History
The history of the Corps of Engineer’s involvement at Tillamook Bay has been primarily navigationally oriented. The first survey was performed in 1887 and the earliest improvements were dikes in 1888, which improved access to the City of Tillamook. The following timeline depicts major Corps actions and authorizations throughout the projects history.1892—The Corps began dredging a 6-foot-deep, 200-foot-wide channel between Bay City and Tillamook.
1897—A study was conducted to examine improving the bar entrance and was concluded to be unfavorable.
1912—North Jetty was authorized to 5,700 feet.
1917—In the early in the 20th Century, the navigation focus shifted to the entrance of Tillamook Bay, which resulted in the final construction of the original 5,400-foot-long north jetty, using 428,672 tons of rock, and a 16-foot-deep, 200-foot wide channel from the entrance to Bay City.
1921—The north jetty was repaired with 500 tons of rock placed near the shore end of the structure.
1925—The Bay City channel was abandoned when the project was modified to include an 18-foot-deep bar channel and an 18-foot-deep, 200-foot-wide inner channel from the entrance to a turning basin at Miami Cove. Another 16-foot-deep, 200-foot-wide channel also was added from the turning basin at Miami Cove to another turning basin in Hobsonville.
1933—The north jetty was reconstructed and extended to its fully authorized length of 5,700 feet, requiring 320,350 tons of rock in 1931.
1946—Minor repairs were made to the shore end of the jetty.
1948—The Corps began dredging a small boat basin and approach channel to 12 feet deep at Garibaldi.
1954—A breach developed at the Bay Ocean Peninsula and was closed by the Corps.
1955—Repairs were made to the north jetty near the shore end. Also, a breach at the beach-line of the north jetty, which was cut to bring a beached vessel through the jetty was repaired. Repair work used 5,535 tons of rock.
1962—The beach was built up on the north side of the jetty for 3,500 feet seaward of the beach-line. The jetty crest was at half tide and the other 800 feet was below the low water level.
1965—In order to help protect the Bay Ocean Peninsula from future breaches, the Corps began construction of the south jetty.
1965—The north jetty was rehabilitated and raised in height. The work required about 234,000 tons of stone.
1965—The south jetty was authorized to 8,000 feet.
1971—The south jetty was constructed to 3,695 feet. The contract was for construction of the first 5,000 feet of the jetty, but overruns caused by scour in front of the construction caused the work to be suspended. The work required 655,049 tons of stone.
1974—The south jetty was extended 2,830 feet requiring 783,944 tons of stone. The distance between the north and south jetties was reduced from 1,400 feet to 1,200 feet.
1979—The south jetty was extended to 8,000 feet.
1985—The head of the north jetty had received some damage from extreme wave conditions, and the outer portion of the south jetty had shown some subsidence. No repairs or rehabilitations were planned at that time.
1991—The outer 100 feet of the north jetty was repaired.
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