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IMMEDIATE POLLUTION CONTROL NEEDS
OREGON COAST
U. S. Department of the Interior
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
IJorthwest Region
Portland, Oregon
February 1967
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I. Introduction
The purpose of this report, "Immediate Pollution Control Needs--
Oregon Coast," is to focus attention on known sources of pollution
which affect the water use or aesthetic environment and to recommend
priorities for action to abate that pollution. The recommendations
herein are based on evaluations of data obtained from the Oregon State
Sanitary Authority and engineering and economic studies conducted by
the Columbia River Basin Comprehensive Project. Authority for these
studies is the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33
U.S.C. 466 et seq.) .
Most of Oregon's coastal waters have the pristine quality charac-
teristic of the excellent fishing, recreational, and aesthetic uses
they support; this quality must be protected. In a few isolated areas,
water quality problems have periodically or consistently damaged water
use. And in other areas, potential pollution threatens to retard use
in the immediate future. This report is directed toward the immediate
correction or prevention of these existing or potential pollution
situations.
Priorities listed are based solely on an evaluation of the coastal
region and not on a relative ranking in the total Columbia River Basin.
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II. Summary of Immediate Pollution Control Needs (priority indicated
by number in parentheses and area shown by alphabet letter)
Waste Treatment
Area Responsibility
A City of Wheeler
City of Nehalem
B City of TilLamook
Tillamook County
Creamery Assn.
cheese plant
Naval Air Station
complex
C
D
E
F
Lincoln City
City of Toledo
Georgia-Pacific
Corp.
City of Reedsport
Coos Head Timber
Co. pulp mill
Need Priority
primary treatment and chlorination (1)
(D
(D
(2)
primary treatment and chlorination
continuous and effective chlorination
expansion of existing secondary plant
separation and treatment of domestic (1)
wastes
continuous operation of whey drying (2)
facilities
secondary treatment and chlorination (1)
expansion of secondary treatment plant (2)
chlorination and elimination of (1)
bypasses
expansion of existing primary plant (2)
suspended solids removal from paper (1)
machine wash
primary treatment and chlorination (1)
suspended solids removal and (1)
chemical recovery
City of Bandon
primary treatment and chlorination
(D
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Flow Regulation
H - South Umpqua River - storage to provide minimum (2)
flow of 190 cfs for quality control.
I - Bear Creek - storage to provide minimum flow of (2)
75 cfs for quality control.
Other Pollution Control Practices
D & F - Improved control of log storage and dumping (2)
areas in Coos and Yaquina Bays.
Elimination, by export, storage, or treatment, (1)
of the following glue wastes presently dis-
charged without treatment (see "Research"):
J - U.S. Plywood - Siuslaw River
E - International Paper - Winchester Bay
F - Menasha Corporation - Coos Bay
Weyerhaeuser Company - Coos Bay
Coos Head Timber Company - Coos Bay
G - Georgia-Pacific Corporation - Coquille River
Improved land management practices by lumbering (1)
operations and road builders in the Wilson,
Nehalem, Rogue, and Umpqua and Coquille
watersheds.
Control of placer mining in the Rogue and Umpqua (2)
River Basins.
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Institutional Practices
The State of Oregon should proceed to adopt water quality (1)
standards, as required by the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act, for Oregon coastal streams. In addition, stand-
ards for intrastate streams in the basin should be adopted
along similar lines. These standards should clearly recog-
nize the coastal region's function as a producer of anadro-
mous fish and shellfish and as a recreational playground.
The State of Oregon should consider legislation to provide (2)
appropriations for State participation in grants for con-
struction of sewage treatment works.
The State of Oregon should exercise control to ensure that (2)
flows released from storage for water quality control are
not appropriated for other uses.
The Bear Creek Valley Sanitary District should adopt plans (2)
for, and implement, an area system of sewage collection and
treatment.
The State of Oregon should provide an expanded staff for (1)
the Oregon State Sanitary Authority so problems can be
inventoried, corrective actions promoted, and measures
followed up until problems are corrected.
Research
Research by the plywood industry and the Federal Water (1)
Pollution Control Administration to determine effective
and economical means of treating glue wastes.
Study by the lumber industry of alternate methods of log (2)
storage.
