ProgramsLocated in Bay City, at the entrance to Kilichis Point Reserve, the Estuary Science Center will bring the bays, rivers, and waterways of our community into an accessible educational and scientific space.
Features:
- Analytical lab where water quality testing can be localized
- Field lab where restoration projects can expand to create larger salmon habitat efforts
- Outdoor Classroom where students from across the region can explore estuaries and their importance
- Community Room where organizations can gather to dream big and create new collaborations
- And so much more! Office space, rentable research benches, an equipment yard, public restrooms, etc.
The Estuary Science Center is more than a building.
It’s a future.
A place for community to grow.
Students to learn and discover natural resource careers.
Partners to envision & plan new projects.
A place for discovery & connection with native plants.
An opportunity to explore estuaries.
And a resource for connecting science to action.
Building Sketch
Early Mock Up
Office space for 20
Board room cap. 10
Community Room cap.100
Monitor Sciences Lab
Restoration Science Lab
The Estuary Science Center is more than a building; it's a future
The Need
For the past three years, TEP has been looking for a space that will meet all our needs. Desks for all 19 of our employees, lab space (that isn’t in an old walk-in freezer – we’ve been the champions of making it work), and a gathering space big enough to house our community engagement and school events.
TEP and the Port of Garibaldi have shared a strong and mutually beneficial partnership over the years. As the Port looks to grow and make use of the area TEP is currently leasing, now is the right time for TEP to move into a space of our own!
Lastly, there is no certified lab on the North Oregon Coast. Due to the need to send water quality samples out of town for testing, shipping delays and road closures impact local industry and food security causing business closures and other harmful side effects for our community.
Meet the Building Team
TEP is working with Bearing Architecture on the design process. We expect the design to be completed in the spring of 2026 with construction to follow.
Cove Built, a local Tillamook County contractor, will be leading the construction team. Cove Built employs a skilled crew of permanent employees and works with a wide network of local subcontractors to achieve projects of all shapes and sizes. They are especially inspired by projects with a community value that will benefit our kids and neighbors.
Bay City Conditional Use Approval