Estuaries Support Pacific Northwest Coastal Communities, Economy, Environment

Estuaries—areas where rivers meet the sea—are among the Pacific Northwest’s most valuable natural resources. The seagrass meadows, salt marshes, and forested tidal wetlands that thrive in healthy estuaries provide food and shelter for salmon, Dungeness crab, and other species that support commercial and recreational fishing and Tribal Nations; sustain seabirds and marine wildlife that are important for tourism; capture and store greenhouse gases; ease the local effects of ocean acidification; and protect coastal communities from sea-level rise, storms, and flooding. 

However, outdated planning and resource management has enabled shortsighted development, dredging, and industrial and agricultural pollution that undermine the health of estuaries.

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ research and analysis shared here provide local and state leaders in Oregon and Washington with the information they need to modernize estuary management and prepare coastal communities for the future.