Jetty Creek
Summary: Jetty Creek is part
of the Nehalem watershed and is the first major
tributary that drains into Nehalem Bay. The City
of Rockaway Beach owns and operates a Water Treatment
Plant (WTP) and diverts its water from Jetty
Creek. The Jetty Creek point of diversion has
several problems associated with it:
- The diversion dam creates a fish passage barrier.
- Low summer streamflows create difficulty for the City in meeting its water demands, as well as maintaining the instream water rights.
- High runoff during storm events causes spikes in raw water turbidity thus increasing the cost of water treatment.
- Sedimentation requires frequent dredging.
An attempt was made to provide for fish passage
by constructing a fish ladder within the footprint of
the diversion dam. The fish ladder is undersized,
too steep, and does not allow for successful passage
through the impoundment structure. The Lower
Nehalem Watershed Council secured an OWEB technical
assistance grant to supplement other funds to develop a
technical design solution to reconnect Jetty Creek to
its original alignment, eliminate the fish passage
barrier, provide a reliable delivery of water to the
WTP, improve instream flow conditions during the summer
months, and enhance aquatic habitat by improving
structural complexity and reestablishing transport
capability.
Status: Funded/ In progress
Partners: City of Rockaway, Oregon Dept. of Water Resources, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board