to the upland boundary. The Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agri- culture, has provided management recommendations for wet soils areas as part of soil survey interpretations for many years. -The SCS is currently designing an extensive nationwide survey of wetlands based on the expertise of SCS soil scientists and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists. When completed, this survey could provide a larg6-scale description by county of undrained wet soils. The involvement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in wetlands management dates to February, 1973, when Agency Director William D. Ruckelshaus issued a decision state- ment regarding future EPA policy on waste-water discharges into wetland areas. This statement requires that EPA manage the construction grant program for sewage treatment facilities to prevent, wherever possible, the location of outfalls in areas where damage to the wetland ecosystem may occur. As stated in the Ruckelshaus decision: Protection of wetland areas requires the pro- per placement and management of any construc- tion activities and controls of non-point sources to prevent disturbing significantly the terrain and impairing the quality of the wet- land area. Alteration in quantity or quality of the natural flow of water, which nourishes the ecosystem, should be minimized. The addi- tion of harmful waste waters or nutrients con- tained in such waters should be kept below a level that will alter the natural, physical, chemical, or biological integrity of the wet- land area and that will insure no significant increase in nuisance organisms through bio- stimulation. 110 other federal agencies have become involved in wetland inventory activities, but none of these have formulated defi- nite management programs other than for problems encountered in relation to a specific project. There have been several federal commission reports which have indicated the national interest in wetlands and other coastal resources. The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is the most significant expression of federal interest in a com- prehensive approach to the management of coastal resources. EXISTING STATE LEVEL MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE As of December, 1972, twelve coastal states had insti- tuted wetlands management programs; two had conducted a coastal wetlands study (Louisiana and Virginia); and one (Washington) had established guidelines for wetland areas within an overall shorelines management program (Bradley, 1972). These management systems employed the use of the follow- ing techniques to assure resource protection: (1) acquistion (Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina); (2) permits (San Francisco Bay, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island); and (3) restrictive orders on specific uses in wetland areas (many coastal states). In the past, the states of the Pacific Coast have been concerned almost exclusively with the protection of beaches. Acquisition, permit, and restrictive order programs have been used at the state and local levels to provide for the ever- increasing public demand for beach access. In 1969, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Develop- ment commission established policies for the protection of 75 square miles of wetlands, the last remnants of a marsh expanse which once extended over 300 square miles in the bay area. Based on the inherent functions and values of the marsh areas, these policies require that any use (such as fills, piers or dikes) which interferes with resource values be prohibited ill unless it is demonstrated to be clearly in the public interest, and if no alternative locations are available. Where loss of marshland is deemed necessary, an associated policy requires that former marshes be restored or new marshes created by de- liberate placement of dredge spoils. Controls are administered by a permit system. The California Game and Fish Department has been con- ducting an inventory of coastal wetlands for the past five years. With this inventory now complete, the Department is preparing area-by-area wetlands management plans. These inven- tories are available to other state agencies, local governments, and the state-wide and regional coastal commissions, who may use them to develop management guidelines. The State of Washington has established wetlands man- agement within a state-wide shorelines management system. Marshes, swamps and bogs are defined as "natural systems" to which the management program applies. State guidelines require local governments to prepare "master programs", or resource plans which define the permissible uses of the shoreline re- source. There are four general management categories which might apply to a wetland area or any other "natural system". These are: (1) Natural Environment The natural environment is intended to preserve and restore those natural re- source systems existing relatively free of human influence. Local policies to achieve this objective should aim to regulate allpotential developments de- grading or changing the natural charac- teristics which make these areas unique and valuable. (2) Conservancy Environment The objective in designating a conser- vancy environment is to protect, con- serve and manage existing natural re- sources and valuable historic and cul- tural areas in order to ensure a con- tinuous flow of recreational benefits to the public and to achieve sustained resource utilization. 112 (3) Rural Environment The rural environment is intended to protect agricultural land from urban expansion., restrict intensive devel- opment along undeveloped shorelines, function as a buffer between urban areas, and maintain open spaces and opportunities for recreational uses compatible with agricuZtural activi- ties. (4) Urban Environment The objective of the urban environ- ment is to ensure optimum utiliza- tion of shorelines within urbanized areas by providing for intensive public use and by managing develop- F ment so that it enhances and main- tains shorelines for a multiplicity of urban uses. Thus, Washington recognizes a range of functions and values for coastal resources, and provides an appropriate range of management categories. The experience of coastal states in wetlands management may be summarized by a review of the basic components of the individual programs, which usually include: (1) A legal definition of wetland areas of concern to the state; (2) An inventory of wetland areas; (3) Establishment of state authority over those areas, generally by special legis- lation; (4) Institution of a permit and/or restric- tive orders procedure to control large- scale disturbance of wetland areas; (5) Assignment of administrative responsi- bility to a state agency (generally a natural resources or environmental qual- ity agency) having comprehensive rather than single-purpose, planning and man- agement responsibilities; and 113 (6) Testing and refinement of the wet- lands management system in the courts, which have generally upheld both the state's authority to protect the pub- lic interest in maintaining the func- tions and values of wetlands, as well as the private landowner's right to receive compensation for what (in some individual cases) is interpreted as taking without compensation. EXISTING WETLANDS MANAGEMENT IN OREGON State Level The current statutory authority of state agencies in Oregon which may apply to wetlands management include-: (1) ORS 537.525, requiring the State Engineer to determine, maintain and protect the quality of "reason- ably stable" ground water levels (whichmay apply to the maintenance of inland -fresh marsh areas); (2) ORS 449.765, requiring the Depart- ment of Environmental Quality to adopt and enforce minimum standards for solid waste disposal (which applies to the filling of wetland's with refuse, particularly wood waste); and (3) ORS 541.625, requiring the Di rector of the Division of State Lands to administer a permit system for fill and removal in the beds and banks of state waters (which may apply to the protection of the shallow estuary waters, tidelands, eelgrass, and low tidal marsh wetland types and subtypes). Protection of wetlands has been a major interest ofthe Oregon Wildlife Commission, and the Oregon Fish Commission, 114 both of which lend staff assistance to the Division of State Lands in assessing potential impacts of fill and removal pro- posals on fish and wildlife values. The Oregon Wildlife Commission is currently preparing a state-wide Fish and Wildlife Plan which should provide con- siderable guidance in protecting inherent functions and values of the nine wetland types which are discussed on a state-wide basis. Local Level The Lincoln County and Western Lane County Planning Commissions each have developed the county-wide zoning ordi- nances which include wetland management provisions. Oregon's other coastal counties do not have such regulations at present. However, in the summer of 1973, the Coos Bay Estuary Planning Committee developed a zoning category which would provide regulation of wetland areas if formally adopted by the County. Also, the Phase I report of the Clatsop County Planning Commis- sion contains criteria for management