PCSGA Beach Cleanup March 13 - Would a tide lower than +5.4 help?

Note: If tideland owners prefer shellfish workers not walk on their tidelands, if there are questions, or if you'd like to help, the contact information is: mary@pcsga.org or 360-754-2744.

 

Tide Chart for March 13

(from here)

 

The Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association is holding their biannual beach cleanup Thursday, March 13. Typically the growers will gather at the Arcadia Point public boat launch and from there fan out across south Puget Sound to gather debris from the upper level tidelands.



 

Tires, Styrofoam, Wood

 

As would be expected, tires, styrofoam, wood, bottles and other loose items typically found in the higher tidal elevations are gathered. The boats return to Arcadia Point where the garbage is off-loaded onto trucks which carry them away. It is a helpful service.

 

What about the debris at

lower tidal elevations?

 

There is, however, an area which needs improvement. It is the lower tidal elevations where all of the PVC pipes and much of the netting used in aquaculture exists. It is there where much of the debris exists. On March 13 the tidal area where geoduck farming goes on, +2 to -4, is covered by 3 to 9 feet of water at the lowest tide of the day (+5.4 at 11:34 in Olympia). Public relations efforts and a more meaningful impact would be helped immensely if the growers were to instead schedule their cleanup day(s) during these minus tide events. It is this area where the most concern exists.

 

A geoduck farm in need of cleaning up.