TBNEP & its Management Plan:
A community effort

By the early 1990s, citizens in the vicinity of Oregon's Tillamook Bay began to voice concerns about the basin’s declining natural resources. Loss of spawning and rearing habitat had reduced salmon runs, posing real and potential losses of income for commercial fishermen, tackle shops, hotel owners, and other fishing-dependent businesses. Decreasing water quality, due in part to pathogen contamination, had led to violations of federal clean water standards and frequent closures of commercial shellfish beds. Erosion and sediment

	Where is Tilamook Bay?
	Click either map above to view it in larger scale.

deposition, combined with changes in water flow and drainage patterns in the lower rivers and upper bay, exacerbated water quality and habitat problems while increasing the magnitude and frequency of flood events. For these and other reasons, concerned citizens, with the help of Oregon's Governor Roberts, nominated Tillamook Bay to the NEP in 1992. The EPA approved the nomination, and the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TBNEP) was established in 1994.

For the remainder of the decade, TBNEP's members worked diligently on a framework to address the bay's numerous issues. To assist TBNEP's members in the drafting of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for Tillamook Bay, a public attitude questionnaire was distributed in 1994.

The questionnaire, mailed to 2,400 randomly selected Tillamook County landowners, consisted of 27 questions broken down into five categories:

1. What do people value about the bay and watershed?
2. How do people use the bay and watershed?
3. What is the overall knowledge about local issues?
4. What are the opinions of residents on local environmental issues?
5. What are the details of their demographics?

"The questionnaire was designed to gain a better understanding of how Tillamook County citizens viewed their local natural resources and find out what they identified as the most pressing environmental problems," say Mark Trenholm, who took the helm as TBNEP's Executive Director in July 2002.

Over a four week period, 465 respondents returned the questionnaire, for a 19% response rate. What did residents reveal in their survey results? They considered top priority issues to be clean water, fish and wildlife diversity, clean air, crowding, availability of jobs and adequate recreational activities. Significantly, a large majority of residents responded well on their knowledge of the bay environment.

Implementing the plan:
The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership

In December 1999, TBNEP unveiled its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. "The CCMP's 63 actions identify the steps that local and state partners will undertake to address the basin’s major natural resources issues," says Trenholm. "The plan has a ten year timeline and is periodically revisited to address emerging issues and new management approaches." The CCMP identifies four priority problems that affect Tillamook Bay and its watershed: water quality, habitat loss and simplification, erosion and sedimentation, and flooding. (For information on where you can get a copy of this report, click here)

Upon completion of the CCMP in 1999, the Program recognized the need to re-structure itself from an organization that ‘plans’ into an organization that ‘implements.’ After a period of administration under the county, the TBNEP incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in the Spring of 2002 under the name Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (Partnership). The new name reflected the TBNEP’s plan to not only assist partners in other areas of the county, but also to take lessons learned in Tillamook Bay and transfer them to the county’s four other estuaries.

The Partnership is organized as a consortium of public and private local, state, and federal agencies and organizations as well as interested citizens. A 20-seat Board of Directors convenes these partners, sets organizational policies, and oversees the activities of a seven-person staff.

The Partnership addresses the CCMP’s 63 action items through projects developed under one of its three programs:

1. Resource Enhancement
2. Scientific Research and Monitoring
3. Education and Outreach.
   
   

Goals of the Partnership

Restore Water Quality

None of the basin’s five major watersheds meet water quality standards established by the EPA and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for bacteria or temperature. Four of the five do not meet standards for dissolved oxygen.
While point sources like municipal treatment plants contribute significant bacteria loads, non-point source pollution is the primary threat to water quality. Sources of non-point source bacterial pollution include dairy farms, failing septic systems, and stormwater contributions.

Bacterial contamination of the Bay has had an adverse impact on the local economy. Oyster farming flourished throughout much of the 20th century in Tillamook Bay, making it Oregon's premiere recreational and commercial shellfishing site. However, excessive bacteria in the rivers and bay contributed to a sharp decline in production by the late 1980s. Commercial shellfish beds are now subject to closures for up to 90 days a year.

