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Siletz
Bay National Wildlife Refuge consists of some of the most
scenic estuarine habitat along the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway. On
either side of Highway 101, starched skeleton trees jut
forth from the estuary and are reminiscent of a time when
the salt marsh was diked to provide pasture for dairy cows. Red-tailed hawks, bald eagles, and
other raptors can often be seen roosting at the top of these
snags and a variety of estuarine dependant birds including
great blue heron, great egret and many species of waterfowl
can be seen foraging in the tidally influenced waters.
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Wildlife and Habitats
Siletz Bay
National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect salt marsh,
brackish marsh, tidal sloughs, mudflats, and coniferous and deciduous
forestland. The refuge provides nursery grounds for coho and chinook
salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout. The primary ecological
goal for the refuge is to allow the salt marsh to return to its
natural tidally influenced state.
An 100-acre tidal marsh restoration project was completed on Millport Slough through a partnership between the USFWS, Ducks Unlimited and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. The restoration involved breaching 220 feet of dike, removing two dikes totaling 9,300 feet and filling 1,200 feet of artificial ditches. Large woody debris was placed in the marsh to improve habitat for anadromous fish..
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Visitor Opportunities
Siletz Bay Refuge is closed to public use, except during special events.
During June, July, and August 2008,refuge volunteers lead a series of guided canoe and kayak trips through the refuge. For more information, please contact us at 541-867-4550.
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