Fresh water from rivers and salt water from the ocean meet and mix in places known as esturaries, which are among the earth's most productive environments. Estuaries sustain a wide variety of fish, plants and invertebrates that provide food for Harbor Seals, Pacific Salmon, and migratory birds. Look for the Brown Pelican, a prominent summer visitor to Netarts Bay, "dive-bombing" for fish in the estuary. Netarts Bay is a marine-dominated estuary, one of only two of this type on the Oregon Coast, where the input of fresh water is relatively small and the tidal influence considerable.

A healthy coastal stream requires more than clean water to provide suitable spawning habitat for salmon and trout. Riparian (streamside) vegetation is also important. It provides shade to maintain cooler water in summer and it stabilizes streambanks, reducing erosion that can cover gravel where salmon lay their eggs. It also provides large woody material (e.g., fallen trees and branches) in streams, which creates pools and hiding places for young fish.

Chum, or "dog" salmon, are the most common salmon species to spawn in the small streams entering Netarts Bay. After hatching, chum salmon migrate almost immediately out to the bay and into the ocean, spending very little time in freshwater. Recently, local volunteers have been working in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Cape Lookout State Park to improve chum spawning habitat in several local streams.