It’s been a busy summer for the Necanicum Watershed Council!
We removed four fish passage barriers, rescued hundreds of fish from our work zones, placed several large woody debris structures in streams, and improved over five miles of productive fish habitat.
Thompson Creek
July 2025
Thompson Creek, on the north end of Seaside, is an important stream for coho salmon and steelhead. It flows directly into the Necanicum Estuary. In partnership with the North Coast Land Conservancy, the Chinook Indian Nation, and a private landowner, we identified a barrier to fish passage, a collapsing culvert and an unused road. We removed the road fill, reshaped the streambank to its natural contour, and spread fruited bulrush seeds and leaves throughout the area for erosion control. This work opened up 0.5 miles of high-quality salmon habitat. Thank you to our funders, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, for supporting this project.
Grindy Creek
July 2025
We improved 1.7 miles of fish habitat in tributaries of Grindy Creek by removing two undersized culverts, decommissioning two old logging roads, and adding large woody debris at 13 spots along the stream. This work was made possible through a strong partnership between the NWC, Nuveen Natural Capital, the Chinook Indian Nation, and funding from the Oregon Salmon License Plate through the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. You can read more in the Astorian article.
Johnson Creek
September 2025
As part of our ongoing work to support ESA-listed coho salmon, we partnered with Nuveen Natural Capital, Chinook Indian Nation and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to remove a fish passage barrier in Johnson Creek. We took out an undersized, failing culvert and replaced it with a bridge, which will help maintain long-term stability of the stream channel. Multiple species of fish and amphibians as well as crayfish were removed from the work zone during the temporary dewatering of the creek for construction. Now these species can move freely through the creek. In collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, we also identified 14 spots along Johnson Creek to place large woody debris. These structures help control water flow and temperature, release nutrients, and provide important rearing habitat for fish.
