About Curry County, OR

For most people buying land for a home is a major investment both financially and emotionally. Buyers, developers, and communities can avoid grading, building and maintenance problems by having a geotechnical survey performed to determine soil conditions before construction begins. A geotechnical survey can be used to calculate the potential and probability of stability, safety, and security issues associated with planned or existing homesites. Before building or buying a home, you should know about anything that could present a risk to your home or homesite such as:

1. Ocean-front home
   • Tsunami zone and risks of high velocity storm surges
   • Beach and/or bluff erosion from storm surfs, wind, and rain
2. Flood hazards
   • Avoid homes in a flood plain
   • Avoid river-front homesites near areas where there is bank erosion
   • Avoid areas with poor drainage and/or high water tables
   • Avoid alluvial fan areas with a history or evidence of flash floods or mud flows
3. Soils have high shrink-swell properties
4. Slope and unstable soil make erosion and soil movement a major problem
   • Sites is too close to edge of terrace
   • Man-made deep cuts in hillsides to create flat areas which require high foundation walls and/or high retaining walls
   • Sites located in areas of poor drainage including sites with high water tables
   • Sites with soil creep or mantel creep
   • Sites in an area with a history of landslides where slope reinforcement has been used and/or numerous road repairs have been made
   • Sites below a steep back slop that might fail
   • Sites located in areas of sheared rock, fault zones, or near geologic contact zones where there are two or more different types of rocks/soils come in contact with one another
   • Sites where grading and soil removal was extensive
5. Soil conditions exist that corrode pipes easily and require frequent replacement
6. Soil properties are favorable for lawn, shrubs, trees, flowers, and vegetables without extensive soil modification.

If you, your builder, or your agent discover anything while performing your own site survey and area evaluation then don't hesitate to contact a licensed geotechnical engineer for professional advice.

Meyers Creek Reflections ~ Brookings, Oregon

Myers Creek Beach is part of Pistol River State Park located about half way between the towns of Brookings and Gold Beach, Oregon. This beach has been the silent star of several television commercials. It is also a world famous location for championship windsurfing competitions, including the annual Pistol River Wave Bash.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Click here to view full gallery: Brookings Oregon Photo Gallery

Photo of the Week I

Photo of the Week II

Photo of the Week III

Photo of the Week IV

Photo of the Week V

If you or someone that you know is thinking about buyer or selling on the Southern Oregon Coast, contact Amy Myrah at (541) 661-0231 or stop by Beckley & Company Real Estate, located in the heart of downtown Brookings at 600 Chetco Ave. www.AmyMyrah.com. View these photos are now on display at Beckley & Company Real Estate.

Photo Copyright 2008, Amy Myrah

The Port Orford cedar plays a significant role in the cultural, medicinal, and religious life of the indigenous peoples living along the coast between Coos Bay, OR and the Klamath River in CA It played a significant role in the ceremonial life of coastal natives and it was often used in spiritual purification rites. They also believe that the tree possessed healing powers and every part of the tree was utilized.

Strangely enough, the Japanese also revere the wood from the Port Orford cedar and prefer to use it in the construction of their temples, shrines, and home altars.

The milled wood of the Port Orford cedar has a straight tight grain that takes on a fine finish that is smooth to the touch. It has a creamy white hue that is peaceful and calming in its appearance. But it is the rose-like scent and the ginger aroma of the wood that makes the longest lasting impression on wood lovers. In addition to the uses specified above it has been used to build sailing ships and dories as well as custom built arrows, guitars, furniture, flooring, paneling, siding, and decking.

According to the fossil records it was plentiful in this 200 mile long by 40 mile wide narrow strip of rain-soaked coast approximately 50 million years ago. However several decades after the first American pioneers discovered the strength, straight grain, and decay-resistant qualities of its wood the stands of Port Orford cedar would become scarce due to logging and to a root fungus.

It was first collected in 1854 a by botanist working for Lawson & Son Nursery in Edinburgh, Scotland and subsequently called the Lawson Cypress. It is also called a Ginger Pine (due to the ginger fragrance of the wood) though locals still call it a Port Orford cedar even though technically speaking it is not a cedar tree.

The Port Orford cedar has distinctive appearance that makes it easy to identify amongst the Douglas Firs, Western Hemlocks, Red Cedars, Shore Pines, and Sitka Spruces. It is a handsome tree that regularly reaches 164 – 230 feet tall, 12 feet in diameter with bark that is 6 – 12 inches thick. Wikipedia explains that this tree has feathery foliage in flat sprays, which are somewhat blue-green in color and scale-like (see photo below). The seed cones are globe shaped, 7 - 14 mm in diameter, with 6-10 scales, green at first, maturing brown in early fall, 6-8 months after pollination. The male cones are 3 - 4 mm long, dark red, turning brown after pollen release in early spring. The bark is reddish-brown, and fibrous to scaly in vertical strips.

Home buyers and developers with knowledge and experience in local development issues and geologic hazards probably don't need a local real estate agent who has acquired this knowledge. However, if you are searching for a property on the southcoast of Oregon and you haven't acquired this knowledge and experience then it would be to your benefit to work with a real estate agent who understands how to evaluate property for geologic issues and hazards. An agent with local area expertise and the ability to recognize geologic conditions effecting property would provide you with greater insight, access to better information on specific properties and/or developments and help you recognize when professional assessment is needed. An agent with local area expertise can introduce you to geologists and engineers with experience in the southcoast area that will help you make better purchase decisions, negotiate better prices, and make better and site appropriate building plans based on their professional assessment(s).

Some of the geologic processes effecting land development or redevelopment include:

1. Geologic Materials impacting land development
   • Bedrock Foundations
   • Terrace Foundations
   • Soil Formation on various materials
2. Slide and Stability Problems
   • Recognizing slide areas
   • Prevention of slides
   • Corrective measures
3. Drainage and Erosion Issues
   • Excavation and Grading
     • Building Requirements
     • Erosion control and landscaping
   • Foundations and Drainage
     • Proper drain installations
     • Problems with foundations related to poor drainage
4. Ground Water Occurrences
   • Benefits
   • Problems

Some resources for buyers and developers are:

1. Geologic Maps
2. Geologic Reports
3. Uniform Building Code, specifically Chapter 70

If you are looking to purchase property on the southcoast of Oregon in Gold Beach, Port Orford, or Bandon I would appreciate the opportunity to work with you.