We recently reported that Western Rivers Conservancy signed an agreement to purchase some of the last unprotected salt marsh fronting the Alsea River estuary near Waldport. On November 1, WRC bought this 287-acre property to complete an effort to restore some of the best coastal coho salmon habitat remaining in Oregon.

The land, which we purchased from Forest Capital Partners, straddles Drift Creek and the North Channel of the Alsea River, a brackish area with eelgrass beds and unusually large areas of high-quality salt marsh in excellent condition. This area provides vital nursery habitat for coho and other anadromous fish, as well as spawning habitat for marine species.

The property will merge with an adjacent 1,400 acres that WRC protected in 2002 and become part of the Siuslaw National Forest.

Combining these properties will expand a large coho recovery effort that is already underway along the lower five miles of Drift Creek. Land acquisition enabled the Siuslaw National Forest and partners to remove dikes and plugs, reconnect side channels and restore native vegetation.

This acquisition is a top priority for protecting and restoring anadromous fish habitat in the Northwest. The result will be a dramatic improvement of habitat not only for coho, but for fall and spring Chinook, winter steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout.

Above: Alsea River Estuary. Photo by Josh Kling.