Port Orford going after state and federal help to become a southern Oregon coast seafood hub

By THEO GREENLY/Jefferson Public Radio

The Port of Port Orford is laying the groundwork for several projects aimed at moving it closer to its long-term goal of becoming a South Coast seafood hub.

The work includes a $500,000 system to bring seawater onto the dock for live seafood, a federal study of the port’s electricity use and an engineering review of the hillside above the only road serving the waterfront.

Port officials and contractors outlined the projects during an Aug. 4 town hall. Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, is funding the seawater project.

Seafood buyers currently lower their own pumps into the ocean to fill tanks for live fish and crab. Port officials say a permanent system would make that process more reliable and help fishermen maintain access to higher-value markets.

Philip Russom, a commercial fisherman and port tenant, said seawater access is particularly important for the local fishery.

“Rockfish is one of our main staples, and it’s one of our live products that we need the seawater system to be able to maintain our markets for,” Russom said.

Portland-based NWR Construction is designing the system. The contractor expects to have a firm design by the end of September and hopes to have the system operating by summer 2027. The project will require permits from several state and federal agencies to draw water from the ocean and return it.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy research lab, installed monitoring equipment at about 30 points around the port Tuesday.

Electrical engineer Jason Pope said Port Orford’s utility system should be able to accommodate the port’s expected growth. The study will also examine backup power, energy storage and possible on-site generation.

Those questions are particularly important at Port Orford’s unusual dolly dock, where fishing boats are stored out of the water. Electric cranes lower the boats into the ocean and lift them back onto the dock.

“They’re very important because the boats rely on them to get in and out, and so if they don’t operate, it could potentially be a big deal,” Pope said.

Researchers will use the new monitoring equipment to measure current demand and identify which operations would need electricity during an emergency.

A separate engineering project will study the hillside above the port’s only access road. The work is expected to determine whether and how the ground is moving and identify options for stabilizing the area. Fieldwork could begin in September, with the study scheduled to conclude by June 30, 2027.

The larger seafood hub remains a longer-term proposal. Port officials envision a facility that could support seafood processing, live holding, direct sales, research and other waterfront businesses.

The port submitted an application for federal construction funding in June and expects a decision late this year or in early 2027.

• Theo Greenly is a reporter withJefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington. It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.