To those of us who enjoy the ocean, an estuary is simply a place where the incoming ocean meets out-flowing rivers and streams, forming mudflats and marshes. To salmon, it is a sort of incubation area. Young smolts headed out to sea adjust to the saltwater that will be their home until they are mature enough to return to their inland spawning grounds to launch a new generation of salmon. Estuaries are where young salmon smolts spend the winter, gaining strength and size before heading into the ocean. South Slough estuary at Coos Bay.
Estuaries are where rivers and streams meet the ocean.
Salmon migrating to the ocean spend time in estuaries. Human activities can make estuaries less hospitable. Several restoration programs are underway in the state. Oregon's estuaries are better off than those of many coastal states. But Oregon's 21 distinct coastal estuaries, ranging from 25 acres to 10,000 acres, are protected under Goal 16 of Oregon's land-use planning laws.