Mile 218 - Agate Beach, State Wayside, Little Creek - September 22, 2011

Report Details

What a difference a day or two makes. In the past 48 hours, the season's first big surf has come rolling up into the summer dune field. The most seaward 'row' of dunes has been overtopped and flattened. The bigger waves also reached well into the 'valleys' between the higher beach dunes, as far as 25-30 metres carrying the wrack line into the dry sand areas. Lots of surf-grass, sea palms and feather boa kelp on the wet sand. Nearer the surfline, a score of large piles of bull kelp (up to 4-5 metres long and a metre high) dot the sand. A few of the smaller logs that haven't moved since coming ashore after the Columbia River freshet in May-June were moved higher up the beach by last night's big surf and high tide.

Conditions

Temperature: 59 F. Cloud Cover: Foggy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SW.

Human Activities

Number of people: 2. Walking or running: 2.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 1.

Notable Wildlife

Several Western gulls, four wimbrels, one great blue heron

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells, Small rocks, Wood pieces. One crab float, one flip-flop