Oregon Coast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oregon Coast is a geographical term that is used to describe the coast of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean. Stretching 362 miles from Astoria to the California border, the Oregon Coast is unique in that the whole coastline is public land. Oregon law prohibits private ownership of coastline property.[1]
The Oregon Coast is often divided into three regions:[2]
- The North Coast - from Astoria to Lincoln City
- The Central Coast - from Lincoln City to Reedsport
- The Southern Coast - from Reedsport to the California border.
There are no large cities on the coast, mainly due to the lack of deep harbors with access to the inland agricultural areas. The largest metro area is Coos Bay/North Bend on the South Coast, which together make up a population of 25,000. The relative isolation of the coast from nearby large population centers has given the coast a reputation for being somewhat rustic, being a mixture of old fishing villages, seasonal resorts, and artists' colonies. Tourism is the major industry on the coast, and its popularity, combined with the fact that there is only one major route along the coastline (US 101) contributes to the fact that traffic along the coast was named the worst tourist traffic in the United States.[3]
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[edit] Geography
The Oregon Coast is known for its cliffs and rocky shores. There are a few natural sandy beaches in coastal inlets, but they mostly only exist near breakwaters and jetties. The Coast Range is a mere few miles inland, although this varies depending on the location. Due to long-term erosion, large chunks of rock protrude over the ocean in many places. There are large areas of dunes on the central coast, notably Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The surrounding area is largely temperate rainforest.
[edit] Ecology
The Oregon Coast is a region rich with hundreds of species of plants and animals. The Coast is home to a complex of National Wildlife Refuges.
Several species of mammals exist on the Oregon Coast. There are several varieties of pinnipeds along the coast, including the California Sea Lion on the Southern Coast and Steller's Sea Lions throughout, as well as Northern Elephant and Harbor Seals.[4] Sea Lion Caves near Florence, and the Newport Harbor in Yaquina Bay are the best places to see pinnipeds, though they can be observed in many other places. Whales can also be seen in the area, especially during migration in late December and late March. Among the species of Whales passing through are Gray, Orca, and Humpback Whales. Harbor Porpoises are also relatively common.[5] The infamous "exploding whale" incident, where a dead beached whale was blown up by dynamite, happened near Florence.
Many varieties of birds make their home on the Oregon Coast. Birds along the Oregon Coast can be divided into four categories:
- Seabirds spend most of their lives at sea and are adapted to ocean life. Some even sleep in the water, though they must all return to land to lay their eggs. Their diets consist mostly of small fish, squid, shellfish, and crustaceans. Species of seabirds on the Oregon Coast include the Common Murre, Tufted Puffin, Marbled Murrelet, the Black Oystercatcher, Auklets, many varieties of cormorants, and the Western Gull.
- Shorebirds, unlike seabirds, do not have webbed feet and spend their lives on the shore foraging for food, eating worms, insect larvae, amphipods, copepods, crustaceans, and mollusks. Among the types of shorebirds on the Coast are the Western and Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Whimbrel, the Semipalmated and Western Snowy Plover, and Killdeer.
- Many birds of prey live on the coast, eating small birds, rodents, and small mammals. These include the Bald Eagle, Barn Owl, and Osprey.
- Waterfowl also make their homes in the freshwater areas around the Coast. These are the many varieties of ducks and geese in the area.[4]
Tidepools are unique, contained ecosystems that are plentiful on the Oregon Coast. Red, green, and brown algae are common in tidepools. There are also several species of invertebrates. These include sponges, sea anemones, mussels, starfish, limpets, crabs, shrimp, barnacles, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.[6] Sunset Bay State Park, near Coos Bay, and Strawberry Hill near Seal Rock are among the largest collections of tidepools and are popular places for tidepooling.
Many species of plant life also call the areas around the Oregon Coast home. Due to their reproductive advantages, the Coastal Strawberry and Pacific Silverweed are the most common plant on the beaches and dunes themselves. However, the forests, wetlands, and meadows surrounding the coast are home to many species of plants, shrubs, and flowers.[7]
[edit] Human history
Native Americans first came to the Oregon Coast 12,000 years ago to hunt, fish, and gather foods in the coast's bountiful forests and waters. [8] It was largely substinence based living and the archaeological evidence left behind is limited. This was the lifestyle for thousands of years and as history progressed tribal communities would form. The major tribes of the Oregon Coast included:
- the Tillamook and Siletz on the Northern Oregon Coast.
- the Siuslaw and Alsea on the Central Oregon Coast.
- the Coos and Coquille on the Southern Oregon Coast.
The lifestyles of these tribes were very similar, as they built canoes to travel along the coastline, estuaries, and rivers where they fished, hunted seals, ducks, and game, and gathered fruits such as berries and seafood such as clams.[9]
European exploration of the Oregon Coast would begin in the 18th century as Spanish explorers sailed northward from Mexico to explore, and, later, stake claims to the region. The British soon followed, and 1774-1795 would be a time of intense rivalry between the Spanish and the British for claims to the Northwest Coast.[10] However, neither side was ever able to successfully claim the area. Meanwhile, American Robert Gray would visit the Oregon Coast via sea in 1788 and 1792 and came back with furs. After the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark would visit the Oregon Coast in 1804 and stake the United States' claim to the territory. They would also return with furs, and this led John Jacob Astor to set up the first permanent white settlement in Oregon. The post, called Astoria was at the mouth of the Columbia River.[11] However, the venture was not as profitable as Astor had hoped and Astoria was bought out by the British North West Company. Britain and the United States would continue to jointly claim the territory. In 1838, Charles Wilkes, on a voyage commissioned by the United States Congress, would land on the Oregon Coast and raise the American flag.[12] The large scale movement of Americans on the Oregon Trail would cement the United States' claim to the land.
[edit] Tourism
Hiking, fishing, cycling, kite flying, scuba diving, surfing, sandboarding and boating are among the activities that draw people to the Oregon Coast. Among the most popular attractions are the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Fort Clatsop near Astoria, "Old Town" shopping districts in several cities, including Florence and Newport, and the seven lighthouses that dot the coastline. U.S. Highway 101, the main route along the coast , passes over many historic or notable bridges. Traffic along the coast was named the worst tourist traffic in the United States.[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Rules and Regulations. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. URL accessed on March 2, 2006.
- ^ Oregon Coast FAQ. Oregon Coast Visitors Association. URL accessed on March 2, 2006.
- ^ a b A Tourist Traffic Jam in Oregon. National Public Radio. URL accessed on March 3, 2006.
- ^ a b Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. US Fish and Wildlife Service. URL accessed on March 18, 2006.
- ^ Whale Watching in the Winchester Bay Area Winchester Bay Merchants' Association. URL accessed on March 18, 2006.
- ^ Oregon Coast Tidepools. Fort Hays State University. URL accessed on March 18, 2006.
- ^ Plants for the Oregon Coast. URL accessed on March 18, 2006.
- ^ Walking Through Time on the Oregon Coast. University of Puget Sound. URL accessed on March 2, 2006.
- ^ Ewing, Lynn. Native Americans of the Oregon Coast. URL accessed on March 3, 2006.
- ^ European Rivalry for the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington. URL accessed on March 2, 2006.
- ^ America Enters the Rivalry. University of Washington. URL accessed on March 2, 2006.
- ^ Exploration. Washington University in St. Louis. URL accessed on March 3, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Oregon Coast guide from Travel Oregon (the Oregon State Tourism Commission)
- The North Coast Explorer from Oregon State University
- Guided lighthouse tour from Travel Oregon
- Oregon Coast Visitors Association
- A 1940 Oregon Coast Tour from the Oregon State Archives
