Coastal Council

The NCWA Coastal Council focuses on the Clatsop County watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean including: Ecola Creek Watershed, Arch Cape, Short Sands, Necarney, and other drainages.

Ecola Creek Watershed

Ecola Creek Watershed is located in the Southwest corner of Clatsop County and is home to the world-famous City of Cannon Beach. While the full-time residential population of Cannon Beach is approximately 1600 people, this extremely popular tourist destination receives over 400,000 visitors annually.

Predominate land use of the watershed is commercial forestry as multiple private industrial timber companies along with Oregon Department of Forestry comprise over 90% of forest land ownership. Additional forest lands are within State Parks and conservation ownership such as Ecola State Park, neighboring Oswald West State Park and Ecola Creek Forest Reserve. The Ecola Creek Forest Reserve now totals over 1000 acres of contiguous forest land that is managed by local conservation organizations protects the Cannon Beach Waters supply and provides ecological and recreational opportunities to the area. Ecola Creek Watershed has been identified as a core area for coastal Coho salmon and as an important resource for municipal water. The remaining land use is comprised of mainly residential uses within the City of Cannon Beach and unincorporated small coastal communities.

Ecola Creek Watershed Assessment 

The Ecola Creek Watershed Assessment is the outcome of countless hours of community involvement. It’s the only assessment in Oregon completed without hiring an independent consulting firm. Rather, the council decided to hire local knowledgeable personnel and stay closely tied to the project. The results are a very usable manual directing the council to fulfill its mission of watershed restoration.

Read the Ecola Creek Watershed Assessment

Read the Coastal Council Meeting Minutes