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Ill. Problem Areas and Immediate Needs
Extremely high water quality is required by the uses that charac-
terize the waters of the Oregon coastal system. Production of salmonid
fish, shellfish propagation, and recreational and aesthetic opportuni-
ties are curtailed, made more costly, or eliminated entirely where
pollution exists in these areas. The following actions, enumerated by
problem area, are necessary to protect the use and quality of Oregon
coastal waters:
Tillamook Bay
Of highest priority is the need for treatment and chlorination of
sanitary wastes presently discharged near the mouths of the Uilson and
Trask Rivers and directly to the bay, The bacterial quality of sections
of Tillamook Bay, especially during periods of high runoff, exceeds
recommended bacterial levels for shellfish growing. The shellfish beds
currently have provisional approval for interstate shipment oC oystors.
The higher coliform levels result primarily from the overloading arid
bypassing of the City of Tillamook's municipal treatment plant, the
discharge of untreated domestic sewage from the Tillamook Naval Air
Station and the Tillamook cheese plant, and an unquantified contribu-
tion of non-human coliform organisms associated with runoff from
pastureland.
Continuous and effective chlorination of the effluent of the
Tillamook sewage treatment plant should be achieved before 1968, and
expansion of these secondary facilities will be required in the next
five years. Domestic and industrial wastes from the Tillamook cheese
plant should be separated and the domestic wastes treated. Whey drying
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facilities should be operated continuously to prevent bacterial growth
nutrients from reaching the harbor. The Tillamook Naval Air Station
complex, which includes the Federal Job Corps Center, should provide
secondary treatment for its wastes; the Port of Tillamook Bay and the
Federal Government are the agencies responsible for providing such
facilities.
Coos Bay
Treatment of Coos Head pulp nd.ll wastes, elimination of glue waste
discharges to the bay, and a better control of log dumping and storage
are needed to improve the aesthetic and recreational opportunities of
the Coos Bay area and remove deterrents to fish and shellfish propaga-
tion. Sulfite waste liquor and fiber from the Coos Head pulp mill
and accumulations of debris and leached wood sugars from log storage
contribute to an oxygen demand which reduces oxygen levels below fish
migration requirements in late summer and early fall, as well as provide
unsightly and interfering floating materials on the bay. Three plywood
manufacturers--Menasha, Weyerhaeuser, and Coos Head Timber--discharge
untreated phenolic resin glue wastes to the bay. These wastes have
been siiown to be toxic to fish, shellfish, and other aquatic life.
Treatment of the Coos Head mill sulfite wastes and elimination of
glue wastes are needs of a first priority; reduction of log dumping and
storage is a second priority need. The mill should provide primary
treatment--removal of floating and settleable solids—and chemical
recovery facilities. Glue wastes should be disposed of by tanking,
lagooning, or other feasible means as an interim measure until an
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economical method of treatment can be developed. The difficulties in
reducing log storage are recognized; however, efforts should be made
by lumber industries to reduce debris and provide land storage where
feasible.
Other Estuaries
Yaquina Bay - Removal of settleable solids from the Georgia-Pacific
Corporation's white water and continuous chlorination of the Toledo
Sewage treatment plant effluent are needs of a first priority. Other
needs include the expansion of the Toledo municipal treatment facili-
ties and better control of log storage areas in the bay.
Like Coos Bay, Yaquina Bay experiences floating debris and settle-
able solids, as well as oxygen depression during the summer months.
These conditions are a deterrent to aquatic life and the recreation
potential of the bay. Bacterial contamination from the City of Toledo's
treatment facilities has been identified by Federal authorities as a
potential threat to interstate shipment of shellfish.
Umpqua and Nehalem Bays - Primary treatment and chlorination of
municipal wastes from Reedsport, Nehalem, and Wheeler are needed to
protect water-contact recreation and sport fishing (including clam dig-
ging and crabbing) from bacterial pollution.
Inland Problem Areas
South Umpqua River
Storage to provide, flow regulation to maintain minimum summer flows
and to enhance water temperature regimes in the South Umpqua River is a
second priority need. Water quality during low flow periods docs not
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meet either dissolved oxygen or temperature requirements for anadromous
fish migration. There is an immediate need for a draft on storage of
16,000 acre-feet to provide a minimum average flow of 190 cfs for con-
trol of dissolved oxygen in the summer months. A total storage of about
50,000 acre-feet will be needed by 2000. A minimum flow of 1,200 cfs
has been recommended by fishery agencies for temperature enhancement.
