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About Johnson Creek

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It is almost 38 acres of wetland, old sand dunes, and uplifted bluffs from which water seeps out year around. Conifers and alder trees claim the higher spaces that were not converted into golf course decades ago. Native asters, Yellow-eyed Grass and Cow Clover persist amongst the non-native turf grasses. A man-made pond collects water from springs and the seeping bluffs and provides habitat for wildlife, including waterfowl and migratory birds.

  SEE FLOODPLAIN AND LANDSLIDE MAPS   

The People's Vision

The City of Bandon acquired this property in 2019. In September of 2023, the City held a public event to ask neighbors and other citizens what use they would prefer for this acreage,  Overwhelmingly, the people wanted it left natural, maintaining wildlife habitat with a few walking trails for people to access.  The Johnson Creek property's designation as a Natural Area was accepted by the Bandon City Council on October 7, 2024.

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50 Pacific Ninebark, an excellent wildlife shrub, were added in November, 2022.

50 Western Red cedar planted Jan, 1, 2021

Volunteers at the City-hosted

Johnson Creek Open House

Gorse has invaded the property over the years and the City has worked with the Gorse Action Group to reclaim some of these areas, spraying and mowing.  In 2021, 2022 and 2023 local citizens planted donated native trees and shrubs along the high-water line of the delineated floodplain, aiming to improve habitat. A permit for people to plant native shrubs in November of 2024 was denied by the City.

More about the Current Threat to Johnson Creek

Our coast has lost 90% of its wetlands to development over the years. Can we protect our local Johnson Creek Natural Area? A housing developer is proposing to the City to move the Natural Resource boundary so that 15 MORE houses can be built.

This Natural Resource zoning line is on the edge of a steep bluff from which water seeps. The creek flows along the base of this bluff. If the Zoning is converted to Residential 1 then houses will be allowed to be built.

LANDSLIDE ZONE
Informative maps below sourced from:
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
( DOGAMI )
LANDSLIDE ZONE AT EDGE OF NATURAL RESOURCE LINE
from the DOGAMI map tool, see link below. 
Development endangers both creek and homes. All stormwater is directed through this creek's drainage basin.
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    IMAGE BELOW IS PART OF OUR NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY
           It is unrecognized by the City of Bandon as a wetland zone.
Dogami Maps  Coos County Flood and Natural Hazards Web Tool 
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Former NR area
if approved.

Current NR area

Threat to Creek
PROPOSED CHANGES TO NR LINE, ALLOWS FOR LOTS ON EDGE
CURRENT HOUSING AND ZONING
NR stands for Natural Resources

Run-off of lawn chemicals and fertilizers will certainly run down hill and percolate through the bluff, down to the creek. The City already uses Johnson Creek and other creeks as stormwater drainage, deposited into the ocean on the west side of Beach Loop Rd.  This housing development will directly add pollutants into the creek. Non-point source pollution is already a problem on our coast but could be made much worse by reckless planning for housing.

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Stillwater Natives Nursery        Bandon, Oregon
Growing plants for people and pollinators of the south coast
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