Volunteer Resources

Check out the CoastWatch Miles and Reports page. The link for Google Maps leads to the center of that particular stretch of mile. Once you have this information, you can use landmarks to determine your approximate boundaries. Look for permanent reference marks like buildings, roads, trees, or bluffs and rocks to help you. Visit this page to see the coordinates of all the mile boundaries. If you have any questions, email Jesse.

Please report on the condition of the public access point or points you used to enter and exit the beach. Has it been improved, blocked, or recently eroded? Are there new access points?

Aside from your phone or camera for taking pictures, bringing a bag or bucket and gloves to collect marine debris is always a good idea. The majority of CoastWatchers report that they’ve removed debris from their mile. Other good tools are binoculars and a tally counter. You can download a PDF of the report form to take with you or complete the report from your phone or computer.

Try and capture a north and a south view of the beach from a location you can reach each time to show changes in the dunes, cliffs, access points, buildings, and infrastructure at the back of the beach. Focus on beached marine mammals, notable beached birds, high concentrations of dead or live wildlife, signs of high tide activity (driftwood movement), marine debris you removed or could not remove, and the wrack line.

Upload a tide app to your phone, check this website beforehand, or carry a hard copy version. If your beach is narrow and not accessible or dangerous at high tide, you can observe from above. Capturing your beach with a photo at a regular high tide makes for a good comparison photo for the Oregon King Tides Project.

Additional rules exist in designated areas like Marine Education Areas, Marine Research Areas, Marine Protected Areas, and Marine Reserves. Find your CoastWatch Mile on our map to see if it lies in a designated area. Learn about designations here.

How many people, dogs, and vehicles were on your mile, and what were they doing? Managers of the ocean shores and state parks use this information

What was in the wrack line? What notable wildlife (alive and dead) was on the shoreline?

Learn more about what you can do if you find:

• Stranded marine mammals
• Beached birds

Neon-green signs numbered signs are an effort to help visitors identify their location in an emergency. The signs stretch from Fort Stevens State Park in the north to Crissey Field State Park at the California state line. These numbers are relayed to 911 dispatchers, who can tie the number to a GPS location and the closest beach access point. Call 911 and relay the number on the sign if you witness a true emergency.

The easiest way to report is to call the NOAA West Coast Stranding Hotline, which covers the entire West Coast area and will send your report to the appropriate stranding contact. Their number is: 1-866-767-6114

Be sure to complete a report on our website, too- thank you for helping us learn more about marine mammals on our coast!

Thanks for looking out! Here are some helpful numbers and contact:

• Sea turtles and seabirds – Oregon Coast Aquarium 541-867-3474
• Banded birds – US Fish and Wildlife 541-867-4550
• Raptors, perching birds, or other wildlife – Chintimini Wildlife Center in Corvallis 541-745-5324
• Land mammals or other wildlife – Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 541-867-4741
• Sharks and rays – Big Fish Lab at Hatfield Marine Science Center

Depending on the severity of their behavior, you can call a park ranger in the area (numbers listed below) or the Oregon State Police Tipline 800-452-7888.

Consider taking marine debris to your home container. If this isn’t possible, deposit it in beach trash cans. If what you have collected is too large to fit into a can, leave the bag beside the trashcan and make sure the trash is secure so it doesn’t re-pollute. If you have a large amount of debris in a bag and leave it near the beach containers and/or you encounter an extra large item (like a tire, furniture or appliances), contact a beach ranger and tell them where you left the debris. This helps beach rangers tremendously and helps keep our beach accesses clean. See county lists below for phone numbers.

If you encounter an unattended fire, contact a beach ranger or extinguish it if it is safe and possible. Portions of the Oregon beach areas are permissible for campfires, and only paper products and untreated natural wood free of attached metal, nails, glass, or plastic objects are allowed. Do not use gasoline, diesel, or petroleum-based products. Wood must be no longer than 24 inches in length. Fires should be attended at all times and extinguished entirely with water. Ensure that any fire set does not cause personal injury or damage to private property or park resources. Some communities have developed local rules.

All fireworks are prohibited in all state parks and on ocean beaches.

Check out this website to learn general beach rules around driving, fires, driftwood removal, shellfish harvesting, and more.

• Oregon State Parks “Be safe at the beach” page
• Ocean Shores Permits

Additional rules exist in designated areas like Marine Education Areas, Marine Research Areas, Marine Protected Areas, and Marine Reserves. Find your CoastWatch Mile on our map to see if it lies in a designated area. Learn about designations here.

• District Manager, North Coast District Office, Hammond, 503-861-3170 x23
• Manager, Fort Stevens Management Unit Office, Hammond, 503-861, 3170 x27
• Park Ranger Supervisor, Hammond, 503-861, 3170 x22
• Ecola State Park, Park Ranger, 503-812-0650

• Oswald West, Office, 503-812-0650
• Nehalem Bay Park Manager, Nehalem, 971-601-0595 x23
• Nehalem Bay Park Ranger Supervisor 971-601-0595 x22
• Nehalem Bay, Beach Ranger, 971-701-3635 x29
• Cape Lookout Park Manager 503-842-3182 x222
• Cape Lookout Ranger Supervisor, 503-842-3182 x223
• Cape Lookout, Park Ranger, 503-842-3182 x224
• Cape Lookout, Park Ranger, 503-842-4981
• Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Park Ranger, 503-440-8924

• Central Coast District Office Manager, Depoe Bay, 541-270-4232
• Central Coast Park Ranger, 541-270-7995
• Devil’s Lake Management Unit Manager, 541-994-7341
• Beverly Beach Park Manager, 541-265-4560
• Depoe Bay Whale Watch Center, 541-765-3304
• Ellmaker State Wayside 503-877-0028
• Otter Crest State Scenic Viewpoint (Cape Foulweather) 541-765-2270
• Yaquina Bay Lighthouse 541-265-5679
• South Beach Management Unit Manager 541-867-7451
• Brian Booth State Park Visitor Center 541-563-6413
• Coastal Region Office, Waldport, 541-563-8500

• Honeyman Management Unit Park Manager 541-997-3851
• Honeyman Park Ranger Supervisor 541-999-5711
• Carl G Washburne Management Unit Manager 541-547-3416
• Carl G Washburne Park Specialist 541-997-3851
• Carl G Washburne Park Ranger 541-997-3851 x229
• Heceta Head Lighthouse Office 541-547-3437

• Umpqua Lighthouse Office 541-271-4118
• Umpqua Ranger Winchester Bay 541-999-6691

• Gold Beach Police Department https://www.goldbeachoregon.gov/police
• Harris Beach Management Unit Manager 541-469-0224 x220
• Harris Beach Ranger Supervisor 541-469-0224 x401
• Harris Beach Park Ranger 541-469-0224 x404