The Park
Sitka Sedge State Natural Area is a 357-acre park in Tillamook County. This ecologically diverse park contains ocean beach, dunes, forest, tidal marsh, freshwater marsh, and mudflats, and supports an array of important and rare plants and wildlife.
The Dike
The park contains a half-mile dike and tide gate that was installed in the 1930s. The purpose of the dike was to hold back tidewater and drain the area behind the dike. The dike has also had the effect of holding back native fish — including coho, chum, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout — from migrating upstream to historic spawning and rearing areas.
In the past 30 years, the tide gate has deteriorated significantly. It is now leaky, and no longer completely blocks incoming tides – it just slows their entry and functions like an hour glass for tide water… tide water comes in slowly, reaches a lower total tide height inside the dike than outside, and then is released slowly.
The tide gate will continue to deteriorate, and will eventually fail if not repaired or replaced. Any repair or replacement options will ultimately need to address fish passage concerns. The potential impacts of tide gate failure or dike modification on flooding and groundwater in the adjacent community of Tierra del Mar (which is behind the dike) is a topic of concern.
The Project
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), along with stakeholders and partners, has conducted detailed analysis of the hydrology of the park and the adjacent Tierra del Mar community. These studies have assessed whether dike modification options that span the range of potential tidal flows into Beltz Marsh can allow fish passage and habitat improvement without increasing flood risk or elevated groundwater levels in Tierra del Mar (TDM).
In 2017, OPRD hired Pacific Groundwater Group (PGG) and Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to model and compare surface-water and groundwater levels during both average conditions and during extreme tides and precipitation events according to different dike configuration scenarios. PGG and ESA analysis was completed in 2019 and indicates that TDM groundwater effects from dike alteration range from insignificant to beneficial depending on the dike alteration alternative. Surface water characteristics are more complex and will be subject to continuing discussion as the project moves to a broader scoping of alternatives.
After completing the 2017-2019 hydrological analysis, OPRD convened a team of subject-matter experts and stakeholder representatives to look into dike alteration alternatives more closely and assess a range of potential effects in terms of feasibility, water quality, ecology, biology, finance, permitting, community, engineering, recreation, etc. The team was selected to have the collective expertise and representation necessary to be able to explore the alternatives, understand potential effects, and help OPRD to make a well-informed decision. The team met four times in the fall of 2019 to hear presentations from subject matter experts weighing differential effects across the alternatives. Each team member scored and ranked alternatives and their effects. Upon completion of the Technical Team’s evaluation, OPRD staff processed Technical Team scoring, assessed the pros and cons of the various alternatives, and summarized key criteria for decision making.
OPRD leadership decided to move forward with focused evaluation of
the setback dike option in March 2020. The memorandum of decision is
available here and a fact sheet is available here. The next steps in the
process are to work with partners to find funding through grants to
further investigate this option and potentially take the concept through
design and implementation, depending on the findings of the detailed
process.
Since 2020, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) has taken the
lead in finding grants and conducting continuing studies to refine the
setback dike option. TEP hired ESA in 2022 to carry out detailed study
of a range of setback dike options to investigate feasibility, cost,
location, and hydrodynamic effects related to water velocities,
erodibility, and sediment. This research is still ongoing.
January 2025:
A town hall meeting to repeat the content of the November 15, 2024 Town Hall will be offered in January or February 2025. Time is to be determined. Location will be the Kiawanda Community Center in Pacific City.
November 2024:
A
Town Hall meeting was held at the Kiawanda Community Center
(34600 Cape Kiwanda Dr, Pacific City, Oregon) on November 15, 2024 from 3:00 to 4:30 in the Great Hall. The meeting webinar was recorded and is available in the links on this webpage. Unfortunately, internet speed was problematic and both sound and video are choppy at times.
The subject matter covered at the town hall meeting was general revival of awareness of the
project details after long funding hiatus. The meeting summarized
work completed so far and remaining work to be done. Tillamook County
Public Works presented on its independent assessment of Sand Lake
Road creek crossing options.
October 2024:
A technical review team meeting was held on October 24th from 3:00 to 4:30 via the online meeting platform Zoom. The Members of the technical review team include subject matter experts in natural resources, engineering, hydrology, and permitting, as well as a representative of the local community. The October 24th meeting focused on reviving conversation after a long hiatus due to lack of funding to proceed with design. A recent award of grant funding has made it possible to resume effort and this meeting kicked off the next phase of design picking up at the 30% that was completed as of the last techincal review team meeting in May 2023. The new grant award will allow for 100% completion of design. The meeting was available for viewing as a live webinar via a link suppplied on this website and by email to people that had previously signed up to be on the mailing list. A link to a recording of the meeting is available here: https://youtu.be/-xRCHvogjOI. Written notes are available on the "Setback Dike Investigation & Design" section on this webpage.
March 2020-Spring 2022:
Develop partnerships to seek grant funding to proceed with in-depth assessment of the setback dike alternative.
Summer 2022-October 2023
As funding and progress allows, develop preliminary setback dike designs, habitat restoration project design and funding strategy for Beltz Marsh. Continue conversations with the technical team and stakeholders to review progress, concepts, and other considerations.
