This calendar is the place to find fun events happening throughout Grays Harbor County including Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Westport, Ocean Shores, Elma, Montesano and beyond.
Have an event that isn’t listed? Please email events@GraysHarborTalk.com with the following information:
- Name of Event
- Date, time and location (name of business if applicable and complete address)
- Organizer(s) name
- Cost
- URL to purchase tickets
- Website URL
- SHORT description of event
- Photo
Our editors will review and post within a few business days.
OLYMPIA — Shellfish managers have approved four more days of razor clam digging at Mocrocks Beach only, after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat.
The?approved morning?razor clam digs, along with low tides, are listed below:
- May 24, Monday; 5:32 AM; -0.7; Mocrocks only
- May 26, Wednesday; 7:09 AM; -1.6; Mocrocks only
- May 28, Friday; 8:46 AM; -2.5; Mocrocks only
- May 30, Sunday; 10:26 AM; -1.6; Mocrocks only.
No digging is allowed after noon during digs when low tide occurs in the morning.
“The marine toxin results are in, they are low enough, and we are happy to open four more days of digging on alternate days at Mocrocks, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. “Opening on alternate days allows us to share dates with our tribal co-managers and ensure everyone has opportunities to dig during favorable tides.”
No other beaches are scheduled to open at this time. “We will soon begin our summer razor clam stock assessment and will be looking forward to some great digging starting in the fall,” said Ayres.
Many ocean beaches are open to motor vehicles, but drivers are required to follow the “rules of the road,” said Ayres. “Mocrocks beach only has three points of road access, so we are asking beachgoers to arrive early and exercise good judgment when accessing the beach,” he added.
“Under state law, all vehicles – and horses – are required to travel along the extreme upper limit of the hard sand,” he said. “When in doubt, follow the path marked by multiple tire tracks.” Drivers who veer from that path pose a direct threat to fish and wildlife, Ayres said. Motorists who violate Washington state laws on beach driving can face a fine of $150, or much more for killing endangered seabirds, like snowy plovers.
“We manage recreational clam digging in Washington in a manner that we believe minimizes potential impacts to vulnerable ground nesting listed bird species,” said Ayres. “We do this by not scheduling digging after May 15 at key breeding areas for snowy plovers and streaked horned larks, including Long Beach and Twin Harbors.”
The May 15 date has been identified as the peak breeding season for these birds, which are listed as threatened under federal law and as endangered in Washington. In addition to the mid-May deadline, WDFW provides sanitation facilities, outreach and education to beach visitors to minimize impacts.
The agency continues to emphasize ‘digging while distancing’ and masking up when near others to support efforts by community health experts to ensure a fun and safe razor clam season. Razor clam diggers can find detailed beach maps that indicate locations and local names for beaches on?WDFW’s razor clam webpages.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license (starting at $9.70) to an annual combination fishing license, are available on?WDFW’s website?and from some 600 license vendors around the state. Under state law, diggers at open beaches can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
More information can be found on WDFW’s razor clam?webpage?.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.
OLYMPIA — Shellfish managers have approved four more days of razor clam digging at Mocrocks Beach only, after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat.
The?approved morning?razor clam digs, along with low tides, are listed below:
- May 24, Monday; 5:32 AM; -0.7; Mocrocks only
- May 26, Wednesday; 7:09 AM; -1.6; Mocrocks only
- May 28, Friday; 8:46 AM; -2.5; Mocrocks only
- May 30, Sunday; 10:26 AM; -1.6; Mocrocks only.
No digging is allowed after noon during digs when low tide occurs in the morning.
“The marine toxin results are in, they are low enough, and we are happy to open four more days of digging on alternate days at Mocrocks, said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. “Opening on alternate days allows us to share dates with our tribal co-managers and ensure everyone has opportunities to dig during favorable tides.”
No other beaches are scheduled to open at this time. “We will soon begin our summer razor clam stock assessment and will be looking forward to some great digging starting in the fall,” said Ayres.
Many ocean beaches are open to motor vehicles, but drivers are required to follow the “rules of the road,” said Ayres. “Mocrocks beach only has three points of road access, so we are asking beachgoers to arrive early and exercise good judgment when accessing the beach,” he added.