Warm water and subsequent low dissolved oxygen levels impair rearing for juvenile salmon, inhibit adult migration, and stress both migratory and local populations. During summer months, temperatures in stretches of all of the bay's five rivers exceed the maximum temperature standard for spawning and rearing salmon.

In addition to promoting activities to enhance water quality over the long term, the Partnership has an extensive research and monitoring program aimed at identifying the scope and sources of water quality contamination. This is discussed more in-depth in the "Research Spotlight" (click here).

Restore Salmonid and Other Key Habitats

At various times of the year, up to 59 species of fish live in Tillamook Bay. Five salmonids call the Tillamook Bay basin home including chinook, coho, and chum salmon as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout. Coho salmon are currently listed as "threatened" on the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), while chum salmon are listed as 'sensitive' on the state ESA. Once a vital commercial species that supported a gillnet fishery in the Bay, coho numbers have suffered dramatic declines as a result of habitat loss throughout the entire basin. In addition to chum and coho, populations of steelhead and cutthroat trout have also decreased significantly since the turn of the century. Changes in water drainage and flow patterns--the result of dikes, roads, culverts, and erosion--have contributed to the loss of spawning and rearing habitat and have caused increased sediment loading and barriers to upstream fish passage.

The Partnership undertakes a variety of enhancement projects to improve habitats for salmonids and other species. In winter 1999, Tillamook Bay NEP embarked on a program to help young salmonids as they make their way to the ocean. Seventeen 1950’s-era tide gates were replaced in levees at key points along the lower river basins to allow for improved water flow throughout the tidal wetlands. Eight of these new gates were deemed 'fish friendly', as they provide an acceptable flow for young fish to move into the area behind the tide gate while also enhancing the area's water quality. Once the fish leave the area behind the tide gates, they make their way to the ocean through Tillamook Bay. Although a perilous journey for this middle-of-the-food-chain species, by providing more areas for the fish to feed, rest and grow in, Partnership will continue to ensure that they will be stronger when making their trip to the sea.

In addition to work in the estuary, the Partnership is also protecting and enhancing riparian, instream, and wetland habitats as well.

Reduce Environmental and Economic Damage Caused by Flooding

Tillamook County has experienced major flooding throughout its history, but several "100-year" flood events have occurred during the past 25 years. The interaction of human activities with dynamic natural systems has increased the magnitude, frequency, and impacts of flood events, causing significant environmental degradation. The "Great Flood of 1996" and others both before and after it have caused millions of dollars in property damage and displaced residents, while impacting water quality through increased erosion and co-mingling of floodwaters with industrial and agricultural waste and other contaminants.

Fast Facts The Estuary and its health The region's drainage basin encompasses 364,800 acres - 89% of which is forested land, 6% used for agriculture, 1.5% for urban and rural development, and 3% covered by water. Water quality issues abound in significant sections of all of the Tillamook Bay watershed's five major rivers. Summer stream temperatures in portions of all five rivers exceed the maximum standard for spawning and rearing salmon, one of the area's key species. Tillamook County's per capita income is well below both the state and US averages and continues to slide. In 1983, the county per capita income was 80% of the national average, dropping to 73% in 1995. 72% of the estuary's tidal marsh has been lost due to dredging, diking, filling, floodplain development and ripraping, an erosion prevention technique. Dairy farming, logging, commercial fishing, and recreational tourism are the foundations of the local economy, although the single largest source of income in Tillamook County is derived from transfer payments. Tillamook County's cooperatively owned creamery, in operation for nearly 100 years, is the second largest marketer of natural cheddar cheese in the nation as well as a major local employer. Recent Partner Accomplishments The Tillamook County Soil & Water Conservation District installed over 54,000 feet of fencing along rivers that border dairy pasture lands, effectively keeping livestock out of waterways. Watershed councils and school groups pitched in to re-vegetate a significant area of the basin’s riparian areas. The Oregon Department of Forestry improved 665 miles of forest roads to decrease sedimentation. Oregon Wetlands Joint Venture secured over $1 million in federal and state grants for the acquisition and restoration of over 300 acres of wetlands. The Cities of Tillamook and Bay City are developing a Stormwater Management Plan to control water quality contamination from urban runoff. A grassroots partnership has worked with the City of Tillamook to acquire 20 acres of inter-tidal spruce swamp and is developing an environmental interpretive trail along an adjacent slough. To learn more about other projects taking place in the area, log on to Tillamook Bay's NEP web site. There, you'll find a 'clickable' map under "Community" detailing what’s going on in your neighborhood.