Such a flow would also satisfy other water quality needs.
Bear Creek
Storage to provide a minimum flow of 75 cfs for water quality con-
trol on Bear Creek is a second priority need. This small stream which
receives the City of Medford's treated municipal wastes becomes an
aesthetic nuisance during summer months when flows are low and water is
diverted for irrigation. Nutrients from sewage effluents promote exten-
sive aquatic growths. Additional treatment to remove nutrients and ex-
pansion of present facilities serving the Medford metropolitan area will
be needed in the near future to adequately handle the wastes in the most
rapidly growing area in Oregon.
Fishery agencies have recommended storage to provide a minimum flow
of 2,000 cfs in the Main Stem Rogue River to control temperature for
fishery enhancement. This flow would be in addition to the flows recom-
mended for Bear Creek, which is tributary to the Rogue.
Other Areas
Throughout all the drainage basins of the Oregon Coast, there are
many small local problems of water pollution. Although singly they are
not of major concern, the compounding effect is significant. In several
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of these areas, installation of treatment facilities or expansion of
those existing is needed (as noted in the summary table). In other
areas, industrial surveys are needed to determine tha nature and ex-
tent of waste treatment needs. In several metropolitan areas, plan-
ning is needed to prevent chaotic and single stage project development
and to solve a broad area need.
This list of needs and problems is not considered all-inclusive
and does not reflect the ultimate in precision and detail in evaluating
alternatives. The actions recommended here are, however, prerequisite
to good water quality planning and should be included in local and State
programming for water pollution control. Background for these immediate
needs is summarized in Section VI.
IV. Cost of Immediate Pollution Abatement
Cost estimates of the waste abatement measures enumerated in this
report indicate that about $3 million must be invested in treatment
facilities over the next five years. Roughly two-thirds of this amount--
an estimated $2 million—will be required by the wood products and paper
industries for installation of waste control facilities.
Cost of storage for water quality control flow regulation on tr.e
Bear Creek and South Umpqua River is estimated to be $1.2 million.
No estimate of cost is attempted for management procedures, insti-
tutional practices, and research needs.
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V. Recent Progress in Pollution Control
The State of Oregon's pollution control program has encouraged
communities and industries of the Oregon Coast to develop waste treat-
ment. In the past several years the following actions have been taken
to improve water quality:
(1) In 1965 the Georgia-Pacific Corporation in Toledo ex-
tended the outfall line discharging waste water from their kraft mill.
The extension of 3,000 feet--at a cost of $1 million—eliminated t'ic
problem of offensive foam and odors along the beach at Newport.
(2) The Tillamook Creamery Association will spend an esti-
mated $190,000 within the next six months for waste treatment facilities
that should abate their contribution to the bacterial problem in
Tillamook Bay.
(3) In 1966, the U. S. Plywood Corporation replaced a
hydraulic barker with a mechanical barker to reduce the amount of float-
ing debris in the Siuslaw River.
(4) An engineering report has been prepared for the Nehalem
and Wheeler area, and engineering studies for Bandon and Reedsport are
in preparation. These three communities recognize the need for treat-
ment facilities and have indicated their desire to correct the problem.
(5) An engineering study of sewage collection and treatment
facilities for the Bear Creek Valley area of Jackson County was com-
pleted in 1965.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration has recommended
authorization of storage for quality control in the Tiller Reservoir
(Umpqua drainage) and Lost Creek Reservoir (Rogue drainage). Fishery
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agencies have recommended storage for temperature enhancement in both
projects which would fulfill the other quality needs.
VI. Background
A. Pertinent Basin Characteristics
The Oregon Coast Basin drains an area of 17,000 square miles—a
ribbon between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains winch broad-
ens as it moves south toward the California border. Over 85 percent
of the basin is forested and the climate is humid, the result of the
temperature-moderating Pacific Ocean and the intensification of rain-
fall induced by the Coast Range.
Although rainfall varies considerably in magnitude throughout the
basin, the seasonal distribution is quite uniform. This and similar
vegetative and soil conditions result in a fairly uniform seasonal
streamflow pattern. Runoff varies directly with precipitation, with
peak flows occurring in December, January, and February. Low flows
occur in July, August, September, and October and reflect low precipi-
tation and lack of streamflow regulation on the coast. In general
terms, this distribution of runoff is the cause of many water quality
anomalies.
