The Gale Creek watershed is 79 square miles. Its headwaters are on the north side of Round Top, a mountain in the Northern Oregon Coast Range. Gales Creek is named after Joseph Gale, a pioneer member of the Provisional Government of Oregon who settled for a while near the creek.
Pacific Lamprey migration on Gales Creek was previously blocked by the Balm Grove Dam. Since the dam was removed in 2022, Pacific Lamprey are now found upriver from where the dam was removed. Pacific Lamprey are valued as a “First Food” by the Grand Ronde.