of wetland areas and pro- vides a logical basis for the development of such regulatory controls. The wording of these local regulations (as follows) indicates a developing concern for wetlands management in the Oregon Coastal Zone. WESTERN LANE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION The natural resource district is intended to protect areas having unique or irre- placeable natural resources which are vi- tal elements for a safe, healthful and pleasant environment for human life. it is further intended to protect the deli- cate, complex, biotic relationships be- tween the natural conditions of watersheds, forest lands., tidelands, shoreZands, dune- lands., wetlands and marshlands and the vegetation and wildlife supported by such watersheds and lands. To minimize the potential hazards of pollution, resource conversion and land development resulting from increases in human population, urban- ization, income, leisure time and indi- vidual mobility, emphasis will be placed on limiting and regulating human activity 115 in those areas where (1) the accept- able water quality of streams, takes-, estuaries or the ocean may be endangered; (2) watersheds and their streams or takes are used for domestic water sup- plies; (3) vegetative cover is essential to maintain soil stability and prevent erosion; (4) natural conditions are vital for either aquatic or wildlife habitat; and (5) scenic quality or vistas or open space is unique andlor irreplaceable. COOS BAY ESTUARY PLANNING COMMITTEE The Committee recognizes the vaZue of the overall estuarine system to the pro- duction of fish, shelZfish, migratory fowl., shorebirds and small upland ani- maZs and notes that this system affects not only the local area but large areas of the Pacific Ocean and Pacific Coast Flyway. The resources of the estuary contribute to recreation pursuits and aesthetic qualities of the area and to the economy of the estuarine region. The Committee RECOMMENDS that existing marshland and tidelands as delineated previously in this report be protected from further destruction. Likewise, the Committee RECOMMENDS that further reduc- tion of the tidal prism with its atten- dant flushing action within the bay, be avoided. CLATSOP COUNTY PLAN PHASE I REPORT Recommendations for wetlands (marsh, bog and swamp areas) include permitted and associated uses (hunting, fishing, sailing, observing. scientific investigation, and certain types of agriculture); and restric- tions on use (no on-site or peripheral de- velopment which will interfere with main- tenance of the ecosystem, especially its water storage and wildlife maintenance ability). Recommendations for estuaries and tidelands include permitted and associated uses (fish- ing. shellfishing and other harvesting, 116 recreation, limited associated urban de- velopment) and restrictions on uses (no development which reduces the ability of the estuary to support plant and animal life, such as dredging, fiZling, excessive recreation,.or overharvesting). .MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES The adoption of a coastal zone management program by a state government represents a determination of policy regard- ing the future use and development of the coastal region. If the program is consistent with the basic concepts of coastal zone management, it is built from an understanding of the coastal environment, those factors which distinguish the coastal region from all other areas of the state. There are a number of other factors which bear on the development of the management plan, and more importantly, in carrying it out. These include regional economic policy, de- termination of urban growth and non-growth areas, setting standards for water and sewer services, and transportation corridor and accessibility decisions. In regard to these major issues, it must be recognized that despite the importance of wetlands in the coastal envi- ronmeht, few if any decisions in the past have been based on a concern for wetlands functions and values. And it seems apparent that wetlands management in the future will be accom- plished as part of an overall resource management program, rather than as a separately-legislated concern, as has been the case in several other states. Nevertheless, there are basic resource values and char- acteristics unique to wetland areas which should be emphasized within an overall management program. There must be a method of keeping these basic concerns in the forefront as considera- tions of ownership, land and water uses, special district pro- posals, and other requirements are evaluated by policy-makers in arriving at a coastal management program. In evaluating this variety of concerns and arriving at a management decision for wetlands (or any other resource) on a regional and coast-wide basis, some of the inherent values discussed in this report will not be sustained. This is in- herent in the concept of achieving a balance between conserva- tion and development. 117 It must be recognized, however, in striving to achieve this balance, that there are many different wetland types and areas.in the coastal zone, and a variety of management prob- lems and opportunities associated with them. Arriving at a priority of areas based on inherent functions and values would provide guidance in evaluating wetlands as specific individual resources within the overall coastal zone management plan. Because of the complexity of wetland resources, and the lack of wetlands management experience (both in Oregon and nationwide), it is assumed that there is probably no singZe best method of management which would result in the optimum protection and wide use of areas as complex as wetlands. Additionally, within the coastal zone management pro- gram, wetland functions and values may not be regarded as the overriding concern in setting policy. Therefore, management alternatives are provided in order that a number of approaches may be considered. It must be emphasized that these alterna- tives are described only to provide an input into the overall management program which emphasizes wetland functions and values, not to describe the format of that program. Levels of Responsibility There are several levels of responsibility at which wetlands management decisions are made. Many of the problems of the past relate to a lack of agreement and coordination be- tween the various levels of decision-making, rather than to the absence of knowledge or a desire to solve problems. FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITIES Congress has stated through the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, that coordination of state coastal zone manage- ment programs is a basic federal level responsiblity. other responsibilities include: (1) purchase of wetland areas to protect migratory bird flyways and fish pas- sage areas of interstate, national and international significance; (2) providing grants, loans and techni- cal guidance to the states for wet- lands management activities; and 118 (3) providing a clear statement of the national interest and priorities in preserving, conserving and develop- ing resources including wetlands. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES The state is by tradition and law the focal point of many resource management responsibilities. Under federal coastal zone management guidelines, the state is required to study the coastal zone, formulate a management plan, and in- stitute a system of controls over permissible land and water uses in the coastal zone. It is essential at the state level (as well as at the federal and local levels) that controls correspond to the level of interest. The state has an obvious (although not specifically declared) interest in preserving inherent functions and values of wetlands which are of re- gional significance. These would include: (1) protecting unique and fragile areas; (2) preserving unique and endangered species.- (3) providing areas for nature study and scientific research; (4) protecting areas of unusual scenic significance; (5) providing for basic production and nutrient cycling processes in each estuary or local watershed environ- ment; (6) preventing unsuitable development in hazardous areas; and (7) providing for adequate recreation experiences unique to the wetlands environment. A basic problem in managing resources to provide for these interests is fragmentation. The wetlands resource en- compasses functions of interest to perhaps a dozen state agen- cies. In other states, management has often been facilitated by vesting responsibility in a single agency, usually a depart- ment of natural resources having multiple-purpose planning authority over land, water and biological resources. 