The Port of Brookings Harbor is the port authority

Port authority

In Canada and the United States a port authority is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure.Port authorities are usually governed by boards or...

 for the city of Brookings

Brookings, Oregon

Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States, and serving the neighboring community of Harbor

Harbor, Oregon

Harbor is an unincorporated community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is located across the Chetco River from the city of Brookings. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Harbor as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not...

. The district covers 400 square miles (1,036 km²) from the mouth of the Chetco River

Chetco River

The Chetco River is a stream located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately of Curry County. Flowing through a rugged and isolated coastal region, it descends rapidly from about to sea level at the Pacific Ocean. Except for the lowermost , the river is...

 south to the Oregon-California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 border, north to the mouth of the Pistol River

Pistol River

The Pistol River is a coastal stream that meanders for about through the Southern Oregon Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean near the unincorporated community of Pistol River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Flowing generally southwest from its origin near Sugarloaf Mountain in the Siskiyou National...

, and east to the Curry

Curry County, Oregon

Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...

-Josephine

Josephine County, Oregon

Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713...

 county line. The district is governed by a five-member commission elected at-large from the district population of approximately 16,000.

It is the busiest recreational port on the Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...

, generating more than 31,000 boat trips for more than 95,000 people, and is one of the most active harbors for Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon

The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...

 on the coast.

Geography

The Port of Brookings Harbor is listed as a "Harbor of Refuge" by the U.S. Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 because of its location and geographical configuration. The Chetco River, on which the port is located, is the safest bar on the Oregon Coast with more than 280 passable days per year.

History

The port district had its beginnings in a deep-water harbor constructed in 1912 by the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded and owned the company town

Company town

A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...

 of Brookings. In 1956, a special election was held that created the Port of Brookings Port District. Governor Elmo Smith

Elmo Smith

Elmo Everett Smith was an American politician, a Republican, and the 27th Governor of the state of Oregon, U.S., from 1956 to 1957.-Early life:...

 appointed the first port commission.

The Port of Brookings Harbor was severely damaged on March 11, 2011 by a tsunami caused by the Tōhoku earthquake

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

 off the coast of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

; damages were estimated at $6.7 million. The last boat sunk by the tsunami was raised from the bottom of the harbor on March 22. The port re-opened for business on the same day.

External links

• Port of Brookings Harbor (official website)

42.0476111°N 124.2687028°W