July 2023-October 2024:
Funding shortfall, project hiatus while seeking grant funding.
October 2024-Winter 2026
Continue work on geotechnical evaluation and planning to 100% construction-ready design. Begin permitting phase and seek funding for implementation in 2025, 2026 or 2027, depending on grant availability.
June 2023
A town
hall meeting was held at the Kiawanda Community Center in Pacific City
from 1-3PM on June 17. After a short introduction by TEP and OPRD, ESA
presented details of the ongoing setback dike study and location
refinement process. The presentation was followed by a question and
answer session. The recording of he meeting is available on You Tube
here. OPRD and TEP are requesting comments, questions, and suggestions
be submitted using the comments form on this website by July 8. Shortly
thereafter, OPRD, TEP, and ESA will be reviewing the submitted comments
and using the feedback to guide next steps for the continuing
investigations. A pdf version of the PowerPoint presented at the town
hall meeting is available here.OPRD remains focused on a true setback
dike option, such as Alternatives 1-3, shown in the May 30 and June 17
meeting materials. This decision and the background around it are
described in the 2020 Decision Memo and the 2020 decision framework
presentation to the Tillamook County Commissioners (both available for
review below). These documents summarize the outcomes of the 2019
alternatives vetting process, which is also available for review below.
If further investigation reveals the setback dike option to be
unbuildable, infeasible, or otherwise fatally flawed, OPRD will regroup
with stakeholders in a transparent process to identify and vet other
options.Additional alternatives discussed in the May 30 technical team
meeting were evaluated as part of the “due diligence” process and were
presented during the June 17 town hall for transparency purposes only.
They are not being considered as viable construction alternatives by
OPRD. Documentation of due diligence in assessing a wide range of
potential alternatives (as well as the rationale for eliminating
alternatives from further detailed consideration) are important for
successful regulatory permitting and grant applications. Not having
adequately assessed alternatives can result in regulators or grantors
withholding permits or grant funds that would allow the selected
alternative to be constructed. Although presentation of the
non-setback-dike alternatives has caused confusion and concern for some,
the exploration and later elimination of non-setback-dike alternatives
does not decrease the value and importance of the work that has been
done and continues to be done on the true setback dike alternatives.
True setback dike alternatives are what OPRD, TEP, and the consultant
are pursuing as we continue moving forward.
May 2023
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
convened a Technical Team meeting that was held virtually on May 30,
2023. This meeting provided an opportunity for TEP’s consultant,
Environmental Science Associates, to present the detailed technical
findings of the ongoing analysis to the designated technical review
group. The meeting was recorded and
can be viewed on YouTube here . Similar content will be presented at the Town Hall meeting June 17, 2023.
April 2023
Tillamook
Estuaries Partnership continues to work with Environmental Science
Associates (ESA) to refine analysis. Reporting on outcomes of analysis
is expected in May from ESA. Analysis is behind schedule. A Town Hall
meeting to update stakeholders on progress and the remaining process
ahead was held April 15, 2023 at the Kiawanda Community Center in
Pacific City. The meeting agenda was light due to delay in completion
of the analysis, but Tillamook Estuaries Partnership and ESA gave
updates on current project status, revised timelines, and changes in
staffing. This meeting was recorded for the benefit of those who could
not attend.
Link to recorded meeting on YouTube:
Sitka Sedge Town Hall Meeting - April 15, 2023
2022
Work
began on more detailed assessment and design of setback dike
options for the Sitka Sedge property. Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
(TEP) has received grant funding to hire a consultant to begin
investigation and design in 2022.
We are
reuniting the Technical Team that has been involved in past assessment
of alternatives, along with additional new members, to provide vision
and review/brainstorming services. The Technical Team will be engaged
for reviewing work products in a series of meetings at intervals
throughout the design process. We are also scheduling “Town Hall” public
stakeholder meetings to provide updates on roughly the same schedule.
The
kickoff Technical Team meeting for the new assessment and design phase
was held October 13, 2022 and was recorded to be made available for
review by interested stakeholders. That link will be posted here as soon
as we receive the link from the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership.
The
kickoff Town Hall public meeting for the new assessment and design phase
was held Saturday October 22 from 1:00 to 3 PM at the Kiawanda
Community Center in Pacific City. The meeting included a virtual Zoom
meeting optional format, which was recorded. That recording can be
accessed at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQeUtJGtgU
2020
OPRD staff presented the project's
status and process to the Tillamook County Commissioners and other
interested stakeholders and public on Monday January 27, 2020 from
9:00AM to 11:00AM at the Kiawanda Community Center in Pacific City.
The powerpoint presentation from the meeting is available here:
Sitka Sedge SNA Dike and Fish Passage Alteration History and Results presentation (January 21, 2020 PDF)
OPRD
Leadership decided on a preferred alternative for further investigation
in March 2020. The memorandum of decision is available here:
memorandum of decision.
OPRD will be working with Partners including Tillamook Estuaries
Partnership and Nestucca Neskowin and Sand Lakes Watershed Council to
find grant funding to continue investigations and planning.
A fact sheet explaining the setback dike option is available here: Setback Dike Fact Sheet.