119 Another basic problem nationwide is the lack of a declaration of state policy regarding wetlands Although de- velopers realize the state wildlife*and fish commissions will oppose a development in wetland areas, they generally are unaware if this attitude is shared by other decision-makers in the state government. In other states, management efforts have often been preceded by a declaration of state policy for wet- land areas, either by the legislature or the natural resources department. This declaration provides guidance for the devel- opment of management plans at the regional and local level, and provides support in future zoning appeals, acquisition efforts, and court cases. LOCAL RESPONSIBILITIES The majority of decisions regarding the use of wetland areas will be made at the local level. The consequences of those decisions will be felt primarily at the local level as well. The basic local responsibilities for wetlands manage- ment include: (1) participating in the development of a coastal management plan to assure that it reflects local con- cerns as well as state interests; (2) identifying wetland areas of signi- ficance to the local economy and stating why such areas should be reserved for those interests; (3) communicating to local residents the reasons for wetlands manage- ment guidelines and fostering a spirit of state/local partnership to implement those guidelines; and (4) developing local plans and ordi- nances which express local concerns for the resource and which are com- patible with any previously estab- lished state and federal policies for wetlands management. 120 Management Techniques The' management techniques which have been used in other state wetland management programs-are: (1) acquisition, or outright purchase; (2) administration of a permit system; (3) development of a system of restric- tive orders; (4) shorelines zoning; (5) regional function (6) comprehensive coastal zone management (which may include all of the above). ACQUISITION Wetland areas may be purchased by private organizations or by the public for wildlife refuges, scientific 'areas, or . scenic corridors. In some states wetland areas are being pur- chased to establish "marsh banks" to assure the continued pro- ductivity of estuarine and offshore fisheries. In Oregon, wetland acquisition has been undertaken only by the U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service. Although funds have not been appropriated for wetlands acquisition, the Oregon Attorney General hasruled that the State Parks Division could use park funds to purchase tidal wetlands if recreational shellfishing existed inthe area (Power, 1972). Some states (notably New York and Massachusetts) have entered into joint state-local wetland acquisition programs, with the state providing financial assistance to municipal townships for the purchase of wetlands of both local and state- wide significance.* Generally most states set out to acquire those wetlands which are so valuable that State control appears necessary to assure long-term preservation. In the Atlantic coastal states, wetlands management has often been the most important segment *As of late summer, 1973, New York instituted a new wetlands inventory program designed to support eventual state acquisi- tion and regulation of the coastal marshes of Long Island. 121 of the coastal program, and as a result, acquisition is a basic goal. PERMIT SYSTEMS At least eleven states have instituted permit systems for wetland areas. Some permit systems are designed as the control mechanism for uses in wetland areas, while others are designed to provide variances from other controls, such as restrictive orders. The permits are generally administered by a state agency, usually with criteria for approval which favor protection of the inherent functions and values of wetlands. RESTRICTIVE ORDERS Five states have instituted a system of restrictive orders to protect wetland areas. The system generally consists of a survey and mapping of wetland areas by an appropriate state agency, such as the Department of Natural Resources, and the recording of land use restrictions in those areas on the deeds of affected landowners. The following is an example of the restrictive order procedure enacted by the New Jersey Legislature in 1970. Upon the adoption of any such order (re- strictions on land use in wetland areas) or any order amending, modifying or re- - pealing the same, the commissioner shall cause a copy thereof, together with a plan of the lands affected, including reference to the filed wetlands map or maps on which the same are shown and a list of the owners of record of such lands, to be recorded in the office of the county clerk or register of deeds, where it shall be indexed and filed as a judgment, and shall mail a copy of such order and plan to each owner of record of such lands affected thereby. In New Jersey, as in most other states with permit and restrictive order systems, regulated activities include drain- ing, dredging, excavation of soil, mud, sand and gravel, filling and dumping, discharging of liquid waste, erection of struc- tures, driving of pilings, and the placing of obstructions. Agriculture and projects deemed necessary to the health and welfare of local residents are generally exempt from regulation. 122 SHORELINES ZONING Several states, including Washington, have instituted wetlands management as 'part of'st-at-e-wide shorelines zoning pro- grams. These are designed to protect the inherent functions and values of shorelines, including both fresh water and salt water wetlands. In Washington, tidal marshes are described as "Shorelines of State-wide Concern" requiring a greater state involvement in the planning and regulation'of these areas. Wetlands may be included in a shorelines management program by designation (indicating concern for inherent functions and values) or because they occur within a zone of proximity to a water body (indicating concern for the shoreland resource). COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT Approximately half of the coastal zone states are cur- rently instituting coastal zone management programs (Bradley, 1972). The measure of protection afforded to any particular resource such as wetlands in these efforts depends on the over- all orientation of the program. However, wetlands management often has a high priority because of the generally accepted im- portance of the inherent functions and values of these areas in the coastal system. A usual procedure is for the state to determine overall policy for resource protection and use, with individual agen- cies and local governments preparing plans and ordinances to implement the program concepts. The advantage of a comprehen- sive planning program is that resources such as tidal marshes may be managed in relation to surrounding environments and resources, regional and state-wide patterns of land use, the requirements.for economic development, and the resource use/ environmental protection demands of residents of the entire state. OTHER TECHNIQUES Other management techniques which encourage the protec- tion of wetland areas include: (1) floodplain management (and zoning) which may treat wetland areas as flood protec- tion resources;* *A demonstration of the value of wetlands in this regard occurred in 1955 during a flood in the Pocono Mountains of Penn- sylvania. The only bridges that survived the flooding were those downstream from cranberry bogs and swamps (Patrick, 1971). 123 (2) the purchase of easements; (3) land use regulations which encourage shoreline development in clusters using wetlands as open space; (4) community land trusts, whereby muni- cipalities acquirewetland areas out- right or development rights to pro- tect community interests in wetland values and to prevent unsuitable de- velopment; (5) grant and loan clearinghouse acti- vities at the federal, state and local levels which require a consid- eration of wetland functions and values in all publicly-funded devel- opment projects; and (6) passage of environmental impact legis- lation at various levels which speci- fically include concern for wetland functions and values. TOWARD A MANAGEMENT APPROACH OCC&DC is required to recommend the best use of coastal resources, and in the case of conflicts, to establish a system of preferences consistent with the control of pollution and the protection of the ecological and environmental characteristics of the coastal zone. Based on the previous discussion of wetland areas and the characteristics of resource and land and water use in these areas, it is suggested that three management categories be established for each category. These categories include: (1) Resource Protection Areas where the unique, fragile and vaZuabZe nature of the area dictates a manage- ment approach primarily exclusive of a-lZ other uses; 124 Resource ConserVation'Areas where varying-measures of compatability exist between the inherent functions and values of the resource and the uses which man makes of it in that place, and (3) Resource De'v'e'Zopment Areas where exploitation may well provide eco- nomic gains in the public interest ex- ceeding the inherent natural value of the resource. A more detailed discussion regarding criteria for each of these categories and the application of management concerns discussed in this section will be contained in the RECOMMENDA- TIONS section of this report. 