Kalaloch Beach Will Be Closed for Clam Digging Copalis and Twin Harbor Beaches Show Increases in Razor Clams, While Others Lag Behind 11-Year Averages.

By Jeffrey P. Mayor, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Oct. 4–It’s a mixed outlook for the upcoming razor clam season, but diggers can expect the fall and winter digs to be on low tides at the end of the month.

That was the forecast from Dan Ayres, the state’s coastal shellfish manager. He spoke to nearly 50 people at a meeting Monday in Fife.

“The tides this year are a little later (in the day), but they’re good tides near weekends,” Ayres said, who added that the decision on the first digs of the season should be made next week.

Ayres and other staffers from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife have been holding meetings throughout the region, trying to gauge the public’s opinion on dates for digs.

One decision has been made already: Kalaloch Beach will not open this season. With just 272,000 clams available for digging, the state, Quinault and Hoh tribes and Olympic National Park officials agreed to close the beach.

The clam population at Kalaloch is the lowest since data were first collected in 1997-98.

Also showing low numbers is the Long Beach Peninsula, which includes some of the state’s most popular digging beaches. The 24-mile stretch has a population of 4.15 million clams, down 31 percent from last year.

Also a concern is the lack of small clams. “If there’s not some spawning soon, there’s going to be poor clamming at Long Beach next year,” Ayres said.

Numbers are lower also at Mocrocks Beach, down 30 percent from last year.

The bright spots are the Copalis Beach area, which includes Ocean Shores and Twin Harbors. The Copalis population has jumped 67 percent from last year.

“For most beaches, there will likely be just two days of digging each month,” Ayres said of the early season.

“Time and time again we heard people wanted digs once a month, generally around a weekend with a weekday dig as well.”

The best tides this month, for example, run from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28, Thursday through Sunday. Tide times will range from 6:38 p.m. on Oct. 25 to 9:03 p.m. on Oct. 28.

Beach breakdown

Long Beach

2007-08 population estimate: 4,151,123

2006-07 estimate: 6,093,834

Average: 5,290,224

Average clam size: 4.6 inches

Of note: The number getting the attention is the number of clams less than 3 inches long, which are the clams that will be dug in coming years. This year’s estimate is 444,971, well below the average of 12,540,064.

Twin Harbors

2007-08: 3,934,566

2006-07: 3,475,932

Average: 3,102,674

Average clam size: 4.5 inches

Of note: “You’ll see a lot more openings on this beach this year,” Dan Ayres said. The best digging is north or south of Grayland Beach State Park.

Copalis

2007-08: 4,751,308

2006-07: 2,838,707

Average: 4,371,670

Average clam size: 4.2 inches

Of note: Clam sizes here are a little smaller than typical, but the overall numbers are good.

Mocrocks

2007-08: 2,503,092

2006-07: 4,106,309

Average: 4,225,342

Average clam size: 4.6 inches

Of note: “This one has us puzzled,” Ayres said. Roosevelt Beach has high numbers but also attracts big crowds.

Kalaloch

2007-08: 271,868

2006-07: 781,596

Average: 1,943,646

Average clam size: 4.3 inches

Of note: “This is the one beach we can’t figure out. That’s about 10 percent of average,” Ayres said. “We’re just going to give that beach a rest.” Ayres speculated that a disease might be affecting clams there.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

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