Projects

West Coast Contractors was awarded the contract as the Construction Manager/General Contractor for the China Camp Creek Project (C3P) in the Winter Lake area West of Coquille, Oregon in 2017. This project helped to restore and improve agriculture and natural resources on 1,700 acres of land within the Beaver Slough Drainage District. The project made critical improvements to infrastructure, such as tide gates, berms, and canals that had been deferred for many years.

The C3P is a portion of the overall Winter Lake Restoration Project (WLRP) which will also restore wetland function and tidal flow on two parcels of land, totaling 420 acres managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the China Creek Gun Club. The goal of both projects is to improve access to overwinter habitat for threatened Coho salmon as well as enhancing grazing production for local livestock.

Both projects are collaborative efforts among the China Creek Gun Club, Beaver Slough Drainage District, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, local landowners and partner organizations. See http://www.coquilleworkinglandscapes.com/ for more information.

The Coquille Basin was once a prime area for salmon breeding, rearing and fishing, but today's salmon runs have been reduced significantly. The new culvert/tide gate structure and related infrastructure meet modern fish passage criteria, ensuring access to the area from the Coquille River for fish as well as the water level control necessary for forage production. According to Fred Messerle, the Beaver Slough Drainage District project manager, "We will raise beef in the summer and fish in the winter."

Oregon's rich natural resources, including the Coquille River Basin, have long supported our livelihood and community. A healthy working landscape helps strengthen the local community by creating jobs in Coos County, improving farming and ranching, improves water quality and restoring a thriving environment for fish and birds.

The partners have been working with landowners and stakeholders since 2008 to find common ground and collaborate on projects that will restore ecosystem function and make the land more productive for agriculture. The C3P project was completed in October 2017 with the WLRP restoration work scheduled for 2018.

West Coast Contractors is pleased to be a part of this vital project to restore salmon habitat and protect grazing land in the Coquille River Valley.

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