During the last 17 years the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council and its partners have conducted a series of studies that have produced considerable information on conditions in the Nehalem watershed.  These studies include:

• Culvert Assessment and Fish Passage Passage Prioritization Report for the Lower Nehalem Watershed (Clearway Environmental, 2016)

• Nehalem Conservation Action Plan (2012)

• Nehalem Data Synthesis (Watershed Professionals Network, 2008)

• The Nehalem Estuary and Surrounding Wetlands (Gareth Ferdun, 2006)

• Nehalem Wetlands Prioritization (Green Point Consulting, 2005)

• Total Maximum Daily Load (Department of Environmental Quality, 2003) 

• Lower Nehalem Habitat Assessment Project (Boswell Consultants, 2002)

• Nehalem Watershed Assessment (Portland state University, 1999)

Collectively these studies have shown that salmon production and survival in the Lower Nehalem is limited by reduced stream complexity, high stream water temperatures, and impediments to fish passage.  

• The most important fish passage problems have been resolved.

• Stream temperatures result in poor fish habitat conditions during the summer.

• There are many miles of stream with in-sufficient large wood.