USDA Report on Water and Related Land Resources, Middle Coast Drainage Basin, Oregon

Excerpts from the report: The Middle Coast Drainage Basin of Oregon includes all coastal drainages between the Umpqua River Basin and Cascade Head. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Umpqua River Basin on the south, the Upper and Middle Willamette River Basins on the east, and the North Coast Drainage Basin on the north. The basin has a total area of 1,511,400 acres which is about 2.4 percent of the total area of Oregon. It contains most of Lincoln County, approximately one-fourth of Lane and Benton Counties, and minor portions of Douglas, Polk, and Tillamook Counties. The main drainages are the Siuslaw, Yachats, Alsea, Yaquina, Siletz, and Salmon Rivers. For the purpose of this report, the Middle Coast Drainage Basin is divided into twenty small watersheds. These watershed areas vary in size from 7,200 acres to 195,000 acres. Ninety-one percent of the basin is classed as forest; three percent is cropland; one percent is range; and the remaining five percent is devoted to other uses. About 47 percent of the total is publicly owned. This report presents information concerning the water and related land resources of the Middle Coast Drainage Basin and is the result of a cooperative study by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the State Water Resources Board of Oregon. The broad objectives of the cooperative survey were to gather basic data and information pertinent to the use and control of water for agriculture in the area, to highlight such major water related problems as erosion, flood prevention, and drainage, and to outline a general program for water and related land resource management to be used as a background for future detailed study and planning.