June 30, 2018

Report Details

There was nothing startling or unusual about this beachwalk except that we noted significant destruction of a staircase and its foundation below the large vacation rentals just south of Moolack Beach. In the same vein, the fancy RV park's attempts to build a path or stairs to the beach and add drainage pipes below their property have failed spectacularly. We're not certain when either of these erosional events took place. A third change has been the virtual disappearance of the 2-track beach access just north of Moolack Shores Motel. The vegetation is now crowding in on a 5-inch-wide gully at the center of the access route, difficult to navigate.

Conditions

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 1.5 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 14. Number of dogs: 5. Walking or running: 4. Sitting: 6. Tidepooling: 2. Fishing: 2. Other Activities: 2 on bicycles, 1 climbing on rocks that are OK to climb on (not the bluff). Lovely day, everyone behaving properly

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 9.

Notable Wildlife

18 Whimbrels undisturbed, feeding at water's edge; as many as 100 gulls of various species and ages patrolling the shoreline and loafing.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 2. 1 juv gull; 1 Pelagic (?) Cormorant - see photos

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

See photo of typical drift line.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). We collected every piece of trash we encountered, and it wasn't much! See photo.

Natural Changes

Newly exposed roots/trees falling, Visible retreat of solid bluff. It's been a while since we've reported and will use our photos from this report as a benchmark. Seems, however, that the landslide slope below NW 73rd Court is continuing to erode and there is evidence of bluff erosion south of Schooner Point, too.