The considerable costs of flood damage spurred the designation of Tillamook Bay as a Project Impact 'disaster resistant community.' This designation brought Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money into the county to help minimize and prevent damage caused by major flood events.

The Partnership’s approach to reducing the environmental and human impacts of flooding is to restore floodplain function, which has been lost due to the diking and channeling of rivers, filling of wetlands, and the spread of urban development. In 2000-2003, the Partnership worked with Tillamook County, the Corps of Engineers, and a range of partners to undertake a Feasibility Study of ecosystem restoration and flood damage reduction. An advisory council of citizens and agency representatives was appointed to represent the county’s interests in developing acceptable project alternatives. An extensive database has been compiled using flood measurements from several recent local floods as well as base condition measurements. These data are analyzed through a computerized hydrodynamic model (MIKE 11) that postulates how proposed measures will affect flows during a flood event. Potential for ecosystem restoration is the priority factor in developing alternative measures, with accompanying flood reduction benefits incorporated as justified through cost/benefit analysis.


Reduce Impacts of Erosion and Sedimentation in the Watershed

Erosion and sedimentation in the watershed and bay can adversely impact the human and natural environment. Impacts may include the loss of spawning and rearing habitat in both fresh and salt water, degradation of other estuarine habitats, changes in the bay’s depths and water circulation patterns, and flooding.

While poorly maintained forest roads, logging, development, and forest fires have contributed to the region's sediment and erosion problems in the past, forestry practices have greatly improved during recent years. The Oregon Department of Forestry has made improvements in 665 miles of the region's publicly owned forest roads, 354 culverts that impaired fish passage have been replaced, and almost ten miles of forest roads have been permanently closed.


Improve Natural Resource and Economic Conditions throughout Tillamook County Related to the Area's Natural Resource Bases

Balancing environmental restoration with economic development is a shared goal among all partners of the TEP. Because the local culture and economy have a long history of natural resource dependency, there is an aesthetic as well as financial motivation to protect those resources that make Tillamook County unique.


Technical Spotlight:
Digital Age Brings Upgrades In Achievement

The PARTNERSHIP uses a computer-based mapping and database management system called Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, to support project planning and public education. GIS can process geographic data to create maps, analyze the relationships between land use practices and water quality / habitat conditions, and report on project locations within the watershed.

Teaming up with Tillamook County, the Partnership has made GIS data and tools available and accessible to the public. A new web site developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Services Center called PIVOT (Performance Indicators Visualization and Outreach Tool) allows users to view and query local GIS data. PIVOT contains information that is relevant to a variety of the watershed's environmental issues and demonstrates how interactive maps can be used to track progress toward the CCMP’s goals. The web site provides a detailed background on each of the issues as well as a visually-driven display of projected solutions or 'action plans' that emphasize how everyone can help improve these problems. (Check out the "Project Tracking" section of the Partnership’s web site for additional online resources for each issue, as well as additional context to what PIVOT is and how it is bringing the issues of Tillamook Bay to it's citizens in an easily digestible format.)

The Partnership has also been instrumental in the development and growth of the Tillamook Coastal Watershed Resource Center. The Center provides GIS technology and databases for citizens, agencies and others involved in natural resource decision making. It provides a shared meeting space for Tillamook County watershed-related organizations and facilitates public access to all relevant geographic data. Public education and training in GIS technologies is provided on an ongoing basis at the Center.

