Tidal wetlands are among Oregon?s most productive and essential habitats?places where fresh and saltwater mingle, where rivers slow, spread, and breathe with the tides. Here, shifting channels, sedges, and spruce roots create a nursery for young fish and a refuge for numerous other species that depend on the transition zone between the river and the sea.

This custom design by local artist Emily Poole celebrates the quiet power of these coastal wetlands. At its heart swims a coho salmon returning to spawn. Here she rests among the sheltering roots of native spruce and the soft blooms of springbank clover. Above, insects cling to the waving grasses?tiny but vital meals for her young, who will grow here next spring in preparation for their journey to the ocean. Every plant, animal, and action here is connected, part of a cycle that has sustained life for millennia and is shaping the future of these places today.

Across our service area, tidal wetlands continue to inspire and ground our work. At Boone Nute Slough, within the Yaquina River estuary, the land sustains Elk herds, song birds, and salmon who utilize the river's abandoned oxbow. Farther south, at haich ikt?at?uu on the Siuslaw River, traditional stewardship and restoration come together to honor cultural and ecological connections that run as deep as the tides themselves.

Tidal wetlands remind us that resilience is rooted in connection. By caring for these vibrant edges where river meets ocean, we help ensure that salmon, spruce, and the many lives they support continue to thrive along Oregon?s coast.