Partners gathered on the Green Creek project, one of this year’s success stories.

“I’ve learned how invaluable our partnership with the Salmon SuperHwy is and how many things we’re able to accomplish as a county that we could never do on our own. Important things like this road [the SSH Peterson Creek project] that’s well-traveled by locals, farmers and all kinds of people. The federal funding that we can receive as a result our Salmon SuperHwy partnership vastly exceeds anything we could ever afford with our county budget.” 

— Mary Faith Bell, Tillamook County Commissioner

The crew from K&B Quality Excavating crew working on the Whitney Creek project. 

Happy landowner, Sam Mulder (with his dog Luna), on the bridge of completed SSH Sutton Creek project.

“I think the Salmon Superhighway is like the conductor of the orchestra, all of us partners — we are the players of instruments that, together, create the harmony of successful aquatic organism passage projects.” 

— Adriana Morales, Fisheries Biologist, U.S. Forest Service

Senator Jeff Merkley and former SSH Coordinator Sarah Zwissler

“Waterways are critical to robust ecosystems, which are critical to our tourism industry, which is critical to our natural resource industries. Tillamook’s economy, is in large part driven by natural resources and tourism. And both benefit from good watershed conditions.”

— Dave Shively, Nestucca, Neskowin & Sand Lake Watersheds Council

Gary Cuppy

“When I was a kid, there was a lot of fish in these creeks. There was even fish in this creek right here [Clear Creek]. And they’re just not there anymore. They’re coming back. Like one guy from DSL told me, if you build it, they’ll come. If you fix it up, they’ll come back. And they’re slowly, slowly coming back,”

— Mike Trent, Nestucca, Neskowin & Sand Lake Watershed Council Board Member

Former SSH Coordinator, Sarah Zwissler

Dave Yamamoto, Tillamook County Commissioner

SSH Coordinator Liz Ransom

“More habitat for the fish the better. It’s just more protection for those little smolts to survive. I think the Salmon SuperHwy is great.”

— Kyle Uptegrove, local fishing guide

“Aside from the SSH project, we’ve done a lot of stream-side planting and fencing for the good of the fish that essentially take land out of production. People are quick to point fingers at agriculture when it comes to environmental practices and fish population, but not quick to praise. It would be good for people to know farmers are doing good things.”

— Kurt Mizee, Tilla Bay Farms