After years of ditching, farming, logging, and infrastructure impacts, plans began in 2004 to restore 44 acres of wetlands at the mouth of the Miami River.  Once again this waterway will provide critical habitat, filter pollutants, and allow other natural wetland functions such as tidal flows, flood storage, food web support, and sediment deposition.

2010 - '11 construction will:

* Restore tidal spruce swamp (rare and critical)
* Gain over 1,600 feet of channel habitat
* Plant 23,000 native plants and reduce non-native and invasive species
* Shade the wetland and Miami River
* Provide long-term project monitoring
* Inject $1.5 million in labor/supplies to local economy

The channel digging portion of construction is due to be completed by the end of September and the revegetation is set to begin in the winter of 2010 thru April 2011.  Once completed, TEP will spend the next 5 years performing post construction monitoring.

For more information regarding this project or any of our other projects, please contact the TEP office at (503) 322-2222 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

After two printed guidebooks – the Nehalem and Tillamook Bay- and a long wait, the TCWT has finally arrived on the Nestucca River. South county community members gathered recently to paddle what is known as the ‘lower Nestucca’ exploring the future of the water trail and what it will mean to their area. 

The goal of the TCWT is to map all five estuaries within Tillamook County. The two remaining estuaries to be mapped following the Nestucca will be Sand Lake and Netarts. The guidebooks provide education of safety, local ecology & wildlife, and suggested paddles with full-color maps. The idea of TCWT is to give non-motorized users information to make smart decisions regarding public access, knowledge of traditional water use and ultimately encourage strong stewardship ethics.

The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership will be working with the Nestucca community and local agencies to produce this third guidebook. The public is invited to participate on paddle trips, water trail meetings and to review the draft of the Nestucca water trail guidebook as it is developed. 

You are invited to attend “What is the TCWT”; a presentation about the formation of the project and how it will move to the Nestucca region, Tuesday, September 21, 6:30pm. 34600 Cape Kiwanda Dr. Pacific City, OR. For more information contact Julie Chick at 503-322-2222 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bounty on the Bay Participants Reel in during the 7th Annual Fundraiser and Fishing Tournament!

Anglers who participated the 7th Annual Bounty on the Bay fishing tournament and fundraiser were able to reel in the highly sought after Tillamook Bay Spring Chinook on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

William Dyer of Portland, Oregon cashed in first place with his two Spring Chinook totally 66 inches.  Dyer was guided by Russ Morrow of Russ Morrow's Sportfishing Guide Service of Portland, Oregon.  Frank Powers, also of Portland, Oregon, earned second place with his two fish of 64.5 combined inches.  Fred Van Netta, of Salem, Oregon, not only brought home a third place finish with his Spring Chinook that was 36.75 inches but also won the overall largest fish award at 22 pounds.  Powers and Van Netta were both captained by John Kirby of Ancient Mariner Guide Service, who was awarded the captains prize for having the most fish caught on his boat. Other lucky angerles included:  Ryan Blume, Tillamook, Oregon, Bill Hedlund, Tillamook, Oregon, John Tarnasky, Rockaway Beach, Oregon, and Eugene Tish, Garibaldi, Oregon.  Tarnasky and Tish were guided by Chris Vertopoulos of Northwest Angling Experience in Garibaldi, Oregon. 

TEP was fortunate to have twelve guides who graciously and generously donated their time for the tournament which included:  Chris Vertopoulos (Northwest Angling Experience), Bob Rees (Northwest Guides Service), John Kirby (Ancient Mariner Guide Service), Russ Morrow (Russ Morrow's Sportfishing Guide Service), Brandon McGavran (Brandon's Guide Service), Greg Hublou (Greg Hublou Guide Service), Dave Harris (Four Rivers Guide Service), David Johnson (David Johnson Fishing), Pat Abel (Pat Abel's Guide Service), Curt Hedges (Curt Hedges Guide Service), Andy Schneider (Andy Schneider Fishing Guide Service), and Cory Anderson (Cory Anderson Guide Service).

After a day of fishing on the Tillamook Bay, the evening festivities culminated at the Old Mill Marina with a sumptuous seafood feast - a hallmark of the event that included barbequed oysters and clams along with freshly grilled fish - and a Dutch and silent auction hosted by the TEP Board of Directors, staff and volunteers.  The fishing prizes were also awarded to the day's lucky anglers.  With over 100 attendees, the evening was a great success. 

The keynote speaker, Darrin Neff, Fisheries Biologist with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, spoke to a crowd of over 100 attendees and highlighted a significant success story on restoration efforts on Cruiser and Elkhorn Creeks, tributaries to the Trask River.  The TEP was a proud partner in this project.  In an effort to improve over-winter habitat, failing culverts were replaced, large wood was placed in the creeks, roads were decommissioned, and the riparian area was planted.  Post monitoring in Cruiser Creek showed that juvenile Coho salmon over winter retention increased from five percent to 15.5 percent and in Elkhorn Creek from 6.3 percent to 38.2 percent.  These are tremendous increases as a result of creating complex habitat that provides refuge from variable winter flows.  As quoted from Steve Trask,  Bio-Surveys, LLC, "these rates document the most radical recovery of production potential we have witnessed in 30 years of coastal stream monitoring."

This annual fundraiser supports our efforts to implement the Tillamook Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP).  Over eight years in development, the CCMP establishes 63 scientifically based, community supported actions that restore water quality, enhance degraded habitats, reduce sedimentation and lessen the impacts of coastal flooding.

Major sponsors supporting this year's Bounty on the Bay included  Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, Pacific Seafood and Oyster, The Garibaldi House Inn & Suites, Tillamook County Creamery Association, and Garibaldi Food Basket along with many other generous sponsors who supported the silent auction with donations.

For more information regarding this event or to find out how you can be a part of the 2011 Bounty on the Bay , please contact Kaylee Haertel at 503-322-2222 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tillamook Estuaries Partnership is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the five Tillamook County estuaries and their associated watersheds.  As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, all contributions are tax deductible and go towards TEP's Habitat Restoration Program.