Mile 229 - South Depoe Bay - December 13, 2020 | Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

Report Details

King Tide of 10.3 this morning. Observed many shorebirds, residents and dogs walking along the pathways, which is the only safe location to observe mile 229. Nothing extraordinary to report, other than the King Tides, which are always a welcome treat, especially since there were no accompanying storms this time.

Conditions

Temperature: 53 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: SE. Tide Level: 10.3 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 9. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 9. Residents of Little Whale Cove were out for a walk enjoying ocean views

Notable Wildlife

There were Surfbirds, Black Oyster Catchers, Black Turnstones and Western Gulls on the rocks

Driftline Content

Wood pieces, Styrofoam, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). Mile 229 is on rocky shores. There is no sandy beach along the mile. There is one area that is referred to as Shell Cove with several styrofoam floats, ropes, pieces of wood washed ashore. This is as close as this mile gets to a drift line.

Actions & Comments

Apologies for the lack of reports these past months. Mile 229 is quite different from many miles on the Oregon coast, and some of this mile is inaccessible in the north end of the mile due to the need to climb along rocks, walking through private property in the adjoining neighborhood. Today, there was a King Tide around 10:30 AM and it's always a treat to see the more dramatic changes in the water levels along the rocks and in Little Whale Cove. On days like today, the ocean waves come in to the Cove. Usually, the Cove is separate from the ocean. Many shorebirds were out this morning to include Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones, Western Gulls and Surfbirds. Recent storms brought in more debris into Shell Cove. In June 2019, my brother and I climbed down Shell Cove during a very low tide and took about about 15 pounds of debris that was deposited from the previous winter storms. It will be time to do this again in the coming months after most of the storms are over.