Hunter Creek

Hunter Creek is situated entirely within Curry County and is among the smaller watersheds on the southern Oregon coast. Flowing in a westerly direction Hunter Creek crosses Highway 101 and drains into the Pacific Ocean just south of the community of Gold Beach. Elevations in the watershed range from sea level to approximately 3,558 feet on Sugarloaf Mountain. Major tributaries include the North Fork and Big South Fork. The upper portion of the basin is characterized by steeply sloped forested areas with narrow valleys and tributary streams that have moderately steep to very steep gradient. Grazing, rural residential development and other agricultural uses are dominant in the lower portion of the basin.

Watershed Facts

Land Ownership & Use

38% public ownership, 62% private ownership (50% industrial ownership)

Vegetation

94% forest/shrub, <1% impervious, 1% wetland

Watershed Size

44.4 square miles/ 28,405 acres

Hydrology/Flow

mean annual precipitation – 120 inches
2 yr peak flow – 5,000 cfs
10 yr peak flow – 8,770 cfs
50 yr peak flow – 12,200 cfs
100 yr peak flow – 13,700 cfs
Average Flow Range (5% – 95% flow durations): 1,200 cfs – 6 cfs

Fish Use

Chinook salmon, coho salmon, cutthroat trout, steelhead, sculpin, Pacific lamprey

Did you know?

Near the headwaters of Hunter Creek, you will find Hunter Creek Bog. You will find yourself surrounded by California pitcherplant, pleated and Mendocino gentians, Labrador tea, western tofieldia, California bog asphodel, sedges, Columbia and Vollmer’s lilies, and Pacific reed grass. Outside of this watery jungle, you would see dry, bare, red rocky slopes and a scattering of Port Orford cedar and Jeffrey pine.

Restoration and Education Efforts

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.