Mile 240 Report
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
January 11, 2025
The minus tide after a King Tide with fairly good weather brought a lot of visitors out to the beach!
Report Details
The minus tide after a King Tide with fairly good weather brought a lot of visitors out to the beach! The minus tide exposed lots of flat sand and healthy looking tide pools and rocks covered with barnacles, anemones, shells, and star fish. Many people were out photographing and enjoying them and a pretty sun set! A few misty clouds provided some pretty rainbows over the dunes and flat sand beaches.
Conditions
Temperature: 48 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Tide Level: -0.7 feet.
Activities
Number of people: 85. Number of dogs: 42. Walking or running: 65. Sitting: 18. Tidepooling: 12.
Other Activities: The earlier King Tide and good weather brought a lot of people to the beach! About 20 people were playing a game of volleyball. Most people were looking for agates, shells and out for a walk.. Several electric bikes were quickly weaving around people, logs, gravel areas and beach grass areas. One person almost got hit by an ebike..
Concerns
Apparent violations: Many dogs were running loose / off leash, some were running at sea gulls, black oystercatchers and other shore birds..
Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs
Notable Wildlife
A normal winter mix of sea gulls, a few black oystercatchers, cormorants, off shore sea ducks, wrens and pigeons.
Wrackline Content
A few washed up "sea pickles" and jelly fish were observed.
Natural Changes
In most areas, the beach has flattened out due to sand movement. In a few areas, the upper large rocks and cobble stones are being covered with sand. Many of the logs have been moved around or concentrated in a few areas. Erosion below the Easter Lea motel continues with root ball sections sliding down, visible cracks and continuing exposed bedrock. Below the newly constructed house (mentioned before), the beach sand has eroded down to the bedrock and a ~6 foot tall sand cliff has formed as the vegetation is eroding where the track hoe had traveled down onto the beach.
Looking north along the flat sandy beach, basalt and bed rocks to a rainbow. People were looking for agates.
Looking south from rocks toward Siletz River.
Looking east toward Ester Lea motel and erosion.
Tide pool and basalt rocks covered with sea life.
Eroding hill below Ester Lea motel.
Erosion below new house down to bed rock, sand cliff and exposed plant roots.
Report Images
SCOTT TURKLE
CoastWatcher
All Mile 240 Reports
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
The recent flooding and landslides on the Siletz River has deposited many times the amount of trees, logs and root balls! Several beach drift wood structures already include house debris pieces! I triple checked on the pelican since most had already gone south for the winter.
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
It was a beautiful sunny day but suspect the very strong wind reduced the number of visitors.
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
Nice spring weather and a zero tide brought out a lot of visitors to the beach.
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
The minus tide after a King Tide with fairly good weather brought a lot of visitors out to the beach!
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
The high tide had peaked on this king tide day and was going into a negative tide.
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
32 people fishing; 15 enjoying the beach; 4 dogs
Jane Mulholland
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
The day started very foggy but cleared up into a beautiful day and a lot of people were enjoying being on the beach.
SCOTT TURKLE
Mile 240
Taft, Nelscott south, Baldy Creek
A large track hoe was digging in the beach, dune and beach access road at the northwest end of SW Anchor Court.
Scott Turkle