CAVE JUNCTION STP - Secondary Wastewater Treatment in Cave Junction, Oregon

CAVE JUNCTION STP is a municipal wastewater treatment facility located at 193 South Sawyer Avenue in Cave Junction, Josephine County, Oregon. The plant serves a population of approximately 2,731 residents in this rural community near the Siskiyou Mountains. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard level required under the US Clean Water Act for municipal facilities of this scale. With a designed capacity of 1,968.41 m³/day and an actual discharge volume of 757.08 m³/day, the plant operates well within its capacity, ensuring reliable treatment for the community. The treated effluent is discharged into the Illinois River watershed, which flows into the Rogue River and eventually reaches the Pacific Ocean. The plant plays a key role in protecting water quality in this ecologically sensitive region, which supports diverse aquatic life including salmon and steelhead trout.

The plant discharges into the Illinois River basin, a tributary of the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon. The Rogue River is a nationally recognized wild and scenic river that supports critical habitat for threatened and endangered fish species, including coho salmon and steelhead trout. The watershed ultimately drains to the Pacific Ocean near Gold Beach, Oregon.