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Sand Lake is one of the smallest drainage basins in Oregon, covering 17 square miles and contains active and stable dunes and coastal mountains. Sand Lake consists of a major island, Whalen Island, which is a stabilized dune and tidal marsh. and extensive marshes.
In Oregon, 70% of estuarine wetlands have been lost to conversion – Sand Lake has only lost 2%, making it the most pristine, intact estuary in Oregon. Four small creeks feed the Sand Lake: Jewell Creek, Sand Creek (most of the freshwater input), Curtis Creek and Reneke Creek.
Shorebirds and water birds drawn to intertidal feeding areas, including marshes, seagrass and algal beds, flats and extensive shrimp beds, and a substantial fishery exists for starry flounder and dungeness crab.
The NNSL Watershed Council partnered with multiple agencies to replace three side-by-side 42″ (high) x 60″ (width)x 40′ (length) culverts on Lower Jewel Creek in the Sand Lake Basin. This crossing was a safety and maintenance burden for the county and limited fish passage and natural stream function. Jewel Creek is a highly productive tributary for aquatic species and includes Coho, Chinook, Chum (historically), Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead, Sculpin, Pacific Lamprey, Pacific Giant salamander, Crawdads, and a variety of frogs. The failing culvert was replaced with a 52’6″ foot PacBridge.
The Council partnered with a private Landowner and Natural Resource Conservation Service to replace a 6ft wide, 30ft long culvert on Jewel Creek in the Sand Lake Basin. This crossing was a safety and maintenance burden for the landowner and limited fish passage and natural stream function. Jewel Creek is a highly productive tributary for aquatic species and includes Coho, Chinook, Chum (historically), Cutthroat Trout, Steelhead, Sculpin, Pacific Lamprey, Pacific Giant salamander, Crawdads, and a variety of frogs. The failing culvert was replaced with a 35 foot bridge.