---

Research Spotlight:
Bacteria Monitoring and Source Identification

Bacterial contamination of Tillamook Bay was the driving force behind its nomination to the National Estuary Program. One of the identified needs at the time was a better understanding of the amount of bacterial loading entering the Bay and the sources of it. As a result, the CCMP established a bacteria monitoring strategy that the Partnership has been implementing over the course of the last six years. This innovative monitoring strategy was designed to answer three key questions:

1. Is bacteria loading to the lower reaches of bay tributary rivers increasing or decreasing over time scales of years to decades?
   
   
2. Where, how often, and for what length of time does each of the five major tributary rivers violate state water quality bacteria concentration standards?
   
   
3. What are the sources of the contamination and how much do they contribute?
   

In order to address these questions, two complimentary monitoring approaches were instituted in 1995: the Storm-Based Monitoring Program and the Volunteer Monitoring Program. Complimenting these two programs, in 2000 the Partnership also embarked on an exciting research project when it partnered with Oregon State University on a three year Bacteria Genetic Marker Study of Tillamook Bay.


Storm-Based Monitoring
The most severe bacteria loading of Tillamook Bay’s lowland rivers often occurs episodically as a result of runoff during rain storm events. During these periods, which are frequent during the rainy period between October and April, shellfish harvesting in the bay is closed to commercial harvest due to elevated bacteria levels. The Storm-Based Monitoring Program measured fecal coliform bacteria concentrations and loads during storm events. Between 1996 and 2002 approximately 28 separate storms were monitored on four tributary rivers.

Results of the Storm-Based Monitoring effort included the following insights:

1. Fall storm events exhibited the highest levels of bacterial loading. This may be due to a buildup during dry periods that gets "flushed" to stream water during the first few significant fall storms.
   
   
2. Bacteria concentrations increased dramatically during storm events but varied greatly among rivers.
   
   
3. Bacteria concentrations measured in the river appeared to be strongly influenced by precipitation patterns prior to a storm event as well as rainfall intensity during the storm. Drier conditions prior to a storm and greater rainfall during a storm generally result in higher bacteria concentrations in the rivers.
   
   In addition to the initial set of storm-sampling sites, an intensive storm monitoring effort was conducted over a two year period on two river reaches that had been identified as major bacteria contributing areas. For this intensive effort ten storm sampling sites were monitored along a two kilometer reach of both the lower Trask River and the lower Wilson River. Within these river reaches potential sources of bacteria were documented with photos, GPS points, and written descriptions gathered through field surveys. Potential source points were mapped in relation to monitoring stations in order to get a spatial sense of the relationship between spikes in measured bacteria concentrations and the location of likely source areas. Results of this effort are being used to identify source areas that appear to be the biggest bacteria contributors to the rivers, and to prioritize them for corrective action.
   
   

Volunteer Monitoring
Since 1995, volunteers have been braving wind, rain, sleet and occasional sun to collect water samples from all five of the major tributaries entering Tillamook Bay. Samples are collected from a network of approximately 37 locations throughout the watershed and adjacent to a variety of land uses. Volunteers transport samples to the Partnership’s laboratory where they are analyzed for bacteria (E.coli) concentrations. Monitoring results are entered into a long-term database that is shared with both local and state partners. The primary intent of this monitoring effort is to understand the status of the five rivers and their tributaries in relation to the state’s bacteria water quality standard. Results document areas of chronic water quality pollution and provide data linking land use activities with bacteria pollution.

Results of the Volunteer Monitoring effort revealed the following insights:

1. All five of Tillamook Bay’s main tributary rivers routinely violate Oregon’s bacteria water quality standard for water contact recreation.
   
   
2. Bacteria concentrations peak during the summer low water period and during some fall, winter and spring storms.
   
   
3. The Tillamook River routinely has the highest bacteria concentrations of the five rivers.
   

This information assisted in the development of a bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the watershed, as mandated by the Clean Water Act. The data is also being used by the Partnership to prioritize areas on which to focus improvement efforts.


