There is a large, coordinated beach cleanup that is held twice each year. An International Coastal Cleanup, usually held in April (to coincide with Earth Day), and once again in September. The Ikkkatsu Project has been a regular participant in these semi-annual coastal forays, and for years has revisited some of the same stretches of shoreline, tracking the wax and wane of marine debris on the sand and in the woods above the tideline. Until last year, of course.

This year, the plan is to do something a little different. Because the deposition study that we’ve been doing as part of the South Kuiu Cleanup has turned out to be so interesting and because the rate of deposit and scouring on a particular beach can provide a good picture of how it all gets moved around, we’re going to set up a deposition study on the Washington coast this April. (This was on the agenda for 2020, but because of lockdowns and related travel advisories, it didn’t happen.)

There are still large portions of the northwest coast that are closed to visitors. Hopefully, this will start to ease as the virus abates but for now, which beach is chosen will depend on legal access, both now and in the future. Because the study section will need to be completely cleaned of debris for every survey, it would help if it were close to the road. At the same time, it should be far enough away from access points that it is not regularly visited.

I had a beach all picked out. Right at the moment, however, it is not open. Circumstances have forced the move to the second choice location… still a good one. That’s it in the photo… any guesses?