Salmon River @ Highway 101

Managed by Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council

Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council Launches new online service for Water Quality Data

Fish On! When the Chinook are running you can't hardly find a roadside parking spot at this popular fishing hole in the Salmon River Estuary. When the fish aren't running if you don't mind a little traffic buzzing by, you've got the "two-lane wildlife viewing platform", better known as Highway 101 all to yourself. The prominent Cascade Head shoulders the river's right bank as the Salmon heads to sea in Oregon's most intact estuary. Since 1974 the area has enjoyed federal protection through the Cascade Head Scenic Research Act (CHSRA) and is also one of the United Nations Bio Reserves.

Project Restorations are too numerous to list but include Pixieland, Tamara Quays, Crowley Creek, and Rowdy Creek.

Learn more at:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/siuslaw/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=fsbdev7_007294

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/siuslaw/recarea/?recid=42717

UNESCO Bio Reserve: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/europe-north-america/united-states-of-america/cascade-head/

WATER QUALITY

No data available
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on August 14th, 2018. Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

The outfall for each of these water bodies is ultimately the Pacific Ocean, and thus impacts to the beach water quality may be a result of upstream activities.
Water samples are collected by the Watershed Council with the help of volunteers. The Water Quality Program Manager oversees and coordinates with all the volunteers, and provides training to new volunteers.

Samples are processed using the IDEXX system. The water at the bathing beaches are tested for E.coli, as well as dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, specific conductance, and turbidity.

The monitoring program is variable based on funding and resources. As results become available they are shared on Swim Guide.

Water Quality Data are compared to state and federal standards as part of a baseline monitoring program. SDCWC does not issue any advisories, but information is available for public's use.

Monitoring Status
SDCWC follows Oregon’s standard for the monitoring of its recreational waters. The 30 day standard is > 126 cfu / 100 ml or any one sample (STV) at > 406 cfu /100ml. Effectively a swim site will be posted based on the single sample criteria of 406 E.coli/100ml. The 90 day segment is still only proposed and has not to my understanding been adopted.

E. coli
A beach is marked Green when two consecutive single sample results are under an STV of 406 cfu per 100 mL (and where applicable, a geometric mean of 126 cfu per 100 mL)

A beach is marked Red when five consecutive single sample results in a 30 day period are equal to or above an STV of 406 cfu per 100 mL (and where applicable, a geometric mean of 126 cfu per 100 mL)

A beach is marked Grey if there is no current results or no available information.

SDCWC is currently supported by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Surfrider Blue Water Task Force, and Neighbors For Kids in Depoe Bay, Oregon where their bacteria lab resides.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH