Human Disturbance
There is evidence that early Native American tribes intentionally used fire to manipulate vegetation at the landscape-scale. They likely used other land use techniques, but little evidence remains.
When European settlers began inhabiting the subbasin, the extent and pace of human disturbance to the aquatic and terrestrial environments increased rapidly. Early logging practices focused on the removal of riparian timber first in order to facilitate removal of higher elevation timber. Streams were used to transport logs, and as such, much of the timber harvested was adjacent to stream channels. Furthermore, in the era of splash damming, riparian vegetation was removed to facilitate log transport. As logging technology and transportation improved, timber harvest proceeded to progressively harder-to-reach areas, leaving few areas untouched. Like other coastal river watersheds in Oregon, past logging practices had major negative impacts on fish and riparian habitats. Early logging practices included splash dams, downhill logging, decking of logs in streams building of roads and train tracks along the stream courses.
Prior to forest road construction, the main forks of the Coquille and their tribuitaries were the only attractive options to logging companies for the transportation of logs down-river to mills, regional railroads, or main transportation routes. However, earyly transport of logs down the tributaties could only occur in the winter season during high flow events. A more convenient method of stream log transportation was to augment the stream flow through the construction of wooden splash dams. These dams stored water that was released when needed to float the logs downstream. At least twenty-five splash dams were operated in the Coquille system, which included eight on the North Fork, four on the East Fork, and three on the Middle Fork. Single splash dams were built on Middle, Elk, Big, Sand, and Cherry Creeks, Myrtle, and Rock Creeks had two dams each and Dement Creek, at tributary to the South Fork, had one. The last splash dam on the Coquille River was operated in 1946 (ODFW Coquille Basin Fish Habitat Management Plan 1992)
The substantial bank erosion and stream scouring elicited concern from landowners and the practice was eventually abandoned. Agriculture practices also destroyed riparian resources. Since the 1860s, when settlement began along the Coquille River, a large portion of the flood plain has been cleared for pasture and crop production.
The composition, structure, diversity and function of riparian vegetative communities have changed as well. Over the last 100 years, much standing and downed conifers were removed from streams and roads were built in the majority of riparian areas. Since red alder responds to major disturbance activities such as logging and road building, many ot the effected riparian area converted from mixed conifer stands with hardwood understory to red alder-dominated stand with a shrub understory.