Our Partners

To tackle the big—sometimes messy—watershed issues in our region, we know collaboration with multiple entities is necessary. Beyond the partnerships we rely on in our day to day work to make on-the-ground restoration projects happen, we also take part in a number of working groups that seek to address related, complex goals at a larger scale.

oregon central coast estuary collaborative (OCCEC)

a vision of a network of healthy and resilient estuaries on Oregon’s central coast that sustain a full complement of thriving native fish and wildlife populations, and support vibrant communities.

Although estuaries cover only a small area, the essential ecological functions they deliver make them hugely important. They provide habitat for salmon transitioning to salt water as well as a food-rich environment that supports rapid growth of juvenile salmon prior to ocean entry. They support other important social and ecosystem services such as flood control, water quality, carbon sequestration, and coastal food web support. 

However, 150 years of increasing human use have taken a toll on our estuaries, resulting in substantial loss of estuary habitats. Tidal wetland losses average around 70% for tidal marsh and over 90% for forested and shrub tidal swamps, leaving only a fraction of the high quality tidal wetlands that once provided the valued services listed above. 

The OCCEC consists of network of estuary conservation and restoration practitioners, working to gain an understanding of conditions and threats for estuaries of the Central Coast with the following goals:

• Develop priorities for conservation and restoration activities within our geographic scope

• Improve knowledge, effectiveness, efficiency, and capacity to do estuary conservation and restoration

• Engage in conservation and restoration efforts at a larger scale than members could do individually

• Improve capacity to monitor the effectiveness of restoration and conservation actions

• Analyze the effectiveness of the network and continually seek to improve

• Share accomplishments, results, and knowledge gained as a result of our activities

Find out more about the collaborative at: https://www.orcentralcoastestuaries.com/

mid-coast water planning partnership

working to develop regional solutions to provide adequate water supplies for water systems and local industry, while providing adequate flows and water quality for fish, wildlife, and our environment.

The need for reliable, quality water supplies is critical. The Mid-Coast Region has unique water challenges that, if left unaddressed, will intensify over time. These include: low summer stream flow, limited water storage, vulnerability to natural hazards, aging infrastructure, and the pressures these place on both human communities and fish and wildlife.

These challenges require a coordinated approach since no one entity can address them alone. In June 2016, the City of Newport received a grant from the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) to convene a collaborative, integrated water planning effort. This presents a timely opportunity to be proactive about understanding and meeting our current and future water needs.

To learn more about the partnership, see: http://midcoastwaterpartners.com/

For background information on some of the water challenges the Mid-Coast faces, check out these publications:

It takes a village…

It takes a full alphabet of partners and funders to implement high-quality restoration projects. We are grateful to work with the following suite of players and organizatons.