Mile 161 Report
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
April 2, 2024
It was a foggy cool day.
Report Details
It was a foggy cool day. At mile 161 we walked the mile between the Siltcoos outlet & the signpost that closes the beach to DHVS. We saw people walking, taking photos, and fishing. We saw 8 harbor seals in the surf, 2 bald eagles, 5 plovers, 3 large flocks of sanderling, and a few gulls. Along the wrack line, we found many colors of plastics, lots of shells, and thousands of Vellela vellela. As we were leaving we witnessed a sheriff ticket 4 separate minors on dirt bikes for riding on the highway to enter the parking lot.
Conditions
Temperature: 51 F. Cloud Cover: Foggy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 7.0 feet.
Activities
Number of people: 15. Walking or running: 2. Sitting: 12. Fishing: 1.
Other Activities: People in the parking lot were riding dirtbikes.
Concerns
Apparent violations: 4 people were ticketed in the parking lot by the sheriff for riding their OHVs on the highway in to the parking lot area..
Notable Wildlife
2 bald eagles, 3 large flocks of sanderlings, 5 western snowy plovers, a few gulls, 8 harbor seals in the surfline.
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
23 dead or molted crab shells 1 dead jellyfish Thousands of washed-up Velella Velella in the wrack line.
Wrackline Content
Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings or molts, Wood pieces, Marine debris, Plastic debri (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Blue Plastic Green Plastic Red Plastic Orange Plastic White Plastic Clear Plastic Rope Styrofoam Shotgun Shell Metal Glass Black plastic Brown plastic Trash Left behind Yellow plastic Dead European grass Vellela vellela Seals Sticks Shells Huckleberry leaf Alder flowers Salal leaf Lichen Seaweed Crab English ivy leaf Spruce cone Fishing Lure Jellyfish Feather driftwood Fishing hook Beer can Pine cone
Natural Changes
Erosion of vegetated foredune. Smaller cut bank compared to January's observation. Multiple larger dune areas with beach grass intact has begun eroding due to wave action, some beach grass is dead and washing up in the wrack line because of this erosion.
Report Images
Siuslaw Stream Team
CoastWatcher
All Mile 161 Reports
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
What is life like on the Oregon coast beaches? Vellela vellela is a genus of hydrozoa (a group of little, predatory sea creatures) in the family Porpitidae. The Field trip on mile 161 we found amazing stuff from dead wildlife to stuff from Japan and China!
Siuslaw Stream Team
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
We walked along the wrack line of mile 161 and tallied the living and the non-living things we saw. We estimated how many of the big groups of living and non-living things are on the mile, tallied the living and non-living things we saw, and we took a few samples.
Siuslaw Middle School Stream Team
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
What evidence of living or non-living things is found in the wrack line of mile 161? We went to the lowest rackline first, then, while going back, explored the top rackline. Then we explored the river’s mouth and went back to the starting point in the middle. We went the other way until we got to the big yellow sign that said 109A. We did the same thing here, we went to the lowest rack line, then the highest wrack line on the way back. In conclusion, the beach has many living things on the shoreline, and you should be careful of things there. We found lots of shells and other things to put on our posters. By Kaydence Gonzales, Olive Dougherty, Lillian Olson, Ella Gilkey, Myla Streck, Kinsey Boggs
Siuslaw Stream Team
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
We are the shoreline group of the first quarter 6th-grade Stream Team.
Siuslaw Stream Team
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
I was pleasantly surprised to spot many juvenile plovers near the water's edge and further up the shore, sitting in scrapes. I was dismayed to find long expanses of dead jellies. As always, the osprey were feeding and then watching me from their perch on an old fallen tree.
Anna Yori
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
I was happy to see less human encroachment this time into the protected, fenced-off areas designated for the endangered Snowy Plovers.
Anna Yori
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
I monitor this location as a USFS Snowy Plover docent.
Anna Yori
Mile 161
Oregon Dunes NRA just north of Siltcoos River
Many abiotic and biotic factors can be found along the shoreline of Siltcoos Outlet, Florence Oregon. Overall, we found many living and non living things along the wrack line of mile 161.
Siuslaw Stream Team