125 RECOMMENDATIONS A RECOMMENDATIONS CHAPTER HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS PART OF THIS REPORT. BECAUSE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MUST BE INTEGRATED INTO THE OCC&DC POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND BECAUSE THEY MUST BE EVALUATED AGAINST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER COASTAL RESOURCES, THEY ARE REGARDED AS PRELIMINARY, AND NOT INCLUDED HEREIN FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION. HOWEVER, COPIES OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS MAY BE SECURED FROM OCC&DC ON REQUEST. BIBLIOGRAPHY Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories, An Inventory and Evaluation of Areas of Envir6nmental Concern in Oregon. Richland, Washington: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labora- tories, 1973. Bauer, W. (Pre-publication excerpts) Shore Resource ManuaZ, Volume I, Section 1. Seattle, Washington: Streamway Environments, 1973. Bella, D. A. & Klingemen, P. C., General Planning Methodology for Oregon's Estuarine Natural Resources. Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University, 1973. Bloom, A. L., "The Surface of the Earth". A. L. McAlester (Ed.), Foundations of Earth Science Series. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1969. Bradley, E. H., Jr. & Armstrong, J. M. A Description and Analysis of Coastal Zone and Shoreline Management Programs in the 'United States. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan, Sea Grant Program; Sea Grant Technical Report No. 20, 1972. Cooper, W. S., Coastal Sand Dunes of Oregon and Washington. Boulder, Colorado: Geological Society of America, Memoir 72, 1958. Cronin, L. E. & Mansueti, A. J., "The biology of the estuary". P. A. Douglas and R. H. Stroud (Eds.), A Symposium on the BioZogical Significance of Estuaries. Washington, D.C.: Sport Fishing Institute, 1971. pp 14-39. so Deevey, E. S., Jr., "Bogs . Scientific American Reprint. San Francisco, California: W. H. Freeman & Company, October 1958. pp 1-8. Dicken, S. N., Oregon Geography: The People, The Place, and The Time. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Edwards Brothers, Inc., 1965. 126 Dicken, S. N., Some Recent Physical Changes of the Oregon Coast. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau Of Standards, Clearinghouse, 1961 Division of State Lands, Inventory of Filled Lands. Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1972. Division of State Lands, Oregon Estuaries. Salem, Oregon: State Printing Office, 1973. Eltringham, S. K., Life in Mud and Sand. New York, New York: Crane, Russak & Company, Inc., 1971. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Policy to Protect the Nation's Wetlands. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency, 1973. Franklin, J. F. & Dyrness, C. T., Vegetation of Oregon and Washington. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of Agri- culture, 1969. Gaumer, T., Demory, D., & Osis., L., 1971 Coos Bay Resource Use Study. Newport, Oregon: Fish Commission of Oregon, 1973. Goldstein, J. H., An Economic Analysis of the Wetlands Problem in Minnesota. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Ph.D. Thesis, 1969. Jahn, L. R. & Trefethen, J. B., The Watershed as an Ecosystem. Paper presented at the Twentieth National Watershed Congress, Wichita, Kansas, June 3-6, 1973. Jefferson, C., Some Aspects of Plant Succession in Oregon Estuarine Salt Marshes. Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University, Botany Department, 1973 (unpublished). Knight, C. B., Basic Concepts of Ecology. New York, New York: The Macmillian Company, 1965. Lauff, G. H. (Ed.), Estuaries. Washington, D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1967. McLoughlin, B. J., Urban and Regional Planning: A Systems Approach. New York, New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1969. Menshenberg, M. J., Environmental Planning 1. Chicago, Illinois: American Society of Planning officials, ASPO Report No. 263, 1970. 127 NSF Stud'ent Originated-Studies Program Participants, An Interdisciplinary Study of the Coos Bay Estuary. Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon, 1971. Odum, E. P., "Role of tidal marshes in estuarine production". New York Information Leaflet. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia, Marine Institute, Contribution No. 29. Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Inventory of the Coos Bay Estuary. Charleston, Oregon: unpublished inventory completed by students and faculty under the direction of Dr. Paul Rudy, 1972. Oregon Wildlife Commission, Statewide Fish and Wildlife Plan. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Wildlife Commission, 1971. Patrick, R., The Effects of Channelization on the Aquatic Life of Streams. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1972 (unpublished). Percy, K. L., Bella, D. A., Klingeman, P. C., Sollitt, C. K., Kennedy, J. B., & Slotta, L. S., Descriptions and Information Sources for Oregon Estuaries. Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University, 1973. Pinto, C., Silovsky, E., Henley, F., Rich, L., Parcell, J., & Boyer, D., The Oregon Dunes NRA Resource Inventory. Corvallis, Oregon: U.S. Forest Service, 1972. Ponder, H., General Review of Legal Efforts to Manage Wetlands Resources. Under a National Science Foundation to the Chesapeake Research Consortium, University of Maryland, School of Law, 1972. Ranwell, D. R., Ecology of Salt Marshes and Sand Dunes. Norwich, Connecticut: Nature Conservancy, Coastal Ecology Research Station, 1972. San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, San Francisco Bay Plan. Sacramento, California: office of State Printing, 1969. Shaw, F., Samuel, P., & Gordon, C. (U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service), Wetlands of the United States. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1956. Siuslaw National Forest, Pacific Northwest Region Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cascade Head-Salmon River Land Use and Ownership Plan. Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon: Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1972. 128 Smith, R. L., Ecology and Field Biology. New York, New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1966. Sorensen, J. C., A Framework for Identification and Control of Resource Degradation and Conflict in the Multiple Use of the Coastal Zone. Berkeley, California: University of California, Department of Landscape Architecture, 1971. Teal, J. & Teal, M., Life and Death of the Salt Marsh. New York, New York: Audubon/Ballantine Books, 1969. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Inventory of Wetlands for the State of Oregon. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of the Interior, 1954. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Preliminary Survey of Fish-and Wildlife in Relation to the EcologicaZ and Biological Aspects of Yaquina Bay, Oregon. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of the Interior, 1968. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Estuary Study, Volume 2. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service,Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, 1970. U.S. Department of the Interior, Natural Resources, Ecological Aspects, Uses and Guidelines for the Management of.Coos Bay, Oregon. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of the Interior, Pacific Northwest Region, 1971. Wick, W. Q. (Ed.), Crisis in Oregon Estuaries. Oregon Chapter of American Fisheries Society, 1970. 129 I I I I I I I I I I 1. I I I I I /%PPI@HIDAK 0 0 0 1 I I I APPENDIX 1 Wetlands Glossary (Source: Coastal Wetlands of Virginia, Interim Report) Amphipoda--large order of laterally compressed crustaceans with the first thoracic segment fused with the head and lacking a true carapace. Anaerobic mud--sediment devoid of oxygen and rich in hydrogen sulfide. Aquifer--permeable material through which ground water moves. Autotrophy--a type of nutrition in which complicated organic molecules are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water. Benthos--organisms associated with the bottom of a body of water. Biogenic--resulting from the activity of living organisms. Biological oxygen demand (tOD)--the oxygen required by aerobic organisms, as those in sewage, for metabolism. Bloom--mass outbreak of phytopiankters in nutrient-rich waters. Borrow pits--excavations from which fill material was removed. Bra.ckish--pertaining to the waters of bays and estuaries, salty but of lower salinity than sea water. Compensation point--the light intensity at which the release of photosynthetic oxygen equals the utilization of respiratory oxygen. Consumers--those organisms in an ecosystem which feed upon other organisms; often divided into primary consumers (plant eaters), secondary consumers (carnivores which eat primary consumers), etc. Demersal--occurring on or near the bottom. Detritus--fine particulate debris of organic or inorganic origin. Ebb tide -the outgoing water (tide). Ecology--the study of the relations of organisms to their environment. Ecosystem--all organisms in a community plus the associated environmental factors. Ecotone--transition area between two adjacent communities. Epifauna--sessile or sedentary benthic organisms living on the bottom. 