Necanicum Estuary, COA 002

COA ID: 002

Geographic boundaries of the COAs were updated for the 2026 State Wildlife Action Plan and the associated COA profiles are intended to provide additional information. Content of each COA profile is being refined and will be updated to reflect current conditions when feasible. Please help us by submitting information on Local Conservation Actions, Plans, or Potential Partners to: OCS.revision@odfw.oregon.gov.

The Necanicum Estuary COA (3 mi²) covers a small portion of the Oregon Coast near Seaside, much of which is designated as a conservation estuary within the Necanicum Estuary Natural History Park. This COA encompasses the area where the Necanicum River and Neawanna Creek meet the Pacific Ocean, and contains a network of freshwater and tidal wetlands. This estuary represents important habitat for many sensitive species, and serves as a connector between the tidal and inland habitats. This COA creates a contiguous chunk of habitat along with the Clatsop Plains, Necanicum River, Saddle Mountain, and Tillamook Head COAs.

Recommended Conservation Actions

Restore riparian habitats along Necanicum River.
Restoration of tidal functions where appropriate.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Potential Partners

Special Features

General

The City of Seaside and North Coast Land Conservancy acquired land within this COA and established a conservation estuary within the Necanicum Estuary Natural History Park. The goal of this park is to “maintain ecological functions, provide appropriate public access, and support public engagement in the context of the North Coast Region and its cultural history.”
This estuary and adjacent riparian habitat serve as important habitat for migratory birds and fish.
The coastal beaches within this COA provide habitat for shorebirds during migration and potential nesting area for Western Snowy Plovers.

Protected Areas

Gearhart Ocean State Recreation Area
Necanicum Estuary Natural History Park

Previous COA Associations:

Previously Associated with (2006 COA IDs)
- CR-04 (Necanicum Estuary)
Size Change from 2016 boundaries: +0.6 mi² (27% increase)

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon's Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Key Habitats

Coastal Dunes

Occurring along the Oregon coastline, coastal dunes provide habitat for species that prefer open, sandy habitats with a high degree of disturbance from winds and tides.

Estuaries

Estuaries are broadly defined as partially enclosed coastal bodies of tidally influenced water with one or more inputs of freshwater, and with a free or intermittent connection to the open sea. Estuaries typically occur at locations where freshwater from rivers, streams, or creeks meets saltwater from the nearshore ocean, creating a tidal basin that experiences frequent …

Grasslands

Grasslands include a variety of upland grass-dominated habitats, such as upland prairies, coastal bluffs, and montane grasslands.

Natural Lakes

Natural lakes are relatively large bodies of freshwater surrounded by land that were formed through geological processes, such as glacial scouring, tectonic movements, volcanic activity and river meander cutoffs. In Oregon, natural lakes are defined as standing water bodies larger than 20 acres, including some seasonal lakes. Depth is not a reference for characterization of …

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are habitats that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support vegetation typically adapted for life in sodden soil conditions. While dominated by periods of inundation, the natural ecological cycle may also include dry intervals. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, peatlands, …

Nearshore Key Habitats

Nearshore Habitats encompass the coastal and marine habitats in the area from the 3 nautical mile outer limit of Oregon’s territorial sea, where water depths average 66 m (216 ft) and range from 17 m to 194 m (56 to 308 ft), to the supratidal areas of the shoreline affected by wave spray and overwash …