D ift
C eek
U it
of
Siletz
Bay
Natio al
Wildlife
(Image
C edit:
Wikipedia)
O ego ‘s
Siletz
Bay
is
u de goi g
a
majo
wetla d
esto atio
effo t
this
summe ,
with
c ews
wo ki g
to
b i g
back
atu al
tidal
flows
to
la d
that
was
d amatically
alte ed
by
mo e
tha
a
ce tu y
of
diki g
a d
la d
co ve sio .
Acco di g
to
the
U.S.
Fish
a d
Wildlife
Se vice,
the
p oject
is
esto i g
37
ac es
of
wetla ds
i
the
D ift
C eek
U it
of
Siletz
Bay
Natio al
Wildlife
Refuge,
i cludi g
by
filli g
old
d ai age
ditches
a d
diggi g
ew
tidal
cha els.
The
wo k
is
i te ded
to
imp ove
habitat,
wate
quality
a d
flood
esilie ce
while
c eati g
bette
co ditio s
fo
fish
a d
othe
wildlife.
How
the
wetla ds
cha ged
The
lowe
D ift
C eek
floodplai
was
o ce
a
complex
coastal
la dscape
made
up
of
tidal
ma shes,
sc ub-sh ub
a eas,
sp uce
swamps
a d
wi di g
cha els
that
ca ied
wate
towa d
Siletz
Bay.
Ove
time,
howeve ,
people
cha ged
the
la dscape
th ough
diki g
a d
la d
co ve sio .The
dikes
est icted
the
moveme t
of
tides,
while
d ai age
a d
othe
alte atio s
t a sfo med
la ge
po tio s
of
the
histo ic
wetla ds
i to
pastu e.
Natu al
cha els
g adually
filled
with
sedime t,
leavi g
the
floodplai
fa
less
co ected
to
the
tidal
system
tha
it
had
bee
i
the
past.The
loss
of
these
atu al
co ectio s
also
affected
the
floodplai ‘s
ecological
fu ctio s.
Tidal
wetla ds
p ovide
habitat
fo
fish
a d
wildlife
a d
help
move
wate
a d
ut ie ts
th ough
coastal
ecosystems.
The
cu e t
esto atio
p oject
is
desig ed
to
eve se
some
of
those
cha ges
by
eco ecti g
histo ic
floodplai
su faces
a d
allowi g
tidal
p ocesses
to
etu .
New
cha els
eshape
the
la dscape
Th ough
the
e d
of
August,
heavy
equipme t
i cludi g
excavato s
a d
t ucks
will
be
wo ki g
ac oss
the
37-ac e
esto atio
a ea.
C ews
a e
filli g
old
li ea
d ai age
ditches
a d
excavati g
ew
tidal
cha els
desig ed
to
esemble
the
pathways
that
o ce
ca ied
wate
th ough
the
floodplai .
The
p oject
also
i volves
placi g
la ge
pieces
of
wood
i
the
la dscape.
These
st uctu es
ca
p ovide
shelte
fo
you g
fish
while
eve tually
becomi g
pa t
of
the
wetla d’s
atu al
habitat
st uctu e.
C ews
a e
also
eg adi g
low
a eas
so
diffe e t
pa ts
of
the
floodplai
ca
eco ect
with
o e
a othe .The
wo k
is
expected
to
cha ge
how
wate
moves
th ough
the
site.
I stead
of
bei g
co fi ed
by
old
d ai age
systems
a d
dikes,
wate
will
be
able
to
sp ead
ac oss
the
esto ed
floodplai .
This
will
help
educe
floodi g
while
allowi g
wetla ds
to
pe fo m
thei
atu al
fu ctio s.The
esto atio
is
also
expected
to
help
filte
sedime t
a d
ut ie ts
f om
upst eam
flows,
co t ibuti g
to
bette
wate
quality.
Fo
fish
that
depe d
o
estua i e
e vi o me ts,
the
cha ges
ca
c eate
safe
a eas
fo
moveme t
a d
additio al
feedi g
habitat.
You g
coho
a d
Chi ook
salmo ,
steelhead
a d
cutth oat
t out
a e
amo g
the
fish
expected
to
be efit,
alo g
with
smalle
ma i e
species
that
use
the
estua y
fo
shelte .
F om
co st uctio
to
a
livi g
wetla d
The
esto atio
will
ot
e d
whe
the
excavato s
leave.
O ce
the
heavy
co st uctio
wo k
is
completed,
the
la dscape
will
co ti ue
cha gi g
as
tides,
ai fall,
pla ts
a d
wildlife
begi
i te acti g
with
the
ewly
c eated
cha els
a d
floodplai .
By
fall,
c ews
pla
to
pla t
a d
seed
ative
wetla d
species.
These
will
i clude
sedges,
ushes,
salt-tole a t
pla ts
a d
coastal
sp uce.
Ove
time,
the
vegetatio
is
expected
to
help
ebuild
the
st uctu e
of
the
ma sh
a d
p ovide
additio al
habitat.The
p oject
is
pa t
of
a
la ge ,
multi-yea
esto atio
effo t
athe
tha
a
isolated
co st uctio
p oject.
A
fi st
phase
was
completed
i
2023,
esto i g
41
ac es
of
fo me
tidal
wetla ds
east
of
D ift
C eek
Road.
That
phase
i cluded
lowe i g
old
dikes,
c eati g
mo e
tha
a
mile
of
ew
tidal
cha els,
i stalli g
la ge
wood
st uctu es,
buildi g
habitat
mou ds
a d
emovi g
agi g
i f ast uctu e.
Si ce
the ,
ative
ma sh
a d
sc ub-sh ub
vegetatio
has
begu
etu i g,
while
a e
sp uce
swamp
habitat
has
also
sta ted
to
ege e ate.Seve al
o ga isatio s
a e
i volved
i
the
b oade
effo t,
i cludi g
the
MidCoast
Wate sheds
Cou cil,
the
U.S.
Fish
a d
Wildlife
Se vice’s
O ego
Coast
Natio al
Wildlife
Refuge
Complex,
O ego
Depa tme t
of
Fish
a d
Wildlife,
Bu eau
of
La d
Ma ageme t,
Wild
Salmo
Ce te ,
Li col
Soil
a d
Wate
Co se vatio
Dist ict,
Wolf
Wate
Resou ces
a d
the
Co fede ated
T ibes
of
Siletz
I dia s.The
goal
is
ultimately
to
allow
the
floodplai
to
fu ctio
mo e
like
a
atu al
tidal
wetla d
agai .
As
the
ew
cha els
fill
with
wate
a d
ative
vegetatio
takes
oot,
the
la dscape
will
g adually
become
mo e
capable
of
suppo ti g
fish,
wildlife
a d
pla ts
while
helpi g
ma age
wate
a d
imp ove
coastal
ecosystem
health.Fo
people
t avelli g
alo g
U.S.
Highway
101
ea
the
efuge,
the
site
will
i itially
be
ma ked
by
excavato s
a d
esto atio
c ews.
O ce
the
machi e y
leaves,
the
esto ed
la dscape
will
co ti ue
developi g
with
the
seaso s
a d
tides.