130 Estuary--tidal body of water.linked to the sea at one end and measurably diluted by freshwater at the other. Fastland--the land behind a marsh. Fetch--tbe uninterrupted distance travelled by wind over water. Filter feeder--an animal that obtains its food by filtering small particles from water. Flagellates--microscopic protozoans and algae which use flagella (long whip-like structures) for locomotion. Flood tide--the.incoming water (tide). Flotsam--material,s found floating on the water. Hammock--a woodland surrounded by marsh. Heterotrophy--type of nutrition characteristic of animals and some bacteria and true fungi which depend on organic matter from other plants and animals for food. Hydrography--the science of the measurement, description and mapping of the surface waters of the earth. Infauna--bentbic organisms which burrow into the bottom. Intertidal--area on a beach between mean high water and mean low water. Isopoda--large order of dorso-ventrally compressed crustaceans with the thoracic segment fused with the head, abdomen short, and some or all segments fused. Littoral--intertidal. Longshore currents--the flow of water parallel to a beach caused by waves approaching the beach at an angle. Meroplankton--organisms in the plankton for only part of their life cycle. Microbiota--microscopic plants and animals of a habitat or region. Microfauna--microscopic animals of a habitat or region. Mean higher high water (MIIHW)--average height of the higher high waters at a place over a 19-year period. Mean lower low water (MLLW)--average height of the lower low waters at a place over a 19-year period. Monospecific community--a community dominated by one organism. 131 Nutrient transformation--the biotic cycling of nutrients from inorganic to organic compounds. pH--a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration or the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution; a pH of 7 is neutral, greater than 7 alkaline and less than 7 acid. Photosynthesis--the process in green plants of utilizing radiant energy from the sun to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. Phytoplankton--microscopic algae and fungi suspended in the water column. Poikilotherm--cold-blooded animal Productivity--the rate of energy storage of an ecosystem. Primary productivity--total quantity of carbon fixed by photosynthesis per unit time. It is usually approximate 14 by measuring dissolved oxygen evolved, amount of a radioactive C label taken up, or the standing crop of chlorophyll in a sample of phytoplankton. Respiration--sum total of all chemical and physical processes by which organisms (plants and animals) utilize organic materials as sources of energy and beat; usually oxygen is used and carbon dioxide and water are the cbdef end products. Rhizome--a root-like subterranean stem, co,-=only horizontal in position, which usually produces roots below and sends up shoots progressively from the upper surface. Salinity gradient--a decrease in salinity with distance away from the sea. Sediment--mineral or organic matter deposited by water, air, or ice. Standing crop--the total weight of organisms present at any one time, usually expressed as dry weight. Suspension feeder--filter feeder. Swale--a low wet place. Tidal prism--tbe volume of water beLween high and low tide. Topography--the features, relations, or configurations of a structural entity. Transpiration--the escape of water vapor from plants. 132 Trophic level--one of the several successive levels of nourishment in a food chain; plant producers constitute the first (lowest) trophic level and dominant carnivores constitute the last (highest) trophic level. Turbid plumes--discharging water, ladened with sediment. Tychopelagic--a benthic organism which enters the water column. Vascular plant--higher plant provided with conducting vessels. Xerophyte--plant adapted to dry conditions. Zonation--the occurrence of typical animals and algae on specific regions of a beach, piling, or any object in the water. Zooplankton--floating or weakly swimming animals. 133 AAGE I STORET RETRIEVAL OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE 04/24/73 -8-1-@ -A. T----_ I-N S', N T. tq R Y S ESTUARY AND BAY GON., COASTAL. ZONE -000081248 TOTAL ACRES TvjIS RETRIEVAL LOCATION ------ * ----2000 STN GME MGT A HABITAT PER- HABITAT PER- HARITAT PEP- v HABITAT PER- __HMPR DST U N I T-;.@q Fj@--"4BITAT TYPE --TYPE ACRES CENT *_TYPE ACpES CENT.*._.T.YP,E ACRES.. CENT * TYPE ACRES--CEKIT-- -0915--'-'[email protected]*,@@4- @01. I-ESTUARY AND HAY--'- 7 3, 5 81 29.0%--.. ?3,581 29.nx .23,581 2Q.0% 29.0. CLTSP Cf)lJNTY SU3TOTAL 23,581 29.0% 23,531 29.0% ?3,581 29.0% 23,591 29.0 SAY 21304 2.8Z 2,304 2.8% En 4@i-6'1 I ESTUARY ANL 2p 304 2. RX 2,304 2.8 0 0863 113 NESTUCCA 49 0,1 1 E@TUARY AND BAY 13t564 16.7% 13,564 16.7% 13,564 16.7% 13,564 16.7 0 (D fl rt T C C4 Z- CO-64 T'-Y' -'S V -4 T 6 T- A -159-86-8 -19.5 0 1- (D Pi AN6 BW 2.3% 11880--- 2. -3-- 4 7.4'9' 7.1% 5,795 w 0.4. 1 FS.TUARY-14NO. RAY---- 61010-. 1 5t757..-- 5,795 7.1 ti P) (D t:r LNCLN.- CnuNTY S09TOTAL 0 ft I'd 7.71/[email protected] 3,7 C- -A. .04. 7 &75'- 9.4- :J Pi 10 -,, - & 1082 109 ALSEA 40 05 1 ESTUARY AND BAY .170 0.2% 170 0.2% 170 0.2% 170 0.2 ._PL7 9 9 11 p _51 U A,W 4Q_A@_j_ESTUARY AND 8-4Y 8,745 10.6% 8,745 10.8% 8,745 .. 10.8%_ 8,745 10.6_ LANE .--.C OUNTY SUBTOT AL 8,915 11.0% 8,915 1 L . Olf, 8,91i -11-.B% H (D @$ rt. (D 0 0319 104 ELKTON 30 06 2 ESTUARY BAY 17,754 ZI..?T 17,754 21.9% 17,754 21.9% 17t754 21.9 N 0 DGLAS COUNTY SUFATOTAL 179754 21.9Z 17f754 21.1)7, 17,754 21.9% 17t 754 21.9 fn T- r)-N-2,6-, 0-7-2 -ESTUApy AND SAY 5,270 6.5-. 5,790, 6.5% 5,100 6.5Z 59300 6 5 0219 118 SIXES .26 07 2 ESTUARY AND t3AY 690 0 . S ); 6 S; 0 0.8% 690 0.8% 690 0:8 0149 118 TIOGA 26 01 2 ESTUARY AN-1 .3 A Y 840 I.= 840 i.0% S40 1.0% 840 1.0 0 coos - CUUNTY SUBTOTAL 6,6()D 8.4% 69820 8.4% 6,830 a.',% 6*830 8.4 0176 110 CHETCO 28 07 2 FSTUARY AND BAY 440 0.5% 440 0.5% 440 0,5% 440 0-5 ..CUik;t Y-'t GINT Y' SUIRTOTAL 440 0.5z 440 0.5T 440 0.5% 440 0. 5' f 6--f @-L 6i@,24d 1,60.0% 81015 99. 7 81 P06 3- 9 9.8 .9 81 P063 .99 .ag 11 Coastal Salt Marsh (subtype of estuary and bay) PF A. Description .Those lands found within a bay or estuary that contain vegetation consisting primarily of sedges.. This area is generally just above the mean high tide line. B. *Location Found in most coastal estuaries and bays, Marine D. Value to Wildlife Valuable feeding area for waterfowl and snipe. Low value as nesting and brooding area because of possible flooding. 135 ST -r@FT F T I,-. I F V A L PAGE 1 cl r, f- DATE 04/12/73 (:N !Ttl[ G@fl! CMI-IISSIC'N H A i J T A 7 1 N V E N T 0 R Y S 0 M M A R Y COASTAL SALT MA'r.SF' fiPEGPN CCiASTAL ZUNE 166&3 TC:TAL ACRES THIS RETRIEVAL mc., T A HAI-ITAT PER- q,7@ITAT T1 F" HAEITAT PER- * HABIIAT PER- IMM P DST lJNTT CO. D R HAFITAT TYPE TYPE ACRES CENT TYPE ACRES CENT TYPE ACRES CENT * TYPE ACRES ,CENT )91t 113 CLtTcCP 24 01 1 CCjASTAL SALT MRSH e,660 qg.6% 8,660 8,660 4'46 0 z 8 6 6 0. --.4 6.0 44-0 F6 4 113 NF@TUCCCA 4P C,l -1 CrIASTtL SSALT MRSH 1 400 7. 4 1,400 7.4% 1,400 7.4. t 1,400 7.4 000-- IS.9 OGG- 16.9 -0 4 --1 C0 A S T A L A L T- MITZ 6 59' 3- )711 ll@ 650---' I.CZ sor @277 1121 tLSFA 41 04 1 COASIAL SALT MRSH 3,124 16 - % S. 8 2,642 % 21,700 14 -C--NCL`N'-C-WNl V- SLTUTC-74 q. 3 3 15 0 1 1 T. 9 7'. 1L.@ AL-Sr@ 15 67- 0.6- 0 684 -s.( M( 0 110, S"'LISLAW 40* 05 1 COASTAL SALT MPSH P84 '4.7T 634 3. (.t t,84 3, -F4 G ..Z7 .4 ZO ---T4 4-+ U 2 20 S-% 1 220 6-S% 1,220 1,220 (116, POLAS COUNTY SUF-TOTtL )lc3 11A FLKTuN 26 (17 2 COVSTAL SALT MRSH 960 960 960 5,11 960 5. 1 60i- 0-q 160-- 0.9 o. 9 cons COUNTY SUBTCTAL 1,120 6,0T 1,120 6-0- 1,120 (0.0% 1,120 T 0 T A L'S 1S,823 loo.6% 1894,32 q8. a% 18,341 97.4% 18,199 94.7 12 Coastal Tideland (subtype of estuary and bay) A. Description Those lands found in a bay or estuary that are exposed at low mean tide. These areas are devoid of vegetation. Commonly called mud flats. B. Location round in mos-t coastal estuariese Most abundant in Coos and Tillamook bays. C. Climate Marine D. Value to Wildlife Extremely valuable feeding area for shore birds, water birds and waterfowl. Haul-out grounds for seals. 137 ST!-vrT P[TP.IEVtL p At, E I STATE Gt.ME COMMIS'.10N H A T T A T I NVF-Nl(-jFZY S If M M A R Y DATE 04/12/73 CCASTAL TIDELANDS OREGGN COASTAL ZONE 2919(o TOTAL ACRES THIS RETFRIEVAL jc4ceo- 2000--- STN G @'F MGT H. A F, 1 T A T P: E F - * HAL-ITAT P@R- * HA&ITAT PEF- * HA51TAT PER- r@j M'-' DST IINIT Cn- r) R 4; Fl,@RITAT TYPE TYPF ACRES C. F NT * TYPE ACRFS CENT * TYPE ACRES CENT * TYPE ACRES C E N1 0913 113 CLATSCIP 24 01 1 COASTAL TIDELAND 6p2P6 24. Q c@ 6, 2 2 6 24.9% 6,266 -.,L4@q 9 -6, 2 8 6' Z4- q Z 6,286 24.9 2-3 6-- 'Ott-V 5 8 6 566 21. 3 08@5 11-1 NeSTUCCA 49 01 1 CC-AST/L TIOELAW) t i 2 1,5 Z4..41. 1, 2 05 24. 1. It 6,p 2 0 5 24. 6 6,205 R4-4 6,7Ql' @R.91T- 6,7S1 26.9 7 6,791* Z 6, --CGUNTY @Ur@T[`T-T 07 12 1 1@ r L K -4 1 04 1- MST@L TTrlr-LANrs---- '346 2. @> V IC46 Z. 2,z 546 Z. a'% 546 --- 2.2 127F, ll":' @LSFA 41 04 1 CLASTtL TIDPLAND 74 0 jo.9 Z 29257 11.0% 1,795 17. 1 t 19795 17.1 S I I f @ I OTA, L- 7@ 2 1. 2 % 2,341 q.3 % 2 , '17,; 1 J--C0t.ST;L 7T'L,r!Lt.NtrJ-- 3,y 21 0.3 071,7 110 STIPSLAW 40 Or, I CC,ASTAL I I I ", L i, tir, t- C'. 547 Z. ?, % 547 Z. 2.- 547 -L A N F MJ N T Y '@',JrT0TfE- 673 2. 6'-, 6,28 2.S' Zt. 628 Q8- 2.1" 02,71 l04--.FLKTC-N`- -20-66. 2 COASTAL T 171 r I A 13.3 3,:,4C j3., Or-LAS COUNTY SOPTUTAL 31340 13. 3 T 39340 13,3% 3,340 ),a 3 It 3t340 13.2 Oic-'- 11F` L-LVTCN 26 07 ?COASTAL 1jb[t.tND 70 13. C, T 3,410 3,410 13. 