Mile 147 Report

September 13, 2022
by Lyndell

Location:
Douglas
Oregon Dunes NRA, North Spit Umpqua River, Winchester Bay
Conditions:
Tuesday 12:00 AM
Foggy
65° F
Tide Level:
8.3 ft
Humans / Pets:
People:
0
Dogs:
0
Activities:
Concerns:
Apparent Violations:
1 four wheeler illegally driving through the restricted snow plover area on miles 146 and 147
Disturbances:
Vehicles:
Cars/Trucks parking:
1
ATVs/OHVs on beach, allowed:
1
ATVs/OHVs on beach, prohibited:
1
Activity Comments:
One 4 wheeler drove out and back from the closure sign on mile 146 to the Jetty. I took pictures as they went by and they became nervous and went right back towards Sparrow Park.
Notable Wildlife:
Dead Birds:
Total:
2
Species/names:
sea gulls. just feathers left
Stranded:
Total:
0
Fish & Invertebrates:
Driftline:
Animal casings (e.g. crab, shrimp molt)
Beach had been swept cleaning by the receding high 8.3 tide earlier in the day.
New Development:
Steps down bluff
steep bluff had filled in with the summer wind blown sand. It was too steep to walk up the bluff last spring but could walk up and down this time.
Modifications:
Natural Changes:
Comments:
Summary:

Beach appeared to be normal.  The Sparrow Park road leading to the beach access is in terrible condition.  I may have to cut back my trips to the late summer early fall before rains begin in the future.  Working on talking with the Forest Service to take care of the giant ruts and pot holes.  More brown pelicans then I have every seen along mile 147 and the preceding miles hiked to get there off of Sparrow Road.

  • Brown pelicans flying low over the water along mile 147
    The most pelicans I have ever seen along mile 147.
    September 13, 2022
  • Looking north from the south end of mile 147. Driftwood partially buried with sand.
    September 13, 2022
  • Illegal 4 wheeler in the closed snowy plover area mile 147
    September 13, 2022
  • Mile 147 Jetty
    September 13, 2022
  • Long view of the jetty from the top of the foredune on mile 147. Summer blowing sand has filled in against the jetty rocks making it easier to get on top.
    September 13, 2022
  • Top of the jetty at the east end. Sand has blown in around the rocks.
    September 13, 2022
  • Beach grass on top of the foredune
    September 13, 2022
  • Looking north from the south end of mile 147 next to the jetty Beach is clean from the receding high tide carrying off debris. Also garbage buried by the summer blowing sand.
    September 13, 2022
  • Bluff that had filled in with sand and could be walked up
    Mile 147. The old entrance for 4 wheelers to the area behind the foredune. The wooden blockade at the top has been buried in sand.
    September 13, 2022
  • Access over the foredune now filled in with enough sand to walk up and over.
    September 13, 2022
  • Looking along the north umpqua jetty from on top of the foredune
    September 13, 2022
Other Mile 147 Reports (23)

2022

February 10, 2022 - Lyndell
Miles 141-147 did not have any die offs or concentrations of dead marine or invertebrate animals. Pictures will show the steeper bluff formed by erosion of sand to the pathway up and over the...
read more

2021

April 27, 2021 - Lyndell
Beach did not display any abnormalities as far as erosion or die offs of sealife.  One bag of trash mostly sandwich bags, plastic bags, bottles and bits of blue rope.
read more
  • Picture showing location of the trash bag that was filled. Near the jetty where the ATV's used to cross the foredune.
  • Looking from the east end of the jetty out along the fordune to the south
  • Fordune and Jetty
  • Blocked off ATV entrance over the foredune. It is filling with sand
  • Shows how much sand is filling in around the barricade
  • Looking at the fordune and the roped off area.
  • Looking the length of mile 147 from the north end towards the south end and jetty

2020

September 28, 2020 - Lyndell
Mile 147 looked clean with the build up of blowing summer sands.  The fordune was continuous with the beach as the sand had accumulated in front of the fordune making a ramp to the top.  Same with...
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  • Blocked off road going over the foredune
  • Blocked off road going over the foredune. Showing how sand has filled in over the summer as compared to last winter

2019

December 16, 2019 - Lyndell
Coastline along Mile 147 and the preceding Mile 144-146 were clean of major garbage and trash.  No accumulation of dead sealife or birds.  The Sparrow Park Road leading from Hwy 1 down to to ocean is...
read more
  • Large bluff along mile 147 200 yards before the jetty.

2018

November 16, 2018 - Lyndell
read more
  • Sand infill against the Umpqua North Jetty
  • Sand infill against the foredune
  • Camping area next to Umpqua North Jetty
  • Blocked off ATV access over the foredune Umpqua North Jetty
March 11, 2018 - Lyndell
Since my last visit in June 2017 there were noticable difference to the bluff on the southern end of mile 147 before the Jetty.  The beach had been swept clean of driftwood and the usual amount of...
read more
  • Unusual fish out of water but alive.
  • Mile 147 clean swept beach.
  • Foredune erosion.
  • Entrance to the foredune area at Mile 147.

