due to fecal coliform (Table 1.1). Due to concern for microbial contamination associated with 
human and animal waste, a survey of residential septic systems was conducted during 1985- 
1986. Septic systems for 160 residences adjacent to the Yaquina Estuary were surveyed and it 
was found that approximately 17% of the residences surveyed had marginal septic systems and 
16% had failing systems. The failing systems identified have since been corrected (Bill Zekan, 
Lincoln County Oregon, Planning and Development, personal communication). 
There are three types of industrial discharges into Yaquina Bay/River. Six seafood 
processing plants discharge waste into Yaquina Bay 
(http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/sisdata/sisdata.asp), all of which are classified as “minor” by the 
ODEQ. Though relatively small discharges, two of the companies have been fined by ODEQ for 
violating their permits. The Yaquina Bay Fruit Processors also discharges brine waste into 
Yaquina Estuary. The third type of discharge is waste from the Georgia Pacific West kraft pulp 
and linerboard mill. The mill went into production in 1957 with the primary discharge through 
an ocean outfall offshore of Newport. There is an emergency overflow outfall (located about 21 
km from the mouth of the estuary) that discharges directly into the Yaquina Estuary; however, 
this outfall has discharged only ten times from 1999 to 2004, with a maximum discharge of 0.24 
MGD. The discharges typically occur during heavy rain events for short time periods (less than 
24 hours). 
2.4 Classification of the Yaquina Estuary 
Classification has been proposed as an important tool for developing nutrient criteria for 
estuarine systems (e.g., U.S. EPA 2001). Classification of estuaries in terms of their 
susceptibility to nutrient enrichment is theoretically highly desirable because of the large number 
of estuaries in the United States and limited resources, which make it unfeasible to develop 
nutrient criteria on a case by case basis for each individual system. Numerous types of estuarine 
classifications have been developed or proposed, including ones based on geomorphology, 
physical and hydrodynamic factors, and susceptibility to nutrient enrichment (Kurtz et ah, 2006). 
A key aspect of the use of any classification system for setting nutrient criteria is that estuaries 
within the same class respond similarly to nutrients, which is a step that must be validated and 
has not yet been accomplished for national scale estuarine classifications in the U.S. 
t t 
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