H2ONCoast

The North Coast of Oregon is impressively wet. It is so wet in fact, that its landscape of coastal ranges, broad estuaries, and river valleys supports some of the most productive forests on the planet. A few years ago, University of Washington ecologist Jerry Franklin called this region the “temperate rainforest,” a term that has stuck. Residents who put out a rain gage can expect to collect anywhere between 50 and 150 inches per year (and that’s just an average), depending on where you are in the the region’s many microclimates. But for all of that wetness, the area is host to surprisingly complex problems for people trying to get sufficient water to drink in the dry periods, keep it clean for human and wildlife use, and avoid major damage from floods. In other words, water on the North Coast is complicated and vitally important to all who live, work and play there. This blog is my attempt to bring those issues to light and to discuss the many ways that we can work together in sharing our water resources.