2017

June 5, 2017 - Lyndell
Mile 147 was relatively free from human generated garbage like campfire rings.  We did pick up plastic bottles and small pieces of debris that had washed ashore.  In addition we piled garbage along...
read more
  • The surf line along Mile 147

2015

December 14, 2015 - SmithRiver
A quiet, calm but beautiful day.  Some plastic garbage in the rack line is about it.
read more

2014

December 27, 2014 - onehorse
Our miles are difficult to get to as from the end of Sparrow Park Road you have to cross the soft sand and then head 5 miles south along the beach. This was an unusual visit, with a dead whale, a ray...
read more
  • I think he was dead, but his blowhole was still functioning--that is, exhaling through a bloody bubbly liquid.
  • The baleen were very visible. This view is of the entire whale.
  • This stingray was about 36" across. A seagull was pecking away at him when we came upon them. I'd always thought of rays like this one as tropical or subtropical animals. If that's true, this guy died a long way from home.
  • This was some of the remains of a very large, furry animal we thought to be a sea lion, though the rest was just an amorphous gathering of furry hide--almost like a big rug. These bones were next to it.
July 5, 2014 - onehorse
Two couples in tents just above the high tide mark were the only people we saw on our miles, but there were many more than that, maybe 30 or 35 north where Sparrow Park Road meets the beach. The...
read more
May 1, 2014 - Lyndell
Four of us cleaned mile 147 and accumulated 4 large bags of trash. Mile 147 had less garbage than previous trips. Road leading from hwy 1 on sparrow Park road down to the beach is in terrible...
read more
  • Millions of ants with wings. I think carpenter ants were along the entire 5 miles of beach that I walked.

2013

May 13, 2013 - Lyndell
Mile 147 had no human activites going on. Campsites had been covered with blowing sand as if it were summer. The 4 miles leading to mile 147 did have some human activity in the form of fishing and...
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February 4, 2013 - Lyndell
Overall beach was clean and appeared in good condition.
read more
  • Lots of driftwood piled up next to the foredune

2012

June 28, 2012 - onehorse
A huge encampment was within a short walk of the road. A dozen or so cars at the entrance to the beach and, as before, toilet paper and other garbage lined the roadside. About a half dozen people...
read more

2011

June 13, 2011 - Lyndell
Mile 147 was in excellent shape. Very little garbage (It could be buried under new sand deposits from wind or tides). I had 5 people helping me look for trash and filled one 50 gallon garbage bag...
read more

2010

June 16, 2010 - onehorse
Beautiful day. Most of the people that far down on the beach were older men, like me, fishing, clamming, poking around in the driftwood looking for treasure. I felt, as always, so grateful to live...
read more
April 12, 2010 - Lyndell
Mile 147 did not have an abundance of wildlife this time compared to Fall 2009. There was more garbage then I have seen to date. Erosion looked normal. The area near the jetty was cleaner than in...
read more
  • Looking towards the foredune along mile 147
  • Beach along 147 after several storms.
  • Looking out towards the ocean and the jetty from the foredune to show sand leading to the waters edge.
  • Picture taken next to the jetty out towards the ocean.
February 4, 2010 - onehorse
Nothing unusual on our miles, 147 and 148. The tide was far enough out that access was easy, even the entry from Sparrow Park Road. I have noticed over the years a steady decrease in the amount of...
read more

2009

June 18, 2009 - Lyndell
No dogs, people or vehicles were on mile 147. But there were dogs, people and OHV's in the parking area and miles 152,151 and 150 leading up to mile 147. More wildlife than I have ever seen on the...
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  • Eel dropped by Osprey
  • Very large Fort along mile 147. Several smaller forts in the same area.
  • Amount of garbage on Mile 147. Had to carry with a stick for 5 miles back to the parking area.
  • Large driftwood tree root on mile 147.
  • Dead Seal on Mile 152 just before the creek.
  • Tire put upright 2.5 miles north of the jetty. Please pick up.
  • View from the Jetty looking north at mile 147

2008

December 5, 2008 - Lyndell
We removed a 30 gallon bag of trash over the 5 mile area from the Jetty to the Sparrow Park parking area. We asked a park vehicle to take some of our trash and also a second vehicle to take a second...
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September 20, 2008 - Lyndell
The beach was mostly free of debris and garbage. Very few people and dogs. There were 10 dead birds at mile 148.5 on the way to 147. Mile 147 had the most garbage due to its closeness to the levee...
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  • Just after low tide. Taken from the jetty looking north towards mile 148.
June 27, 2008 - Foggy
Brown water of diatom bloom. Almost no human impact whatsoever.
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  • Large Angelica clump at foot of foredune. Angelica is the plant from which the CoastWatch icon (in top-left corner of your window) was derived. Height is about 4 feet.
  • A couple of grateful insects appreciating the large and nectar-laden blossoms of Angelica
  • American Searocket, Cakile edentula, in blossom on open sand. This one was at the foot of the foredune, not far above the high tide line.
  • Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, height about 1 foot. This one was at the peak of the foredune with both American and European beachgrass.
  • Length: 7 feetCondition: dead 2 - 4 weeks at least.Injuries: possible bullet hole
  • A Steller sea lion enjoying a meal of some kind of fish, possibly salmon, in Umpqua River near North Jetty on Mile 146.
  • Typical scene on Mile 147 and north half of Mile 146. Umpqua North Jetty in distance.
March 9, 2008 - Lyndell
The waves were up to far on the beach for comfort given the amount of large pieces of Driftwood and the steep embankment. So, I was unable to reach mile 147. I was able to get to 150 and 149 and this...
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