Project review requirements are designed to ensure that new uses or alterations are compatible with resources in the area and that harmful effects are minimized. Most project review requirements are applied through review of permits for specific development projects. This system is designed to preserve diversity among Oregon's estuaries and guide development to estuaries that have been altered and which can support more development. They may have altered shorelines, provided that these altered shorelines are not adjacent to an urban area. Shorelands around natural estuaries are generally used for agriculture, forestry, recreation and other rural uses.
Natural estuaries have only natural management units.
Conservation estuaries shall have conservation and natural management units. Shallow draft development estuaries have development, conservation and natural management units. Deep draft development estuaries have development, conservation and natural management units. Because of their small size, little study has been done of these estuaries. ODFW habitat maps are not available, so these estuaries have been excluded from this document.