5' 3,430 13., 02 ^ 0'- 2-CCASTAt 2 G 3.3% C45 3..t 870 3.6-'r 670 3-: 02@6 11& TlrG'@ @6 07 ? COASTAL 110@LAND 4f@cj 1.9 440 1.7 % 440 1-7 440 1.7 4,7120- 19.17 41695 /s,(,% 4,720 16.7 % -4 --740-- @16. -0177 1 1F -Cf2ETC-C7-'--2:-'5---07 -2-'CCASTAL Tlr)LC-tMr-T-'-- 100 0.47 1 00 6. 4 100 CURRY COUNTY SUPTOTAL I To 0. % 100 0.4 t 100 0-4% 1 Go T r) T A I iZ c q !-. 4 @72 6 4t. 13 Eelgrass (subtype of estuary and bay) A. Description This type occurs within the estuary ind bay types.' Composed of beds of eel grass (Zostera sp.). B. Location Coastal-bays. C. Climate Marine D. Value to 'Wildlife An important feeding area for brant and other waterfowl. 139 STORET RETRIEVAL OAGE I OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE- 04/?.'4,A73,--;- H-A T A-N_Y.. F N T 0 R Y S U..M.N.A.A-Y EELGRASS REDS -C!jkEGnN- COASTAL. ZONE - -000005019 TOTAL ACRES T141S RETRIEVAL LOCATIUtl _,.1970___ * -1980-- * ---1990 zO0o__ sTfA GNE MGT A HABTTAT PER- * HABITAT PER- * HABITAT __Pj@:: HABITAT PER- K R D;T_ LINIT CQ.-Q -R* 11ABJ T -AT TY?F. TYPE ACRFS__@CENT *-TYPE..ACRES.. CENT *,TYPE.ACRES CENT TYPE ACRE:@"._C_Eijt__ 0914. 143-CLATSCP-24--0.1-A -80 1.69- 100 2.0% ilo.... 2.2%. 120 'CLTSP' COUNTY suaTOTAL 80 1.6% 100 2.0% 110 2.2% 1 ro 2.4 0884@ 113 CLATSCP 49 01 1 EELGRASS 1,200 ZA.9:T 1,250 24.9% 1,275 25.4% lt3oa- 25.9 086& 113 OWESTUCCA 49 OL L EELG;tASS 1,200 23.4% 1000 25-92 19400 @27.9% 1 050of 29 *9 TLEWK_ COUNTY SUBTOTAL 2r400 47.8% ZP550 50.8% 29675 53.3% 2,850 55.9 25 __0713 ItS PULK 41 04: _IfE@C6 S 0. 5% 25, 0.51 25 0.5% 371 7.4% 351 7.0,...- 1273-112 &LSEA:'____.4i' 04. I-EELGRASS ---411 R. 2'9 391, J. 8% LKCLN COUNTY SU3T0TAL 43f, 8.7% 416 8.3% 39;' 376' 1070 RG9 ALSEA 40_6@_'T_CELdRASS 38 0.6% 3R o.ex 38 0.8T L10- SPUStAW -40 GS -I..,EELGRASS- 285- 5.7% 252 5.'0% 252 5.0% 252 5.0 LAUE CCUNTY SUBTOTAL 323 6.4% 290 5.8% 290 5.8T 290 5.8 1"-ELK_WU_ 30 'i6_,_i_EEi:6tl@S_ '100 2.01@ 100 2.0% 100 2.0% too- 2.0 GGLAS CGUUTY SUATOTAL too 7.0% 100 2.0% loo- 2-ox...-- ___100 _290 0195 118 ELILTON 26 07 2 ElEL(.PASS, 1,400., 27.9T__.._. _19380. 27..5% 1,36O,5_.*.2T*l..-__. 02ZI.- -118-SIXES.-- Z& 07 2- EELGPASS, 256 - 5.0% 225 4.5% 200 4s.0% 20 4*0 COBS COUNT_Y_SUBT0TAL___lv680 33.5%____..,1j!625 32.41 lw580 31.5% IJ560. 31.t 0 T A L S __L51614 160. 0% 5,081"101.2% !@v 15 1 21 Inland Marsh A. Description This type is defined as a shallow water area, not including coas'tal bay marsh, with water remaining year-around. Usually the marsh is shallow enough to be vegetated throughout or has patches of open water. Tules and cattails are common indicator plants of this type. B. Locatibn Scattered throughout the state but most areas are in central and southeastern Oregon. Examples are: Summer Lake, Malhuer, and Fern Ridge Reservoir. C. Climate Variable D. Valde to Wildli@Ce. Contains some df our most impo 'rtant waterfowl and water bird nesting and wintering areas. This 'is a critical environment because of the limited acreage of this type in Oregon. 141 STOPET RETRIEVAL @AGE L OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE 04/24/73 H A B IT A T I N V R.. Y U INLAND MARSH OR-FGON CPASTAL ZONE. 000006349 TnTAL ACRES THIS RETRIEVAL LOCATI ------ * ------ 1960---- ------ * ___2000___ STN GME MGT A HARTTAT PER- * HABITAT PER- HARITAT PER- * HABITAT PER- NMFIR DST UNI T CO. D R HABITAT TYPE TYPF ACRES CENT * TYPE ACRES CENT TYPE- ACRES CENT ...TYPE..ACRES CEtj -0918 Ili C@CAT,SOP_-2.4 OL 1'. INLAND MARSH 49604 -.72.6%.-- 49608 72.61 41608.. 72.6% ...4,608 . 72.6_ CLTSP C0114TY SU9TOTAL 4, bOF) 72.6'. 496n8 72.6% 4,608 72.6% 4,608 '12.6 i_07f__I76@_A@@EA 40 05 1 INLAND MARSH 340 5.4% 340 5.47 340 5.4% 340 -5.4 .060L 110 SIUSLAW .40 05.1. INLAND MARSH 320 5.0% 320 50% 300 4.7% 280 4.4 LANE COUNTY SUBTOTAL 660 10.4% 660 10.4% 640 10.1% 620 9.8 _0'_'__ 118 EN-T-ON i&_07@_i_v@LAND M*ARSH 1 t0A0 17.0% 1,080 17.0% 1,080 17.0% 1*030. 17.0- 6 COOS COU&NTY SUITOTA@@@Z@5 77.z% 17.0% 080. - - 11.0 8 0 -.11PA T 0 6#348_ 24 Lakes and Reservoirs A. Description All open fresh-water areas, including alkaline waters. Borders are sometimes vegetated with water-tolerant forbs, shrubs, and trees. B. Location Statewide C. Climate Variable D. Value to Wildlife The value of these areas varies with type and location. Most offer resting and limited feeding to waterfowl. Many of the large reservoirs are,of low value because of continuous 'water level fluctuation. 143 STORET RETRIEVAL PAGE 1 OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE 04/24/73. S U M M A R Y N V E N T 0 R Y tt . . - I -'-- -'7-"-- ' ' -7 LAKES AND RESERVOIRS OREGON COASTAL ZONE 000011930 TOTAL ACRES THIS RETRIEVAL' LOCATION 1990 ------- * ____2000__ STN GME MGT A HABITAT FFR- * HABITAT PER--*. HABITAT PER- * HABITAT PER- NmgR osr UNI T CO* 0 R HABITAT TYPE JYPE ACRES ..CENT * TYPE ACRES CENT TYPE ACRES CENT TYPE ACRES C E NT 0919 113 CLATSOP'_24 '01 1 LAKES G FZESRVOIRS 576 4.8% 661 5.5% 726 6,1V 786 6.6 0894 113 WILSON 24 01 1 LAKES RESRVr)IRS 24 0.2% 24 0.2% 24 0.@l% 24 0.2 CLTSP COUNTY SURTOTAL, .600' 5.0% 685 5.7% 750 6.:3% 810 6.8 7 0886 133 CLATSOP 49 01 1 L%KFS & RFSRVOIRS 6 0.1% 9 0.1% 9 .0.,Iz 9 0.1 0906 113 WILSON 49 0 1 1 iLA KFS f. RFSRVr)IRS 10 0.119 lo o.it -.1 1% - 10.- 0. L-__ RFSRVC)IRS------i92-*'@@'.1.6'Z-.- 192 1.6%, 192 11@61' 1@*2 L.6 T.L.LMK-. COUNTY SURTOTAL 211 1.8% 211.. li 6% 211 1.3 0714 115 POLK 41 04 1 LAKES C' RESRVOIRS 630 5.3% 630 5.@ 3% 630 5.3% 630 5.3 -i28'o""-'@fi-A@S"Ei-,@i--O-4--l-L4KES & RESRVOIRS------ 3 2 O-_ 2. 7 % 11873 15.7% 3,416 28.6t 4,934- '41.4 LNCLN COUNTY St.13TOTAL '950 8.0% 20508 21.Q% 4,046 33,9% 15,564 46.6 -;072 109 ALSFA 40 05 1 LAKES RE s Rvn I RS 719- 6. 01 831 7.0% 943 7.9% 1,055 8.8- 0,36-i-l_i_o_SfiljSLA_W- -4_O-05___l-LAK!@S RESRVOIRS 3,771 .31.6% 4,735 "40 . 1.% 5,209 43.7% 5,209 43.7 6,264 LA.NE COUNTY SUlTnTAL 4 1 37-.;% 5,616 47.1t 6,152 51.6% 52.5 0324 104 FLKTON 30 06 2 LAKES & RESRVOIRS 2#731 22.9% 2,851 23.9%- 3,063 25.7-- 5,303 44.5 DGLAS COUNTY SlJRTOTAL 31 22.19% 2,851 2 31". 9 3,063 25;7% 5,303 44.5 0197 118 ELKTON 26 07 ? LAKFS & RES R VO I-R S 1,780 1 4-i 9% 1.080 14.9% 1,780 14.9 Z 1,780 14.9 0224 118 SIXES 26 07 2 LAKES F. RFSRVOTRS 840 7iO7 840 7.0% 840 7.0% 840 7.0 6 .01: coos COUNTY SUBTOTAL _@t6 0 2 T. ZZ 2, 0 2. 20, 22.OZ 2,620 22.0 0237 118 SIXFS'"--26 07 2 LAKES & RESRVOIRS- 3bO 2.5% 300 2.5% 300 2.5% 300 2.5 0180 118 CHETCO 28 07 2 LAKES & RESRVOIRS 30 0.3% 30 0.3% .30, -0.3% 0.3 330 2.8% CURRY COUNTY SUBTOTAL 30 2.8% 330 2-8% 2.8 T. 0 T A L S 11*930 100.0% 14*821 124.2% 17o,172 1.43.9% 21*102 176-9 33 Wet Meadows A. Description Small damp areas, generally with many small springs or bisected by slow-moving' streams. Contaift,sedges, monkey flower, skunk cabbage, false helabore, aspen, cone flower, or similar species. B. Location Statewide in wetter climates. May be found at lower elevation in the coastal and westerrr Oregon areas and at higher elevation in eastern Oregon. C. Climate Variable, but generally mild. D. Valde to Wildlife A very important vegetation type. Provides late summer and fall forage to big game. Utili@;ed as wallows by bear and elk. Are usually important watering areas. 145 STORET RETRIEVAL PAGE I OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE 04/24/73 H A 8 1 1 A T--I-N V F N T 0 R Y S. U M- M A-R -Y--. WET MEADOWS OREGON COASTAL 000005810 T07AL ACRES THIS RETRIEVAL LOCATION _1970__ * _1980- * __1990- * -2000- STN GME MGT A HABITAT FIER- * HABITAT PCR- * HAF'ITAT PER- * HABITAT PER- -NMBR- DST UNIT CO. D R HABITAT TYPE :TYPE ACRES- CENT * TYPE ACRES- -CENT *-TYPE ACRES- CENT * TYPE ACRES- CENT -0715- 115-POLK 41 04 1 WET MEADOWS 370 6.4% 370 6.4% 370 6.4% 370 6.4 LNCLN COUNTY SUBTOTAL 370, 6.4% 370 6.4% 370 6.4Z 370 6.4 0325 104 ELKTON 36 06 2 WET MEADOWS- 19.6% S76 15.1% 616 -10.6% 220 3-a D(,LAS COUNTY SUB TOTAL--..---.- --I VIZO 19 . 6 Z. 8 7 6 -775. 1 Z 6 16 -=I 6% .220 3.6-- .0196-.118 ELKTON 26 07 2 WET MFADUWS 420 7.2% 400.. 6.9t-- 3 80 6.5% 380.- 6.5 0225 118 SIXES 26 07 2 WET MEADOWS 40 0.7% 40' 0.7% 40 0.7% 40 0.7 .0251 118 TrOGA 26 07 2 WET MEADOWS ico 3. 1" 170 2.9% 170 2.9% 1-10 2.9 -0206 -POWERS -26 07 2, WET MEAOOWS -39200 55.1%-- 3t2UO COOS COUNTY SU870TAL 39640 66.1Z 3,810 65.6% 3,790 65.2% 3,190 65.2 -0238* 118 SIXES 28 07 2 WET M U A nO w S 180 3.1% 180 3.1% 160 '3. 1% .180 3.1 -40161-118 CHETCO---- 26 07 2 WET ME:ADLJWS 280 4. ST 2 8 0,-.4. b 2-60 280 4.6 CURRY COUNTY SUBTOTAL 460 7.9% 460 7.9Z 460 7. 9X -460 7.9 T 0 T A L S 50810 100.0% 5,5f6 94.9% 5,236 90.1Z 4,E40 sa.3 37 Riparian Vegetation A. Description This type occurs along streams, rivers, and slough banks. Vegetation is usually in a dense narrow band. Species of plants identifying this type are those dependent on the. water such as willow, cottonwood, alder, and aspen. Only valley and foothill riparian cover would be included in this type. Mountain or timber type areas.would be included in the timber type. B. Location Statewide in valley and,foothill areas. C. Climate Variable D. Value to Wildlife An important wildlife habitat type. The riparian vegetation is a concentration point for a great variety of game and non-game species, providing food and cover. This vegetation renders the more open grassland and agricultural areas suitable as wildlife feeding areas by providing the necessary cover. 