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ODFW seeks $350,000 to remove tide gates, restore Gallagher Slough habitat; landowner agreements planned
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Summary
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife asked for retroactive approval of a $350,000 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to fund engineering, public engagement and fish‑passage work at Gallagher Slough (Tillamook County); the project would remove five tide gates, restore about 500 acres and include O&M agreements for private landowners.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on Sept. 30 presented design and engagement plans for the Gallagher Slough project in Tillamook County and requested retroactive approval to apply for $350,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Craig Smith, a senior policy analyst at ODFW, said the project — in development since 2022 — would remove five tide gates located at an ODOT Highway 101 crossing of the Nehalem River and construct a single new tide gate upstream outside the right of way. The design would allow natural tidal inflow and outflow while enabling private landowners and the Sunset Drainage and Diking District to operate and maintain new infrastructure from a more accessible location. ODFW estimates the modification would inundate about 500 acres seasonally to restore winter habitat for Oregon Coast coho, Chinook salmon and winter steelhead. The project partners include the Nehalem Bay Watershed Council, The Nature Conservancy and two private landowners.
Smith said roughly $80,000 of the requested funding would support public engagement led by the Nehalem Bay Watershed Council, which would help the department develop an operations and maintenance (O&M) manual and landowner agreements specifying seasonal operating elevations and responsibilities. Members asked whether landowners would be bound to those agreements; Smith said the O&M manual and the engagement process are explicitly designed to produce documented agreements and operating procedures.
LFO and DAS staff recommended approval and the subcommittee approved the retroactive authorization by voice. ODFW said it will return with engineering alternatives, proposed O&M language and any required position or expenditure requests if the award is made.
Next steps: If awarded, ODFW anticipates a January 2026 project start date, additional position authority for extended limited‑duration biologists, and an application for federal funds expenditure limitation to the Joint Ways and Means committee.