High storm runoff has resulted in the overloading of treatment
facilities in some communities and caused bypassing of raw sewage to
receiving streams; many sewers are of the combined type which carries
both sewage and storm water directly to the treatment plant. In other
areas, lack of streamflow in the summer precludes acceptable water
quality because effective waste assimilation is drastically reduced.
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The economic and population base is a significant indicator of
water pollution problems (or lack of problems) on the coast. The
total population of the area is 309,COG, resulting in a population
density of 18 persons per square mile as compared with densities of
100 per square mile in the Willamette Basin and 50 per square mile in
the United States. Population centers include the Tillamook Bay area
(8,000); Newport-Toledo (11,000); Coos Bay-North Bend (33,000); Rose-
burg (35,000); Grants Pass (21,000); and Medford (59,000). The largest
concentrations, except for Coos Bay, are located away from the ocean in
the Rogue and Umpqua Basins.
The econory of. the coast is a very specialized one. Employment
figures show that about 30 percent of the total labor force is involved
in lumbering activities, and about 55 percent is employed in the service
industries, primarily those oriented towards recreation and tourism.
Wood products manufacturing, whici: comprises 85 percent of the total
manufacturing, is the primary waste producer on the coast. Bark, fiber,
glue, and sulfitc liquors are wastes which affect water use. Although
there is some food processing, this is not a significant source of waste.
Water use of the coastal region is a third characteristic which
helps define water quality problems in the area. Whereas in many river
basins throughout the country recreation receives a relatively low
priority compared with other uses, on the Oregon Coast it receives the
highest priority. The streams and estuaries of Oregon are the recrea-
tional playground not only for residents but also for tourists.
Aesthetic beauty, water-contact sports, boating, fishing, clam digging,
and crabbing are only a few of the attractions offered.
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Just as significant are the spawning and rearing areas for the
Pacific Coast salmon and other anadromous species, prized by sport and
commercial fishermen alike. Two species in particular, Chinook and
Coho salmon, contribute to extensive ocean sport and commercial fisher-
ies from Alaska to California. Cutthroat and steelhead trout support
large recreational fisheries in the Oregon bays and their tributary
streams. In addition, oysters are harvested commercially in several
coastal estuaries.
The above uses are particularly significant because of the high
water quality required to support them. Contamination of recreational
waters or shellfish growing areas by discharges of untreated or improp-
erly disinfected sewage poses a threat to health. Anadromous fish re-
quire extremely high levels of dissolved oxygen and low temperatures to
carry on their life cycle. And last, floating debris, color, and tur-
bidity seriously reduce the recreation potential of the area.
B. Present Water Quality Problems
1. Bacterial Contamination of Recreational and Shellfish
Growing Areas
In several areas of the Oregon Coast, discharges of untreated
or inadequately disinfected sewage have reached the point of causing a
threat to health. These areas include Nehalem Bay, Tillamook Cay,
Yaquina Bay, and Winchester Bay. The most significant of these areas
are Yaquina and Tillamook Bays, where only recently the United States
Public Health Service Division of Environmental Engineering and Food
Protection has "conditionally approved" oyster growing areas with the
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stipulation that action bo Laken Dy l%._i to reduce coliform levels in
the bays. The sources of bacterial contamination are the Tillamook
cheese plant, t.ie City oC Tillamook, the Naval Air Station, and pasture
runoff. The most pronounced problems occur when storm water runoff
overloads tnc city's plant and runoff from livestock psstureland is
highest. However, the Tillamook cheese plant discharges sanitary and
industrial wastes directly to the Wilson River, and the Tillamook Naval
Air Station discharges untreated domestic wastes to the Trask River--
both of which are tributary tc the bay. In the case of Yaquina Bay,
Toledo's treatment plant is the source of contamination. The State of
Oregon has contended that the vast majority of the coliform and fecal
coliform population observed in Tillamook Bay during periods of heavy
precipitation is not oE human fecal origin and has little public health
significance. Efforts are currently being made by the State to sub-
stantiate this contention.
Bacterial contamination of Nehalem and Winchester Bays must
be considered an implied problem. The Cities of Nehalem and Whcsler
(combined population of about 300) and the City of Reedsport (popula-
tion 3,000) discharge untreated sewage to Nehalem and Winchester Bays,
respectively. Doth bays are heavily used for recreation, fishing, and
clam digging and sl.oulcl be protected from such discharges.