147 STORET RETRIEVAL PAGE 1 OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION DATE 04/24/73 H_ A H I-T A- T 1,(..V E N. T 0 K Y S U M M A. RIPARIAN VEGETATION .. ... ... OREGIN COASTAL ZONE 000025815 TOTAL ACRES THIS RETRIEVAL LOCATION *****v*** ...... ___2000 STN G ME MGT A * * * HABITAT PER- * HABITAT PER- HABITAT PER- * HABITAT P F S T UNIT CO. 0 R * HABITAT TYPE *.,,TYPE ACRES CENT * TYPE ACRES CENT *_TYPE.ACr'ES CENT * TYPE ACRES CE NIT. 0920 113 CLATSOP 24 OL 1 RIPARIAN VFGETATN 3tl5O 12.2X 3vl50 12.2% 3,150 12.2% 3v150 12.2 3PI50 12.2 CLTSP COUNTY SURTOTAL 39150 12.2% 3,150 -1 __Aj PARI'AN VEGETATN' 0.1Z 30 0.1% 30 0. 13; 30* 0., 1 L - - - - ----- ----------- ---- --- - --COUNTY SUBT0TAL_._'__._. 30. 0.1 1%..- @30 0.1% 30 0.1% 30 . 0.1 1081 109 ALSEA 40 05 1 RIPARIAN VErETATN 3r850 14.97, 3t700 14.3*9 3,550 13.S% 3,350 13.0 0803 110 SIUS -LA.W 40 OS__l__RIPARfAN VEGETATN 69480 25.1% 69480 25.1% 6#480 25.1% 6,480 25 .1 LANE COUNTY SURTOT AL. Of 3 30 40. 0% 10,180 39.4% 10,030 38.9% 9,830 38.1 0326 104 ELKTON 30 06 2 RIPARIAN VEGETATN' 89547 33.1% 6,897 26.7% 3,139 12.2% 1,495 5.8 COUNTY -2 -2 DGLA S SWIATCTAL 76 2; _____T,_59 1 4;3 -5. 01()q 11A ELKTnN 26'07 2 RIPARIAN VFGETATN 80 0.3% 80 0.3% so 0.3% 80 0.3 *0226 118 SIXES 26 07 2 PIPAPIAN V--rFTATN 40 O"Ift 40 0.2% 40 0.2% 40 0.2 0252 __ 118 .... TIOGA 26 -07 2 RIP4RIAN vErETATN 1;018 3.99 1 f 0 18 3.9% 1,018 3. 9% J.'018 3 .9 0207 118 POWr-RS 26 07 2 RIPAPIAN V=G@TATN 1.0uo 3.q% 11000 3.9% 19000 3.9% 11000 3.9 coos COUNTY SWITOTAL T, i-3-8 __;:_3% _Z _9 -1 -3 -8 ___8_._3t ____2f 138 6.3%. 2,138 8.3 0239___i_li_@IXE@@_@@ 07-i _RIPAqIAN VErET;ATN-- - 426' 1.6% 420 1.6% 420 1.6% 420 1 0182 118 CHETCO 28 U7 2 RIPARIAN VEGETATN 10@00 4.6% 1,200 4.6% 1,200 4.6% ltZOO 4.6 Y-tb(ii4T_Y_ _Sb3TbT 4L 1,620 6.3% 1*620 6.3% 1,620 6.3% 1,620 6.3 7 0 T A L S 25*815 100.0% 249015 93.0% 20,107 77.9% 18,263 Coding System for Oregon Game Managemen-t Units Xame Abrv. No Name Abrv. No. Name Abrv. NC Alsea ALS 131 Keno KEN 154 Silvies SIV 17@ Applegate APP 132 Klamath KLA 155 Siuslaw SIV 17Z 33aker BAK 133 Lo'okout Mt. LOM 156 Sixes six 17 Beulah BEU 134-@ Malheur River MAL 157 Sled Springs SLS 18C Catherine Cr. CAC 135 Maupin MAP 158 Snake River SNR 18 Chesniumus CHS 136 Maury MAU 1.59 Sprague SPR .18? Chetco CHT 137 McKenzie MCK' 16o Starkey STA Clatsop 6L.T -.1.38 Melrose MEL 161 Steens Mt. STM 18 Columbia Basin COB 139 Metolius MET 162 Tioga TIO 189 Deschut.es DCH 14o Minam MIN 163 Trask TRA 18- Desblation DES 141 Murderer's Cr.MUC 164 Ukiah UKI 18i Dixon PIX 142 Nestucca NtS 16,5 Umatilla UMA 188 Elkton ELK 143 Northside NOR 166 Wag.ontire WAG 181 Evans Creek EVC, 144 Ochoco OCH. 167 Walla Walla WAL 19 Fort Rock FOR 145 Owyhee Oury 168 Warner WAR 190 .Trizzly GRI 146 Paulina PAU 169 Wasco WAS 19 -far t Mountain HAM 147 Polk POL 170 Wenaha WEN 193 ,Iepp ner 171 Wheeler im P 148 Powers POW HE 19 iood River AIOR 1199 Rogue ROG 172 Whitehorse W11I 19-- 11ninaha IMN 150 Santiain SAN 173 Willamette WIL 191 Enterstate INT 151 Scappoose SCA 174 Wilson WLS 19 Juniper JUN 152 Sherman SHE 175 ting KEA 153 Silver Lake SIL 176 149 Revised 3/73 APPENDIX 3 Marsh-Estuary Interactions (Source: Coastal Wetlands of Virginia, Interim Report) The diagram illustrating the interactions between physical and biotic.interactions (Fig. 1) is drawn with the factors most involved on the left-hand side. The following commentary will. begin with major interactors and proceed clockwise around the diagram. 1. Marsh Plants, Alfected by: a) Tidal range causes a greater luxuriance where daily inundation occurs. b) Water chemistry determines the species of plants present and their productivity to a great extent. c) Turbid water during a high tide coats photosynthesizing surfaces and affects product-ion of organic compounds. d) Pollutants--Organic pollution often enhances plant growth; thermal pollution increases growth in some plants, decreases it in others. e) Water temperature, especially where tides cover, the soil, affects growth and seed germination. f) Homiotherms affect marsh plants in several ways-- Building of nests by birds has little effect, grubbing for roots by Muskrats and Snow Geese has long-lasting results; grazing by Nutria may deprive aquatic animals of food but increases phytoplankton production since feces would be swept into the water; Blackbirds and waterfowl may eat most of the seed produced by some marsh plants but ducks are known to carry seeds to new areas; Marsh Wrens and Yellow- throats eat grasshoppers and other insects which feed on marsh plants; finally, man benefits physically and aesthetically from marsh plants in many ways and has eminent domain over their survival. g) Marsh poikilotherms are here intended to include Fiddlers, Crayfish, insects, frogs, snakes, turtles and,those fish which live in close proximit-y to the marsh. Square-backed Fiddlers eat considerable quantities of Sparti grass, grasshoppers may eat 5% of the total grass production and leaf hoppers suck the Juices of plants, Carp erode away the soil from plant roots. h) Wind is needed to pollinate plants but strong winds may caulse some plants to lodge. 150 A. @VA TER -ki Ns ..Z A", C) TEMPERA TURE 'All A z OKI W -Y 0 Vp zn) x rrl @yy -ly A NOISO 3 Cl N MiAPSH-ESTUARY INTERACTiONS flow ef, biuric and physJ*.ca! effects, both unidirellt,iori;,@,L re@-'iproca@ in amars!)-borriered estuary. i) Without solar energy, gtgen plants could not grow. j) Plants also require nutritnts and may grow better next to channels because certain minerals are more available there; plants also release stored nutrients as microbes degrade dead tissue. k) Some perennial marsh plants grow a little during the winter but warm air temperatures are needed for fast growth. 1) Land erosion affects plants by depositing more silt in marshes--usually this accumulates more in creeks and results in destruction of productive marsh; type of soil substrate, if clay or sand, seems minor in affecting type of plant growth, but a tough peat base is much more erosion resistant. m) Plants provide abundant detritus to the estuary if tidal range or floods are effective. n) Smaller aquatic animals feed on detritus supplied by plants. 2. Tidal range is highly important to an estuary. Its greater height in the brackish to fresh zones and on seaside makes those areas more productive. Higher tides have many effects: a) They provide for greater exchange of nutrients and waste products. b) Turbidity is increased. c) Current velocity is heightened on the ebb tide and dampened (in rivers) on the flood. d) Water temperatures are moderated over the wetlands by being cooled in summer and warmed in winter. e) Homiotherms are able to feed in marshes and flats when the tide is out, except for ducks which usually find food more available at high tide. Birds and mammals- which breed in the marsh must elevate their nest structures above the highest tide levels. f) Likewise, Fiddler Crabs must enter their burrows and snails must climb up the grasses to escape predation by fish as the tide comes in. On the Eastern Shore, some species of fish lays its eggs in the shell cavity of a dead Ribbed Mussel at high tide, and live Mussels and marsh Oysters can feed only when the tide is in. Insects may stay above the tide, but the Greenhead Fly and Salt- marsh Mosquito (Aedes solicitans) evidently deposit their 152 eggs when the tide is out. The Striped Killifish ??adheres to the very shore's edge" (22) on a flood tide and other small fish probably do the same, ranging into the marsh on the highest tides. g) High winds greatly amplify tides, piling water into the Bay with sustained northeast wind and blowing it out with prolonged northwest winds in winter. In the latter situation, gulls have an opportunity to carry off shell- fish on very low tides. Killifish burrow in the mud to escape death, but some invertebrates may die when frozen during low tide. h) Wave action obviously affects more area during high tides. i) Phytoplankton composition would be quite different in marsh pools and guts if tides did not provide an exchange of water. Since plankton productivity is higher in marsh pools than in the river, tides carry this living material to the estuary. j) Nutrient exchange requires tidal transport. k) Turbulence is more dependent on wind than on tides, but tides alone have an effect. 1) Organic detritus would not be supplied to the water in significant amounts without good tidal exchange. m) Aquatic animals benefit from wetlands through the agency of tides. n) Submerged plants may benefit from nutrients released from marshes but they also are prevented from growing on mudfiats bared at low tide. 3. Water Chemistry. Oxygen, salinity, phosphorus, nitrogen and, in freshwater, alkalinity are particularly involved. Water chemistry is affected by many factors and, in turn, affects many others. a) Turbid waters become clearer in the estuary due to the flocculating effect of saline water. b) Pollutants affect water by their biological oxygen demand (BOD). Marshes help aerate the water during high tide and they release the least organic matter in summer when oxygen is naturally low. Pollution, either organic, toxic, or thermal' exerts the greatest influence in the summer. Saline water coagulates fine .particles and causes them to sediment out, resulting in a diminution of organic pollution to safer levels. 