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Ecola Creek Watershed Council areaLandscapeThe Ecola Creek watershed is located in the Southwest corner of Clatsop County on the northern coast of Oregon. It is surrounded by the Necanicum Watershed on the north and the Nehalem Watershed to the south. Ecola Creek drains a watershed of approximately 22 square miles directly into the Pacific Ocean, passing through the town of Cannon Beach. The entire basin lies within six miles of the Pacific Ocean and the maximum elevation is 3,075 feet along the ridge of mountains in the southwestern border of the watershed.
The Ecola Creek watershed is located in the Southwest corner of Clatsop County on the northern coast of Oregon. It is surrounded by the Necanicum Watershed on the north and the Nehalem Watershed to the south. Ecola Creek drains a watershed of approximately 22 square miles directly into the Pacific Ocean, passing through the town of Cannon Beach. The entire basin lies within six miles of the Pacific Ocean and the maximum elevation is 3,075 feet along the ridge of mountains in the southwestern border of the watershed. Coastal northwest Oregon has some of the highest annual rainfall in the state, with most occurring between October to April and averaging only six inches from July through September.
HistoryIn 1806 Lewis and Clark were at Tillamook Head. Clark, Sacajawea, and others were looking for a beached whale to get oil and blubber. Near the mouth of present day Ecola Creek they found a huge whale skeleton and a group of Salish-speaking Indians from the Tillamook tribe processing blubber. Clark bought a few gallons of oil and 300 pounds of blubber for the expedition, wintering at Ft. Clatsop. The basalt rocks and sands of that time are still here but the bones of the whale were last seen in 1941 at the campgrounds on the north side of Ecola Creek. Ecola was Clark's name for the creek, an Indian word for whale. Ecola was not fully accepted by early white settlers who called it and the community Elk Creek. Many other settlements had the same name though, so Ecola became the name.
The creek drains into the Pacific Ocean near Haystack Rock, one of the most scenic offshore rocks along the Oregon coast. About 17 million years ago, and for about 10 million years, a series of eruptions from several fissures in the Northwest produced lava that spread out over the Columbia Plateau. Some lava from the first of the lava flows flowed down the old Columbia River gorge to the ocean. At the lower end of the river the lava spread out in a large fan. At that time the shoreline was about 25 miles east of its present location. The lava sunk into the soft marine sediments. The lava intrusions took many forms, including huge fingers, sheets, and knobs. They cooled and solidified into hard basalt and remained buried under the sediments for eons. The Ice Age came and lowered the sea level several hundred feet, promoting further erosion. Haystack Rock is a remnant of those lava flows.
In 1806 Lewis and Clark were at Tillamook Head. Clark, Sacajawea, and others were looking for a beached whale to get oil and blubber. Near the mouth of present day Ecola Creek they found a huge whale skeleton and a group of Salish-speaking Indians from the Tillamook tribe processing blubber. Clark bought a few gallons of oil and 300 pounds of blubber for the expedition, wintering at Ft. Clatsop. The basalt rocks and sands of that time are still here but the bones of the whale were last seen in 1941 at the campgrounds on the north side of Ecola Creek. Ecola was Clark's name for the creek, an Indian word for whale. Ecola was not fully accepted by early white settlers who called it and the community Elk Creek. Many other settlements had the same name though, so Ecola became the name.The creek drains into the Pacific Ocean near Haystack Rock, one of the most scenic offshore rocks along the Oregon coast. About 17 million years ago, and for about 10 million years, a series of eruptions from several fissures in the Northwest produced lava that spread out over the Columbia Plateau. Some lava from the first of the lava flows flowed down the old Columbia River gorge to the ocean. At the lower end of the river the lava spread out in a large fan. At that time the shoreline was about 25 miles east of its present location. The lava sunk into the soft marine sediments. The lava intrusions took many forms, including huge fingers, sheets, and knobs. They cooled and solidified into hard basalt and remained buried under the sediments for eons. The Ice Age came and lowered the sea level several hundred feet, promoting further erosion. Haystack Rock is a remnant of those lava flows. TodayEcola Creek Watershed consists of approximately 22 square miles (14,000 acres) of which 13,237 acres are forested. The most significant landowner is Weyerhaeuser Company, which owns 12,255 acres. The Oregon Department of Forestry owns 957 acres, the City of Cannon Beach owns 763 acres (mostly urban), and Longview Fibre Company owns 25 acres. Commercial forestry is the predominant land use in the watershed.
Although approximately 2 percent of the Ecola Creek watershed is devoted to urban use, the impact these areas have on the watershed can be significant. Water pollution from urban areas and habitat loss are the primary urban impacts. Cannon Beach, the only town in the watershed, has a full-time residential population of 1,424.
The Ecola Creek Watershed provides municipal water to the City of Cannon Beach, while also providing recreational opportunities like fishing, and hiking. The Department of Fish and Wildlife considers Ecola Creek West Fork a core area for coho salmon.
Ecola Creek and the Ecola Creek estuary contain vital habitat for salmon restoration. As part of the Oregon’s plan to restore coastal waters as spawning grounds, the Ecola Creek Watershed Council was formed in 1997 to educate and develop programs which increase the health of the stream.
The Ecola Creek Awareness Project (ECAP) is an organization of local citizens who monitor and protect the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Ecola Creek watershed. ECAP activities include building a data base about the watershed, dissemination of accurate information pertinent to issues concerning the watershed, and acting to preserve the watershed's unique qualities. Volunteers who measure and document changes in the area around the Cannon Beach watershed also conduct public education field trips and presentations.
Ecola Creek Watershed consists of approximately 22 square miles (14,000 acres) of which 13,237 acres are forested. The most significant landowner is Weyerhaeuser Company, which owns 12,255 acres. The Oregon Department of Forestry owns 957 acres, the City of Cannon Beach owns 763 acres (mostly urban), and Longview Fibre Company owns 25 acres. Commercial forestry is the predominant land use in the watershed.Although approximately 2 percent of the Ecola Creek watershed is devoted to urban use, the impact these areas have on the watershed can be significant. Water pollution from urban areas and habitat loss are the primary urban impacts. Cannon Beach, the only town in the watershed, has a full-time residential population of 1,424.The Ecola Creek Watershed provides municipal water to the City of Cannon Beach, while also providing recreational opportunities like fishing, and hiking. The Department of Fish and Wildlife considers Ecola Creek West Fork a core area for coho salmon.Ecola Creek and the Ecola Creek estuary contain vital habitat for salmon restoration. As part of the Oregon’s plan to restore coastal waters as spawning grounds, the Ecola Creek Watershed Council was formed in 1997 to educate and develop programs which increase the health of the stream.The Ecola Creek Awareness Project (ECAP) is an organization of local citizens who monitor and protect the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Ecola Creek watershed. ECAP activities include building a data base about the watershed, dissemination of accurate information pertinent to issues concerning the watershed, and acting to preserve the watershed's unique qualities. Volunteers who measure and document changes in the area around the Cannon Beach watershed also conduct public education field trips and presentations.Watershed Council LinkSourcesCompiled by: John Ame, science writing consultant (2007)
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