NESTUCCA NESKOWIN WATERSHED

History

Legend has it that one of the new immigrants in the Willamette Valley was burning brush from his newly homesteaded land and the fire got out of hand. Fanned by an unusually high easterly wind, it raced west into the Coast Range. It consumed everything in its path including old growth timber that had stood for hundreds of years. As the monstrous fire neared the coast, the local Indian population came under siege. It is said the Nestugga Indian Tribe was camping on what is now the Big Nestucca River near current-day Woods. They were forced to paddle their dugouts downstream in a panic, leaving all their possessions behind to find refuge on the sand spit, now called Bob Straub Park. The fire desecrated the land and the wildlife. For centuries the Indians had relied on the large herds of elk, deer, and bear for sustenance. After the catastrophe, their main staple became fish from the rivers.

Hebo
(Nestucca-Neskowin Watersheds Council)

By 1854, there were only a handful of settlers in the Tillamook Valley and the only access from the Willamette Valley was over the very crude Hebo Trail laid out by these early settlers. This trail ran from Grand Ronde over Mt. Hebo (originally called Mt. Heavo) to where Hebo is today, and then followed an old indian trail 20 miles to the Tillamook Valley. Before the settlers began arriving to the Nestucca Valley in the 1870s, it was populated by Indian Tribes of the Nestuggas and the Killamooks (note the name origin of the Nestucca River and Tillamook). The original name of Haystack Rock is said to be "Chief Kiawanda Rock" named after a very well known Chief of the Nestugga Tribe from the early 1800s (note spelling difference). By the time the Tribes were relocated from their homes to reservations on the Salmon and Siletz Rivers, the Indians numbered around 200. Around 1876, Chief Nestugga Bill and the last of the small tribe, paddled down the Little Nestucca River across the bar into the Pacific Ocean and headed south to their new home.

It was along the Nestucca River that many of the early pioneers came on sea going steamers such as The Della, The Elmore, and The Gerald C. These steamers frequented the rivers, bays, and bars from San Francisco to Astoria. Other pioneers traveled over the mountains by rough trails crossing many rivers with no bridges. In 1882, a road from Grand Ronde to the Nestucca Valley was completed greatly improving travel. Early "vacationers" would brave the elements by buckboard and horseback coming from the Willamette Valley to enjoy the Pacific Ocean and the river. It was usually at least a two-day trek. Campgrounds and facilities soon sprang up to accommodate these travelers.

Because salmon were so plentiful in Nestucca Bay, a commercial cannery was built in 1886 by Linewebber and Brown. It was located on the east side of the bay and thrived for many years employing both Caucasian and Chinese workers. The cannery canned and shipped 12,000 cans of salmon a year.

In 1926, with the once plentiful salmon population dwindling, there was an outcry by non-commercial fishermen to stop the unmanaged harvest. A state law was passed to close the bay and its tributaries to commercial fishing (still in effect today). This action was instrumental in developing Pacific Citys famous Dory Fleet who would launch their double ended fishing boats off the beach into the surf. During the 60s and 70s, the dory fleet numbered well into the several hundreds. The catch was bought by several fish buying stations. With larger commercial fishing vessels eventually supplying the demand for salmon, the Dory Fleet has slowly dwindled to only a few today. However, there are many of the old dories still being launched by recreational fishermen keeping the tradition alive.

Today

Nestucca River
(Nestucca-Neskowin Watersheds Council)

Forestry is the major land use in this watershed. The entire watershed consists of 217,085 acres. The forest lands administered by the federal government agencies, the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), include 131,649 acres, state owned forest lands include 8,920 acres, and industrial, privately owned forest lands include 38,663 acres. Thus, a total of 179,233 acres (approximately 82% of the watershed) are forest lands. A mixture of agriculture, rural residential, and private woodlots make up 35,745 acres or 16% of the watershed. In the Nestucca Watershed, 3,945 acres are managed for dairy production.

The largest town in the watershed is Pacific City, with a population of 1,027.

Anadromous fish species present in the watershed include chum salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, searun cutthroat trout, and steelhead trout. Seasonal migrations of anadromous fish result in year round use of the Big Nestucca Watershed by adult salmon. Resident cutthroat trout are found throughout the watershed. Other freshwater species found in the watershed include brook lamprey, river lamprey, Pacific lamprey, dace and sculpins.

To learn more about the Wilson-Trask-Nestucca 4th field watershed, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Surf Your Watershed website.

Sources

Compiled by John Ame, Science Writer (2007)