“Under state law, all vehicles – and horses – are required to travel along the extreme upper limit of the hard sand,” he said. “When in doubt, follow the path marked by multiple tire tracks.” Drivers who veer from that path pose a direct threat to fish and wildlife, Ayres said. Motorists who violate Washington state laws on beach driving can face a fine of $150, or much more for killing endangered seabirds, like snowy plovers.
“We manage recreational clam digging in Washington in a manner that we believe minimizes potential impacts to vulnerable ground nesting listed bird species,” said Ayres. “We do this by not scheduling digging after May 15 at key breeding areas for snowy plovers and streaked horned larks, including Long Beach and Twin Harbors.”
The May 15 date has been identified as the peak breeding season for these birds, which are listed as threatened under federal law and as endangered in Washington. In addition to the mid-May deadline, WDFW provides sanitation facilities, outreach and education to beach visitors to minimize impacts.
The agency continues to emphasize ‘digging while distancing’ and masking up when near others to support efforts by community health experts to ensure a fun and safe razor clam season. Razor clam diggers can find detailed beach maps that indicate locations and local names for beaches on?WDFW’s razor clam webpages.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license (starting at $9.70) to an annual combination fishing license, are available on?WDFW’s website?and from some 600 license vendors around the state. Under state law, diggers at open beaches can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
More information can be found on WDFW’s razor clam?webpage?.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.
Join us for a scenic, fun, charity ride through beautiful Grays Harbor County. You’ll ride through forests, farmlands, over rivers and hills and finish by the spectacular Pacific Ocean.
Our mission for this event is to provide Grays Harbor County an opportunity to get active in a safe and supportive way. This one-day cycling event is the perfect ride with a team or as a personal challenge and is open to ages 16 and up, with three separate lengths for beginners to pros. This is NOT a timed event, so we encourage you to challenge yourself to a distance that makes sense for you and demonstrates your commitment to helping build the healthiest community in the Nation, right here in Grays Harbor.
While fundraising is not required to participate in our ride, we welcome you to support our cause in all the ways you are comfortable. Money raised from fundraising efforts and registration fees go towards supporting Summit Pacific Medical Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit.
Register ONLINE: https://bit.ly/RideTheHarbor
If you would like to learn more, volunteer to help or join our cause, please contact us at 360-346-2250 or email Foundation@sp-mc.org.
Talk Description: Orcas thrive in a land to the north, why are the southern residents endangered? A talk with Lynda Mapes, Seattle Times environment reporter about her newest book, Shared Waters Shared Home. Published with the Seattle Times and Braided River, the book is based on the internal award winning series Seattle Times Hostile Waters and uses photography by Steve Ringman and maps and explanatory graphics by artist Emily Eng to explore and explain the roots of this environmental crisis endangering the southern residents orcas that frequent Puget Sound, and the Chinook salmon they depend on. Lynda’s talk will close with a short discussion of the implications and lessons to be learned for the Chehalis Basin.
Signed copies of Shared Waters Shared Home are in stock at Elliott Bay Books for pick up in store, or by mail order. Also available online anywhere books are sold.
Time and Date: Wednesday, June 30, 2021. From 3:30 to 4:30, a 45-minute presentation followed by 15 minute Q&A.
Pre-Registration Required: Go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldO6pqjwpG9Uc7dbbcG0nfymJ7EQh7xs3. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
For more information on Lynda’s talk, please contact Kathy Jacobson at kmjacoson59464@gmail.com.
Sponsored by the Chehalis Basin Lead Entity. For more information about how you can be involved in projects that support salmon recovery, visit the Chehalis Basin Lead Entity website: www.chehalisleadentity.org.
Local authors Jan Bono and Joseph Sykes will be signing books at Harbor Books in Hoquiam. Jan Bono is the author of the Sylvia Avery cozy mystery series, set on the Long Beach Peninsula, and many other works. Joseph Sykes has published numerous collection of poetry celebrating life in Grays Harbor, including I Am Inspired: A Collection of Poems for the People and Places of Grays Harbor Washington.