153 C) Water temperature strongly affects chemical reactions, which tend to double with each 10*C rise. d) Wind affects water chemistry mainly by oxygenating the water but also by producing high tides which flush detritus and nutrients from the marsh. e) Solar energy causes photo-oxidation of some chemicals and otherwise affects chemistry by providing energy for storms. f) Phytoplankton requires nutrients and also produces oxygen by day and uses it by night. g) Nutrients produced elsewhere become part of the total water chemistry. h) Land erosion brings clay, organic material and toxic wastes which affect normal water chemistry. i) Substrates have a lesser effect on the overall chemistry, but the myriad stems of marsh plants are instrumental in accumulating clay particles at least temporarily. j) Water chemistry and organic detritus interact--saline water precipitating fine organics while organics supply nutrients. k) Aquatic animals require ample oxygen, especially the more active organisms, but they produce carbon dioxide which affects pH and reduces the rate of oxidation of organic debris. 1) Submerged aquatic plants release large amounts of oxygen, some of which they need for respiraticn at night. Nutrients and salt concentrations which cause one plant species to luxuriate may be deleterious to another. 4. Turbidity, the condition-of having varying amounts of suspended materialsin water, is particularly evident in tidal freshwater. a) Pollutants increase turbidity. b) Strong currents increase turbidity, as evidenced by the Hurricane Camille floods. c) Water temperature is affected by turbidity--dark water absorbs more beat. d) Wave action also increases turbidity. e) Turbidity affects phytoplankton by decreasing the compensation point depth but phytoplankton by their abundance may affect turbidity. 154 f) Air temperature secondarily affects turbidity simply by heating the upper layers of water, thereby promoting stratification. g) Land erosion is the source of most clay particles which produce turbidity. h) Organic detritus increases turbidity, thus affecting phytoplankton production but at the same time nurturing a-great amount of animal biomass. i) Aquatic animals may be benefited or harmed by turbidity, depending on the nature and amount of the suspended materials. j) Submerged aquatic plants are adversely affected by turbidity. Silt-laden rivers support little aquatic vegetation. S. Pollutants have both direct and indirect effects which may often be complex and occur far from the source of pollution. a) Warm-blooded animals are particularly affected by toxic pollutants such as chlorinated hydrocarbons. The Bald Eagle has become rare in Virginia in less than a decade because of DDT. b) Cold-blooded animals of the marsh, such as Fiddler Crabs and Mosquitoes, are directly affected by pesticide pollutants. c) Some pollutants--dust, aerial sprays and smoke--are carried by wind. d) Sunlight is effective in decomposing many pollutants. e) Warm air aids dispersal of dust and smoke. f) Land erosion has historically affected the upper tidal reaches of rivers and creeks more than any other pollutant. g) Organic detritus from sewage and manure often causes noxious pollution. h) Aquatic animals, such as bivalve molluscs, may be adversely affected by silt and clay pollution. Pesticides particularly magnify in organisms as they enter a food chain via the detritus pathway and end up in tertiary carnivores such as the Osprey and humans. i) Aquatic plants are adversely affected by excessive sewage wastes and severe siltation. 155 6. Current velocity varies with rain, tides, wind, and cross- section of a river. a) It affects water temperature by making it more uniform. b) Strong currents make feeding more difficult for ducks and grebes, as well as for swimming mammals. c) Currents and turbulence are directly proportional to each other. d) Land erosion products are carried distances proportional to the current velocity. e) The same condition as in (d) applies to organic detritus. f) Aquatic animals, especially smaller ones, are particularly affected by strong currents. g) Submerged aquatic plants are seemingly less affected by currents. 7. Water temperatures may vary up to 60'F. The activities of the biota are much influenced by temperature. a) Wind usually moderates water temperatures, but it also promotes mixing and thus general warming. b) Temperature of the water ultimately depends on the sun's warmth. c) Temperature of water and air together modify climates of wetlands. d) Aquatic animals being cold-blooded have their activities dependent on water tem perature; some cease feeding in winter. e) Submerged aquatic plants typically regress in winter. 8. Homiotherms (warm-blooded animals) are less important to man than their aquatic relatives but scarcely less interesting. a) Raccoons seem to feed in marshes mainly on Fiddler Crabs and Crayfish most of the year, although we did find one scat composed of only Macoma balthica shells. Wrens feed on insects and Rails on a variety of small animals. b) While less affected by temperature than poikilotherms are, homiotherms must still adapt to the rigors of summer's heat and winter's chill. c) Muskrats prefer marsh peat substrates for their houses and ramifying burrows. Otters like slick creek banks to 156 slide on. The Belted Kingfisher requires vertical clay banks for nest sites. Ground-nesting birds need dry sites, except for Rails, Coots, Gallinules and Willets which may use rather damp nest sites. These animals have adapted to marsh living but many others only come to marshes and swamps for food. d) Many homiotherms, especially birds, feed on aquatic animals such as frogs and-small fish. e) Some ducks, such as the now scarce Canvasback and Red- head, eat rooted aquatic plants as most of their diet. 9. Marsh poikilotherms are mainly Fiddler Crabs, Killifishes, turtles, insects and a surprising number of spiders. a) All of these creatures are able to retreat to shady or watery places when air temperatures become severe. b) They are affected mildly by land erosion if silt fills their burrows, clouds the water and coats the vegetation. c) Fiddlers feed on detritus somewhat and create more, as do most of the animals. 10. Wind is most effective in conjunction with high tides and its influence is particularly felt in seaside and bayside areas. a) Solar energy is largely responsible for wind. b) Wind, in turn, produces waves. c) Wind, through waves, is largely responsible for turbulence in shallow waters. d) Wind and air temperatures have a reciprocal relationship. 11. Solar energy may be blocked by cloud cover and its effect altered by the sun's angle to the earth, but it is otherwise independent of earthly phenomena. a) Air temperature is most affected by the sun's heat. b) Submerged aquatic plants depend as much on the sun, and thus also on clean water, as do the marsh plants. 12. Wave action depends highly on direction fetch and tide level, thus its effect on wetlands varies greatly. a) Waves are directly responsible for most turbulence. 157 b) Bank erosion results in exposed areas if the land is unprotected by grass, gentle slope, or artifices. c) Beach and marsh substrates are altered if waves carry away finer materials and deposit them in quieter waters. .d) Aquatic animals must be able to cope with strong waves or retreat from them. e) Aquatic plants, such as Eelgrass, are torn loose and deposited on beaches by waves. 13. Phytoplankton consists of one-celled plants, particularly diatoms and dinoflageliates. a) Pbytoplankton change inorganic nutrients into organic compounds capable of being digested by certain crustaceans and fishes. b) Turbulence may supply nutrients to phytoplankters but may also make the water turbid and thus reduce the light supply. c) Organic detritus is partially produced by phyto- plankton, especially in summer. d) Many aquatic animals feed directly on plankton. 14. Nutrients include inorganic and organic compounds. a) Erosion of the land produces certain nutrients but may also tie up others on clay particles. b) As with phytoplankton, rooted aquatics utilize simple compounds to produce complex food substances. 15. Turbulence refers particularly to the vertical mixing of water. a) Substrates may be eroded by turbulent water. b) Organic detritus is kept in suspension by turbulence. c) Aquatic animals, particularly filter feeders, require some turbulence. d) Submerged rooted plants probably thrive better where turbulence is only moderate. 16. Air temperature varies daily and seasonally and affects the activities of all organisms in shallow water, flats and marshes. 17. Land erosion produces only minor amounts of beneficial organic detritus. Erosion of high ground is largely detrimental. 158 18. Substrate type often determines the kinds of benthic animals present. 19. Organic detritus is essential to many aquatic animals. Submerged aquatic plants may contribute considerable detritus in some water. 20. Relatively few aquatic animals feed directly on rooted aquatic plants. 159 IIOAA CO-TAL SFRVICES CTF LIBRARY 3 6668 14111570 1 MSTAL ZONE XFORAMIA CENM