The public is invited to attend a virtual meeting on Saturday, March 6, 2021, from 11 am to 12:30 pm to provide input and ask questions on a riparian/wetland restoration and flood reduction project on Drift Creek in Lincoln County, Oregon.
The Lower Drift Creek Working Group is a collaboration between the Mid-Coast Watershed Council, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wolf Water Resources, Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, and Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council. This group started a planning effort to guide restoration and future management of public lands located along lower Drift Creek that are part of Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Public involvement in the planning process is crucial for the successful development and review of restoration concepts.
Drift Creek is a tributary to the Siletz River and has a mix of both public and private land. The creek provides important spawning and rearing habitat for native salmonids including Chinook and Coho salmon, winter steelhead and cutthroat trout. Over the past 60 years, forest clearing, levee construction, ditching, and development have reduced the water quality (high temperatures, low dissolved oxygen, and excessive nutrient loading) of the creek and degraded estuarine habitat conditions. Consequently, populations of these fishes and other species have declined significantly over that time.
During this meeting, the Working Group will discuss existing conditions and explore restoration concepts. Your feedback will help the Working Group improve 80 acres of estuarine habitat on Siletz Bay NWR for these salmonids while reducing the impacts of flooding on adjacent public infrastructure and private residences. You also may help identify restoration opportunities and offer input on restoration concepts.
This meeting will be the first in a series of public meetings held by the Working Group.
Additional info:
1. RSVP for Virtual Meeting by emailing Office@SalmonDrift.org or call (541) 996-3161. Please leave a message with your name, email, and mention Drift Creek.
2. Meeting Invites will be sent out in March ahead of the virtual event.
3. Submit comments via email after event to Office@SalmonDrift.org.
