TEP Area Profile

Designated an estuary of national significance in 1994, the Tillamook Bay is located on Oregon's northern coast, roughly 60 miles west of Portland and 45 miles south of the Columbia River mouth. Like most Pacific Northwest estuaries, Tillamook Bay is part of a coastal, temperate rainforest ecosystem. Typical of this ecoregion, the Tillamook Bay watershed possesses an extraordinary natural resource base. Extensive upland forests, which have been harvested since before the turn of the century, dominate almost 90% of the basin's land area. The lowlands are characterized by rich, fertile alluvial soils that support a thriving dairy community organized as the Tillamook County Creamery Association. Several small communities also support a historically important fishing industry.

Today the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership undertakes collaborative restoration, research, and education projects throughout five watersheds encompassing over 1,800 square miles in northwest Oregon.

Tillamook County

Tillamook Chamber of Commerce