2 . Damage to tuc Recreational and Aesthetic Environment and
to Fish and Shellfish Production by Wastes from Paper and Plywood Mills
and Other Lumbering Activities
Lumbering and wood products manufacture are the principal
sources of industrial was>te on the Oregon Coast. In two estuaries--
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Coos Bay and Yaquina Bay—these wastes are considered to be problems.
In both Yaquina and Coos Days, waste problems are intensified by low
flows in the summer months which reduce assimilative capacity and ar^
inadequate to efrect net seaward transfer of water through the tidal
reaches. The result is movement of accumulated wastes back and forth-
with the tide instead or the flushing of debris and organic wastes out
to the ocean.
Coos Bay is surrounded by a major industrial and domestic
community; it is tue focus of the largest population and industrial
development on the coast. Although the estuary could have consider-
able value as a recreational area and shellfish producer, industrial
pollution and industrial use have allowed tno bay to deteriorate into
an aesthetic nuisance. Dissolved oxygen levels during the summer and
early fall drop to the 1-2 mg/1 range; a section of the bay below the
Coos Head pulp mill outfall is almost sterile of normal aquatic popu-
lations; glue wastes--shown by research to be toxic to aquatic life--
are discharged untreated to the bay; and debris and floating material
cover a large portion of the water surface .
Solutions of this area's problems are difficult. Flow
regulation--which would improve conditions considerably—is not a
feasible alternative because reservoir sites are not available. The
only solution is to remove wastes from the bay through treatment, ex-
port, or recovery and good housekeeping. In particular, glue wastes
from plywood plants and the wastes from Coos Head pulp mill must be
removed. Suspended solids removal and chemical recovery by the pulp
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mill, and export or land disposal of glue wastes until an economical
treatment procedure can be determined are necessary actions to improve
water quality conditions.
The practice of dumping and storing logs in the bay is a use
very damaging to recreation. Truck transport and cold-decking are
alternatives to be considered where feasible. Better housekeeping pro-
cedures where logs must be boomed would cut down on floating debris.
Yaquina Bay experiences problems similar to those of Coos Bay
but to a lesser degree. Although there are no glue wastes discharged
and the majority of Georgia-Pacific's pulp mill waste is pumped to the
ocean, untreated wash water from paper machines which is high in fiber
content and low in oxygen demand is discharged to the bay. This, to-
gether with log dumping debris, causes oxygen reduction and nuisance
conditions which hinder recreation and fish migration.
3. Interference with Anadromous Fish Activities Caused by
Low Dissolved Oxygen and High Temperature Conditions in Inland Streamy
In several reaches of the Rogue and Umpqua Basins, water
quality during low flow periods does not meet dissolved oxygen or
temperature requirements for anadromous fish activities. The primary
cause is lack of water to assimilate wastes and retard natural heating
of the stream. Wastes in both basins receive a high degree of treatment
(about 85 percent reduction of oxygen demand). Storage to provide flow
regulation for quality control in the South Umpqua* and Bear Creek** has
* Tiller and Galesville Projects, Umpqua River Basin, U. S. Department
of the Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, 1966.
** Rogue River Basin, Medford Division, U. S. Department of the Interior,
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, 1965.
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been recommended for inclusion in the Tiller and Lost Creek Reservoirs
proposed by the Corps of Engineers. Such flow regulation would raise
dissolved oxygen levels and lower temperatures during the critical
period.
4. Turbidity Interference with Fish Production, Wildlife,
and Recreation
The Oregon coastal streams experience high sediment loads
during heavy rainfall and placer mining activity. Such turbidity
interferes with fish production, wildlife, and recreation.
The forests of the coast are characterized by extremely
steep-sided ridges and V-shaped canyons. Heavy rainfall and marine
sedimentary rock formation bring about a high rate of erosion. The
stability of the watersheds depends on vegetative cover and the ability
of the soil to absorb water. The water resource is therefore easily
affected by land management.
Approved practices for road building, logging, and placer
mining, as well as restoration of soil stability where forest fires or
other land clearing has occurred, are essential to reduce sediment pro-
duction and to maintain good water quality.
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Gold Beach
Broo kings
IMMEDIATE POLLUTION CONTROL NEEDS
OREGON COAST BASIN
LOCATION MAP
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
REGION ix (DATE: 2/6?) PORTLAND,OREGON
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