Years ago, not exactly sure how many, I used to help set up beach cleanups out at Yowkwala Beach, in Northeast Tacoma. It’s possible to get in and out of there by boat, but if you are looking for land access, you have to go through the Tyee Marina. There’s a huge parking area there and the part of the lot that is furthest out, that is least in demand for marina users, is the closest one to the beach. It seemed like a win-win situation: the marina allowed us to park in the lot and every time we visited, we cleaned large quantities of debris off the adjacent beach.

Well, something’s changed. After phone calls and an in-person visit, I have been told that the Tyee Marina has no interest in providing support for the Tacoma Shoreline Survey (or any other cleanup effort). That’s unfortunate and I wish I could do something to help change their mind, but meanwhile, we have a job to do.

So, consider this a call for kayakers. Yowkwala is one of Tacoma’s beaches that is most consistently in need of care and the last time we did the survey, we had nowhere near enough coverage here. Not being able to use the parking lot means that we are going to need more volunteers capable of accessing the area from the water. If you haven’t signed up yet, please go to the on-line registration page and make your mark, and if there’s any chance you’d be able to participate in the on-water approach, let us know when you register.

It’s coming up soon…