Mile 242 Report
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
February 26, 2026
During our field observation at the Oregon shore, unseasonably warm weather conditions coincided with increased recreational activity.
Report Details
During our field observation at the Oregon shore, unseasonably warm weather conditions coincided with increased recreational activity. The team engaged in five public outreach conversations, during which our high-visibility vests appeared to enhance approachability and facilitate dialogue. Heavy rainfall earlier in the week had produced pronounced erosion features, including newly formed deep drainage grooves and channels extending from the adjacent residential area to the ocean, indicating accelerated surface runoff. For the first time at this site, a surf perch fisherman was documented. Elevated foot traffic was also evident, with graffiti carved into the sandstone substrate. Wildlife observations included a flock of Scoters offshore and a Bald Eagle soaring overhead. Environmental concerns were noted along the high wrack line, where scattered litter—predominantly microplastics was observed, highlighting ongoing coastal pollution challenges.
Conditions
Temperature: 50 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: -1 feet.
Activities
Number of people: 100. Number of dogs: 26.
Other Activities: Kite flying, rock collecting. Person collecting/harvesting mussels..
Concerns
Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs
Vehicles
Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 20.
Notable Wildlife
The team saw a few crows, hundreds of gulls, and a Bald Eagle. The tidepool had many sculpins, anemones, a variety of kelp, and 5 sea stars.
Beached Birds
N/A
Stranded Marine Mammals
N?A
Wrackline Content
Lots of microplastics and cigarette butts in the wrackline north of D River.
Man-made Modifications
Vandalism. There are more carvings in the sandstone on the cliffs south of D River. The foot-traffic evidence shows that people are ignoring the signage to avoid the area.
Natural Changes
The heavy rainfall three days prior to our visit caused significant erosion of sand along the roadway connecting the beach to the vehicle access platform.
Deep channels connecting the street to the beach from previous storms.
Dead rodent in the wrack line.
Large flock of gulls move as people jog,
Scoters frolic in the tide.
Team Photo
Found by tidepool.
Pacific Rock Crab Claw
Fisherman after perch.
Evidence if erosion,
Heavy foot traffic in off limited areas.
The sandstone chair erosion.
Sandstone shelf watch overtime.
Report Images
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
CoastWatcher
All Mile 242 Reports
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
What began as a foggy morning along the coast soon became much clearer when we spotted a familiar face educating the public at the tide pools near Mile 242. Annette, a member of our group, took the opportunity to educate families about the Lincoln City Glass Floats program, encouraging participants to explore areas outside of protected habitats to increase their chances of discovering one of the treasured glass floats while minimizing impacts to sensitive coastal resources. The high volume of visitors also resulted in a significant amount of litter. As the fog lifted, the coastline came alive with activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Bill, Sally, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
CoastWatch volunteers develop highly trained observational skills. Our monitored mile has changed dramatically as shifting sands have buried portions of the tidepool habitat. Construction of the new visitor center is also underway near our monitoring area.
Teachers Annette, Bobbie, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Anyone missing a sock?
Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During our field observation at the Oregon shore, unseasonably warm weather conditions coincided with increased recreational activity.
Teachers Bobbie, Annette, Sally, Bill, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
During the observation period, favorable coastal weather conditions attracted numerous visitors seeking relief from colder valley temperatures.
Teachers Bill, Sally, Bobbie, Annette, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
At low tide, breakfast at the coast offered a view of the natural world awakening.
Teachers Sally, Bobbie, Annette, Kaily, and Maureen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Over the weekend, a large number of visitors escaped the 100-degree valley heat and headed to the cool Oregon coast, where tidepooling proved especially popular.
Teachers Sally, Laurie, Bobby, Annette, and Maueen
Mile 242
Lincoln City, D River SW, Devils Lake SP, Oceanlake
Despite the foggy, cold, and windy conditions, a zero tide offered a unique opportunity to observe the dynamic changes along the shoreline.
Teachers Bobbie, Sally, Annette, and Maureen