Razor clam digs approved at five ocean beaches

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has given the green light to a razor-clam dig on ocean beaches March 25-28.

Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, Copalis and Kalaloch will all open for digging on evening tides March 25-27. The National Park Service scheduled the dig at Kalaloch, which is within Olympic National Park, to coincide with those at the other beaches.

In addition, two of those beaches - Twin Harbors and Mocrocks - will open for a fourth day of digging March 28.

As during previous digs this season, no digging will be allowed before noon at any of those beaches.

For best results, Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, recommends that clam enthusiasts start digging at least one hour before low tide. Low tides during the digs scheduled this month are:

• Saturday, March 25 - 3:14 p.m., +0.3 ft. (all beaches)
• Sunday, March 26 - 4:07 p.m., 0.0 ft. (all beaches)
• Monday, March 27 - 4:55 p.m., -0.2 ft. (all beaches)
• Tuesday, March 28 - 5:39 p.m., -0.1 ft. (Twin Harbors and Mocrocks only)

Under WDFW rules, harvesters may take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 taken, regardless of size or condition. Each digger's limit must be kept in a separate container.

Park Superintendent Bill Laitner urged clam diggers to be especially careful at Kalaloch during this week's dig. Kalaloch is considerably more remote than the other clamming beaches, and visitors should be prepared for primitive conditions," said Laitner. "With no streetlights or lighted buildings in the area, flashlights or lanterns are a necessity."

WDFW is also tentatively planning a dig for late April - the first of the season scheduled on morning tides.

Provided toxin tests are favorable, Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks and Copalis are all tentatively scheduled to open April 28-30 on morning tides, followed by a one-day dig May 1 at Twin Harbors and Mocrocks. Any digging done during that opening must be completed by noon, according to Ayres.

An April opening at Kalaloch is in question, however, because the clam harvest on that beach has been unusually low during recent digs, said Olympic National Park Superintendent Bill Laitner. An announcement about digging on that beach will be issued once biologists have a chance to investigate, Laitner said.

Locations of Washington's five razor-clam beaches are:

• Long Beach, from the Columbia River north jetty to Leadbetter Point on the Long Beach Peninsula.
• Twin Harbors, from the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor south to the mouth of Willapa Bay.
• Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River and includes the Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.
• Mocrocks Beach, from the Copalis River to the Moclips River.
• Kalaloch Beach, from South Beach Campground to Brown's Point (just south of Beach Trail 3) in Olympic National Park. Visitors to the park are advised to consult area bulletin boards for park safety and other information.