Council Misson
Founded in March of 1997, we are dedicated to the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Nehalem watershed through leadership, cooperation and education.
join Up, Learn, and help out!
12th Biennial Nehalem Estuary Cleanup
The Nehalem Estuary Cleanup, March 5th, is a your chance to make a difference in your community by helping to create a debris free estuary.

An Overview of the Nehalem Watershed
The Nehalem River
The Nehalem watershed sits in the northwest corner of Oregon. Its eastern boundary is only a short drive from Portland.
The river is the longest river in the Oregon Coast Range, flowing 105 miles from its source.
The Nehalem River and its tributaries form a watershed of 855 square miles.
Watershed Councils
Watershed councils are locally organized, voluntary, non-regulatory groups established to improve the condition of watersheds in their local area.
They are required to represent the interests in the basin and be balanced in their makeup. Watershed councils offer local residents the opportunity to independently evaluate watershed conditions and identify opportunities to restore or enhance the conditions.
Through the councils, partnerships between residents, local, state and federal agency staff and other groups can be developed.
Stats
The Lower Nehalem Watershed:
• Covers 310 square miles
• Receives between 100 and 200 inches of rain each year.
• Is managed primarily for timber production.
• Fifty two percent of the land is owned by the State of Oregon and managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Private Timber companies own 31.6 percent of the land and the remaining 16.4% is farmland or zoned for urban & rural development.
• Includes the Nehalem estuary, and four fifth field watersheds: Cook Creek, North Fork Nehalem, Salmonberry, and Mid Nehalem
Watershed Councils
Watershed councils are locally organized, voluntary, non-regulatory groups established to improve the condition of watersheds in their local area. Watershed councils are required to represent the interests in the basin and be balanced in their makeup. Watershed councils offer local residents the opportunity to independently evaluate watershed conditions and identify opportunities to restore or enhance the conditions. Through the councils, partnerships between residents, local, state and federal agency staff and other groups can be developed.



Volunteer EVents & Speaker Series
The Role of Red Alder in the Oregon Coast Range w/ Andrew Bluhm, OSU

12th Biennial Nehalem Estuary Cleanup

Sarah Rhodig, Portland State University

John Goodell, Elakha Alliance

Braden Elliot

Jeremy Lees

Meg Reed

Dan Donato
