Yaquina Bay
[3] Spencer, with the assistance of a local Indian guide, discovered valuable oyster beds within the bay, which would attract future businesses, particularly firms from San Francisco.
[3] In 1866, news spread of the promises and new life Yaquina Bay had to offer, and it quickly brought a surge of settlers to the area.
The growing oyster business initiated the construction of a wagon road from Corvallis to Yaquina Bay, costing approximately $20,000 and spanning 45 miles.
The road was completed in 1873 and promised continued connections between Corvallis and the Coast, and helped settlers reach their new coastal home.
With the influx of residents, seasonal visitors to the area, and booming businesses, Yaquina Bay's oyster trade quickly began to decline.
[clarification needed] In 1869, a group of oystermen formed a task force with the interest of preserving the oyster beds.
[6] Recreational fishing also occurs in Yaquina Bay, with perch, rockfish, herring, chinook salmon, clams, and crabs being the popular catch.
[14] Marine deposition is found within the initial 2.4 km (1.5 mi) of the estuary and is associated with average ocean salinity and turbulent mixing.
Fluviatile deposition extends from the point of freshwater input up to 9.7 km (6 mi) into the Bay, with its sediments more coarse.
Maximum deposition takes place in the winter and early spring when river runoff is highest due to increased rain, when the longshore drift is coming from the south, and when winds are from the southwest.
Yaquina Bay was formed roughly 2.2 million years ago in the Oligocene Epoch of the Cenozoic Era.
Sedimentary rocks in this area are mainly "sandstone, siltstone and clay-containing mudstone", as indicated in geological samples from the sediments.
[16][17] The oldest rocks found in the Coast Range and in Yaquina Bay date back to Paleocene and Eocene Epochs, about 40-60 million years ago.
Birds, including gulls, ducks, shorebirds, crows, geese, egrets, rails, pelicans and cormorants are present in Yaquina Bay using the eelgrass and mudflats as habitats.
In subtidal areas, marine mammals such as harbor seals[24] and California sea lions are sometimes present in Yaquina Bay.
They move through the estuary, but spend a lot of time near the Bayfront or hauled out on docks,[25] perhaps due to the additional food or safety.
[26] Some fish species present in Yaquina Bay include English sole and sculpin,[27] in addition to river lamprey,[28] lingcod,[29] anchovies, Pacific herring, sturgeon, flounder, and salmon.
Pacific Herring and bay goby larvae are abundant, but other larval fishes such as sculpin, anchovy, smelt, clingfishes, cod, stickleback, pipefish, prickleback, gunnels, sandlance, rockfish, greenlings, lumpfish, and flounder are present in the estuary.
[31] Multiple species of juvenile salmon, including chum, coho, and chinook, also pass through Yaquina Bay during their life cycle, often transitioning from shallower to deeper waters as they grow.
[32] The Yaquina Bay estuarine chemistry is influenced by daily tides, river sediment input, summer upwelling along the coast, and biological processes.
[33] The influx of water from the ocean changes the salinity of the estuary, creating a salt intrusion that has been estimated to reach as far as 21.8 km (13.5 mi) upriver.
During mixing events, the Yaquina Bay estuary experiences changes in gradients for salinity, concentration of chemical species, and suspended sediment, which in turn influences biological productivity.
With increased rainfall and sediment transport, this weathering provides a source of silica for diatoms in Yaquina Bay.
[40] Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration is an important water quality parameter because of its close relationship with biological activity.
[41] Summer upwelling along the Oregon coast brings nutrients from deep waters up into the Yaquina Bay estuary.
This event, along with decreased rain and river input, and increased light, all contribute to the seasonal chemistry variability in the Bay.
Especially in the Pacific Northwest, coastlines are impacted by large waves, storm surge, strong currents, wind, and rain.
Storms and rain increase, which leads to more land runoff and also causes waves and currents to reshape the coastline.
They included Yaquina Bay in their case study, as this area is heavily influenced by tourism, businesses, industries, vessels, to name a few.
The assessment was able to address areas of concern and helped businesses and industries by highlighting ways to adapt to the changing conditions to prevent future damage.
