Evidence suggests that as early as 8,000 years ago , long before the New River existed , ancestors of the Siletz and Coquille peoples lived here in large villages near an estuary . On January 26 , 1700 , a tsunami destroyed the estuary and altered the landscape . After the catastrophe , blowing sand blocked streams , creating wetlands behind the dunes
tsunami
1700 Cascadia earthquake
New River (Oregon)