Siuslaw Watershed Council

After 15 years, a major conservation project near the town of Florence has achieved its goal: connecting a large swath of restored farmland to the Oregon Coast. The Siuslaw Estuary is a 217-acre expanse that’s expected to accommodate the return of salmon, lamprey, shorebirds and native plants as it transforms with the tides.

This Saturday, a western Oregon tribe will celebrate the restoration of its federal recognition. And that event will happen at a site undergoing its own restoration.

Outside Florence, a major restoration project is underway that will reverse over a century’s worth of development and dairy farm operations. Partners behind the Siuslaw Estuary restoration project say it will convert almost 200 acres of land back into an area that will benefit the environment and wildlife, especially salmon.