Nestled in Oregon’s coastal temperate rainforest, the Coos Bay Watershed is comprised of 610 square miles (390,000 acres) of floodplain valleys, forested uplands, estuarine wetlands, and urban areas.  In fact, with the exception of the Columbia River, the Coos Bay estuary is the largest on the Oregon Coast, providing extremely productive and important habitat for Coho salmon.  According to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife surveys, the Coos River alone provides anywhere from half to three-quarters of the wild coastal Coho salmon in the Mid-South Coast gene conservation area.  In addition, the Coos Bay Watershed hosts the largest urban population center on the Oregon coast, with 25,000 people living in North Bend and Coos Bay, combined.

Since 1994, the Coos Watershed Association has prioritized science and community support as the foundation of their watershed restoration program. Accordingly, they have completed limiting factors analyses, assessments, and action plans to guide their restoration work (several of these publications are available for download at www.cooswatershed.org ).

• In February 2008, BEF Board of Directors dedicated $260,000 to support a 10-year Model Watershed partnership with the Coos Watershed Association. The partnership will be announced by BEF president, Angus Duncan, at the Coos Watershed Association’s annual meeting in late March. At that time, BEF and the Coos Watershed Association will sign a memorandum of understanding which will formalize their commitment to evaluate the results of ongoing restoration work and to adapt and improve restoration strategies over the next decade.