Shoreline Articles

February 21, 2020

Oregon Shores Appeals Riprap Decision

The Tai Dang house in Rockaway Beach, showing the eroded dune where he is placing the riprap.\Photo by Phillip Johnson. We are fighting the final, last-ditch battle in a years-long struggle to prevent the riprapping of a structure in Rockaway Beach that never should have been built. The owner was allowed last year to install temporary riprap; his application to...Read more
February 11, 2020

King Tides Project Wraps Up for the Winter

Alsea River and Drift Creek during the most recent king tide.|Photo by Alex Derr, with support from Lighthawk. We have now completed the annual King Tides Project for winter, 2019-2020. The three sets of extreme high tides we documented took place Nov. 25-27, Jan. 10-12, and Feb. 8-10. There was also a "bonus Christmas round" Dec. 24-26. The King Tides Project...Read more
February 8, 2020

Rocky Habitat Plan Moves to Next Phase

Otter Rock tidepools at low tide.\Photo by Laurel Hillmann. More than two years ago, Oregon Shores successfully urged the state’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) to begin a review of Oregon’s policies protecting rocky intertidal habitat on the coast. As we argued, these policies hadn’t been reviewed since the 1990s, and the plan that had been adopted then...Read more
August 14, 2019

New Environmental Steward Program Boosts CoastWatching

Marine debris surveying will be one way of earning a certificate.\Photo by Jesse Jones. Oregon Shores and CoastWatch announce a new partnership with Clatsop Community College, the Environmental Steward Certificate program. The goals of the new initiative are to boost the skills of CoastWatchers and provide mile adopters with the opportunity to take classes and...Read more
The threatened structure is in center of photo, just south of the creek.\Photo courtesy of DLCD.
August 27, 2018

Rockaway Riprap Case Bounces Back from Court

The threatened structure is in center of photo, just south of the creek.\Photo courtesy of DLCD. The hearing that will be held in Rockaway on Wednesday, Sept. 5, on property owner Tai Dang’s effort to riprap his threatened house, is the latest round in a long battle that has taken place over several years. The joint hearing by the city council and planning...Read more
View from the Port Orford dock.\Photo courtesy of ODFW.
August 7, 2018

Big Weekend in Port Orford Coming Up

View from the Port Orford dock.\Photo courtesy of ODFW. One of CoastWatch’s goals for 2018 is to bolster our citizen science projects on the south coast. Assisted by a grant from the Oregon Parks Foundation Fund that helps to cover travel and other costs, we are trying to give the southern coastal counties some special attention. The full weekend of activities...Read more
Fawn Custer teaching tidepool clinic.\Photo by Alex Derr.
February 24, 2018

Tidepool Tours Offered in Lincoln City

Fawn Custer teaching tidepool clinic.\Photo by Alex Derr. Tidepools and rocky shore habitats are the focus of a series of short field trips CoastWatch has been offering this spring, and which continue into summer. The events are free and open to everyone. They also double as training sessions for CoastWatchers—or prospective CoastWatchers—with rocky stretches...Read more
King tide at Bandon's south jetty. Photo by Barbara Harrison.
February 6, 2018

King Tide Project Will Rise Again this Winter

King tide at Bandon's south jetty. Photo by Barbara Harrison. The 2018-2019 edition of the King Tide Project is on the horizon. We have identified the three highest-high-tide sequences of the coming winter, and we're organizing "preview" events to provide background information and introduce new volunteers to the project. See the calendar for details. To see...Read more
Snowy Plover exclusion area. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service.
September 7, 2017

Snowy Plover Restrictions Still in Effect

Snowy Plover exclusion area. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service. Beachgoers are urged to help recovery efforts of the threatened Western Snowy Plover by respecting nesting areas and beach restrictions. These regulations went into effect for the year on March 15, and while most of the nesting season is over, the regulations remain in force through Sept. 15...Read more
Sea Change
August 30, 2017

Celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day

Courtesy of the Ocean Conservancy SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 is International Coastal Cleanup Day. Ocean trash is a serious pollution issue that affects the health of wildlife, people, and local economies. Trash on our shores and in the water increases the destruction and degradation of wildlife, water quality, and and ecosystems. In partnership with volunteer...Read more