Genetic Marker Study
In addition to collecting their routine E.coli bacteria samples, over the past two years citizen volunteers have also collected samples for the Tillamook Bay DNA Marker Study being led by researchers from Oregon State University (OSU). Because bacteria contamination is largely a non-point source pollution problem, new ways are being sought to discriminate among potential sources such as manure from pastures, failing septic systems, and sewage treatment plant overflows. The OSU study seeks to identify bacteria sources by detecting genetic marker sequences that are specific to the host species that produced the feces. The intent is to be able to discriminate among human, cow, domestic pets, waterfowl, and other wildlife bacteria sources. Methods are being developed to quantify the relative contributions of each of these sources to the bacteria load entering local rivers and the bay.

Thus far, methods developed as part of the DNA study can reliably discriminate between bacteria from a human source and bacteria from a bovine (cow) source. Generally, contamination from a bovine source was detected at all sites at least 75% of the time, whereas contamination from a human source was detected much less frequently and at 20-50% of the sampling sites depending on the river. Preliminary results indicate widespread occurrence of contamination from cows and significant contamination from humans in select river reaches.

As the genetic tracking techniques become more refined, it is hoped that it will possible to quantify the relative contributions of multiple sources to the overall bacteria levels measured in the river. This information would provide crucial scientific evidence about how much contamination originates from various sources of bacteria – a powerful tool in guiding corrective measures and convincing the public and policy-makers to address problem source areas.


Next Steps
In response to insights gained from the Partnership’s bacteria monitoring efforts, the program has initiated several projects selected as top priorities for reducing bacteria contamination of the bay:

• Tillamook Bay On-Site Sanitary Survey – This is a collaborative effort with the Tillamook County On-Site Sanitation Division and will result in the inspection of all private septic systems in the watershed to ensure proper functioning condition. Failing septic systems will be repaired with assistance from low-interest loans.
  
  
• Stormwater Management Plans – Stormwater management plans for the Cities of Tillamook and Bay City will identify the type and extent of contaminants present in stormwater, as well as identify measures to reduce the loading of bacteria, total suspended solids, oils, and inorganic compounds at the point of outfall. The plan will also evaluate and recommend improvements to the management of non-point source pollutants entering local rivers.
  
  
• Buffer Strip Effectiveness Study – This project will design and test an experimental demonstration system that will be used to quantify the efficiency of buffer zones of varying size and configuration in removing fecal bacteria from runoff water on local dairy pastures. Results of this study will be used to guide best management practices recommended for manure management and filter strip widths adjacent to receiving waters.
  
  
• Tillamook River Solutions – Both the Storm-Based Monitoring Program and the Volunteer Monitoring Program identified that bacteria contamination is most severe in the Tillamook River. In response, the Partnership has made it a priority to develop on-the-ground projects directed at improving water quality in this river. The Partnership will facilitate a working group of partner organizations to develop immediate improvement projects with local landowners.
  
  
• Performance-based Environmental Policies for Agriculture - The Partnership's robust monitoring program will be applied to a pilot project on the implementation of performance-based policies for agriculture. Building on the current bacterial monitoring regime, new and innovative approaches will allow the development of performance based incentives for local agricultural producers to meet or exceed water quality standards in the lower basin.
  

---

Want more information on
Tilamook Bay National Estuary Program's successes?

Check out the program's Web site (www.tbnep.org) for brochures and posters on water quality, boating, citizen stewardship and salmon species identification. Some of the program's scientific reports from the past decade are also listed online, some of which can be downloaded.

Also online are issues of the program's magazine, The Watershed, and Restoring the Balance, a summary of Tillamook Bay's January 2000 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). A full version of this CCMP can also be read and printed out.

ALSO ... Visit these featured pages on the ANEP web site:

Citizen's Report to the Nation A compilation of all 28 National Estuary Programs and summaries of each program

Estuary Fact Cards A compilation of facts and accomplishments for each of the 28 National Estuary Programs