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Dear Friend of TEP,
Spring has arrived on the Oregon coast, heralding the return of the mighty Spring Chinook! These magnificent fish will find conditions in local streams more hospitable than their parents did thanks to efforts led by TEP and our partners that have reduced water temperatures, eliminated migratory barriers, and improved spawning and rearing habitats.
In celebration of these achievements, TEP hosts its 3rd Annual Bounty on the Bay event on May 19th and 20th. The fishing tourney and fundraiser benefits TEP's Habitat Enhancement Program, while allowing a dedicated community of friends, volunteers, and fishing enthusiasts to get out on the water and enjoy our estuarine resources. Visit our Bounty on the Bay webpage to learn more about this event and a chance to fish with NW legend Buzz Ramsey and the Oregonian's Outdoor Reporter, Bill Monroe.
Finally, don't miss TEP's next Speaker Series, Thursday April 6th. Oregon State University researchers will present breakthroughs in converting wave energy into electricity. Find out what this could mean for our coastal communities.
I look forward to seeing you soon... hopefully on the water!
Mark Trenholm
Executive Director
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Habitat Enhancement Highlight: Killam Creek Fish Passage Project  Built in the early 1900's, the City of Tillamook's Killam Creek water diversion blocked salmon migration to 5.8 miles of spawning habitat and diverted juveniles into a nearby settling pond. The City found the structure difficult to maintain and was concerned about impacts on salmon, but relied on the structure to supply drinking water to the City's 4,400 residents.
With TEP on board to raise funds and manage contracts, the City partnered with ODFW, Trout Unlimited, and SJO Engineers to design a new ladder and screen system that facilitated salmon migration while maintaining the creek as a vital source of drinking water. Arley Sullivan, the City's Public Works Director states, "water clarity improved as a result of this project and juvenile salmon no longer become trapped in the settling pond. We've also seen coho, chinook, and steelhead using the fish ladder."
Read more about Killam Creek and TEP's other Habitat Enhancement projects here.
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Education & Outreach Highlight: Children's Clean Water Festival  Over 300 fourth graders converge on Twin Rocks Friends Camp this month to learn about water quality at TEP's Children's Clean Water Festival. The event supports TEP-provided in-class curriculum that teaches students the impacts of water quality on their environment, their communities and economy, and their very own health. Volunteers and educators lead students through hands-on stations that teach lessons on topics such as: how aquatic insects indicate water quality, the way soils and wetlands protect water quality, and how an individual's behaviors and choices can affect water quality. Whether sifting through plastic debris found on a local beach, role playing a salmon, or holding a live oyster, students develop a broader understanding that water is the most important natural resource in their lives.
Explore more information about the Festival at this link. |
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Research & Monitoring Highlight: Tillamook Bay Toxins Study  In 1999, scientists with Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) were surprised when a Coastal Environmental Monitoring & Assessment Program (CEMAP) study of the Tillamook Bay revealed the presence of bio-accumulating contaminants. Through our Research and Monitoring Program, TEP has partnered with DEQ on a follow-up study to further characterize the degree of contamination identified in the CEMAP project. DEQ and TEP will sample fish tissues and sediment from approximately 14 locations around the Miami Cove. Samples will be evaluated for contaminants such as lead, mercury, PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls), dioxins, and chlorinated pesticides. In addition, shellfish and crab will also be collected from the sites and analyzed to determine if contaminants are present in the tissue of the animals.
More facts about TEP's Program are located on our Research & Monitoring webpage. |
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Local Grant Program Highlight: Chinook Salmon Rearing and Education Project  What do you get when you mix cold water, fish eggs, a 50 gallon aquarium, and a bunch of warm-hearted kids? The answer is nearly 200 healthy Chinook salmon fry ready to be released into a local stream... but not until they've helped their human counterparts more fully understand the place in which they live.
An $1,100 TEP Local Grant helped Diane Griffin's Garibaldi sixth graders convert their middle school classroom into a mini fish hatchery. While rearing fall Chinook, which one day may return to Bay City's Patterson Creek weighing 25 pounds or more, students learn how salmon are an essential thread woven into the history, culture, economics, and ecology of the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about this project and other recipients of TEP's Local Grants here. |
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IN THIS ISSUE: PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS |
Habitat Enhancement Program:
Killam Creek Fish Passage Project
Education & Outreach Program:
Children's Clean Water Festival
Research & Monitoring Program:
Tillamook Bay Toxins Study
Local Grant Program:
Chinook Salmon Rearing & Education Project
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
TEP's Third Annual Bounty on the Bay! Mark the date:
Friday and Saturday May 19th and 20th, 2006.
Read about it!
TEP's Quarterly Speaker Series
Thursday, April 6th, 2006, 6-8 PM at the ODF Conference Room in Tillamook.
Topic: Can Ocean Waves Power Our Future?
Read about it!
Juvenile Salmon Survey Results to be Presented
Thursday, May 11th, 2006, 6:00 PM at the ODF Conference Room in Tillamook. Read about this Survey, also known as the Rapid Bio-Assessment, here.
Hoquarton Interpretive Trail Volunteer Workdays
Held the 3rd Saturday of each month. Email Suzan Greenwood or call (503) 322-2222 to get involved... A great way to get outside and enjoy Spring!
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DONATE TO TEP |
TEP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the five Tillamook County estuaries and their associated watersheds.
Your charitable donation to the TEP is tax-deductible and helps preserve the health and beauty of our region. Follow this link to our contribution page, and thank you for your support!
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ISSUE 2: SPRING 2006 |
We'd love to hear from you. If you have feedback or suggestions after reading our newsletter please send us an email.
Visit our website at www.tbnep.org to learn more about the TEP.
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
613 Commercial Street
P.O. Box 493
Garibaldi, OR 97118
(503) 322-2222 phone
(503) 322-2261 fax
info@tbnep.org
Salmon Photo Courtesy Barrie Kovish
Tillamook Bay Aerial Photo Courtesy Don Best
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