SIUSLAW RIVER ESTUARY

Siuslaw River estuary
Siuslaw River

Siuslaw River (Oregon Coastal Atlas)

The Siuslaw River estuary is located on the Oregon coast at Florence. The estuary is approximately 3060 acres in area and has a watershed of approximately 4560 square miles.

The Siuslaw River estuary is designated as a Shallow Draft Development estuary under the Oregon Estuary Classification system. The geomorphology of the area is that of a Drowned River Mouth estuary.

The Siuslaw River estuary is located in Lane County. Historically, Lane Countys economy has been based on timber and agriculture. Diverse recreational opportunities from the mountains to the coast have made tourism an important part of the economy. The county seat of Eugene is home to the University of Oregon. The 1997 population of 308,500 represents an increase of 9.0% since 1990. The county has grown another 10% from 1997 to 2006, with the 2006 population at 339,740.

The Darlingtonia State Natural Site, the only Oregon state park designed to protect a single plant species, is five miles north of Florence. The area from Florence south to Coos Bay contains the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, the largest region of coastal sand dunes in North America.

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries maintains a tsunami inundation map for the City of Tillamook area.

Sources

Bayer, Range D. and Roy W. Lowe. Waterbird and Mammal Censuses at Siuslaw Estuary, Lane County, Oregan. Studies in Oregon Ornithology: 4 (1988).

Lund, Ernest H. Oregon Coastal Dunes Between Coos Bay and Sea Lion Point. OreBin 35 (5) (1973): 73-92.

Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Tsunami Hazard Map of the Florence Quadrangle, Lane County, Oregon. Portland, OR: The Department. Open File Report O-95-37. 1995.

Oregon Ocean-Coastal Management Program. Learn about the Siuslaw River Estuary in Oregon's Coastal Atlas. Salem, OR: Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. 2000.

Siuslaw Watershed Council. A Watershed Assessment for the Siuslaw Basin [draft]. [S.l.] : Siuslaw Watershed Council. 2002.

Excerpts with permission from The Oregon Coastal Atlas

Compiled by Susan Gilmont, Staff, OSU Libraries (6/2007)