Mile 154 - Oregon Dunes NRA, west of Butterfly Lake - August 30, 2018

Report Details

10 Eugene Hikers walked Mile 154 with Fawn Custer, Volunteer Coordinator. Took Tahkenitch Dunes Trail, entered beach at Emerg. Sign #115, then back on 3 MIle Lake trail (Emerg. Sign #115A). Many areas roped off for snowy plover protection both near north access and along sand bluff on beach. Good snowy plover protection signage on beach (e.g. no dogs or vehicles), but these signs also should have been posted at trailhead. Generally, some evidence of older erosion of vegetated foredune, and little debris on beach. Observed one person walking, and tire and dog tracks in sand outside roped off area. We found a dead mola mola sunfish and whole sea nettle jelly fish about 100 yards north of Emerg. Sign #115A. There were gulls, sanderlings, and a vulture on the beach. The driftline had shells, crab molt, snail egg casings, seaweed dead mole crabs, kelp, algae, wood pieces with barnacles.

Conditions

Temperature: 56 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: W. Tide Level: 1.7 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 1. Walking or running: 1. The signs at beach entry and exit stated motorized vehicles were prohibited on beach, but we observed tire tracks on beach. Fawn believed the vehicle tracks may be from a government agency survey.

Concerns

Litter

Apparent violations: There were signs posted prohibiting dogs, leashed or unleashed at south beach entry (Emerg. sign #115) and beach exit (Emerg.sign #115A trail to 3 Mile Lake). See pictures 1&2. Dog prints near water's edge not within snowy plover closure area. See picture 3..

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 1.

Notable Wildlife

Western gulls, both young (brown) and older (white), flocks of sanderlings and a vulture were flying and on the beach.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

We found a mola mola sunfish (dead) and whole, sea nettle jelly fish, both about 100 yards north of Emerg. Rest. sign #115A/3 Mile Lake trail entrance. Front half of sunfish was above sand and bottom half below. See pictures 4&5.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Little land or ocean based debris. Saw driftwood pieces with barnacles, moon jelly remnants, eel and surf grasses, seaweed, snail egg casings, and a lot of crab molt and shells. See pictures 6-9. Back from the drift line were dead crabs; more razor, mussel and other clam shells, sand dollar pieces, more driftwood.

Man-made Modifications

None, except trail at north beach access sign blocked. Accessed beach at Emerg. Resp. sign #115. Looking north, it looked like much of the bank area was roped off for snowy plover nesting protection.

Natural Changes

Erosion of vegetated foredune. Bushes fallen at sand bluff, but did not look new. See picture 10.