Clam Bay

There are enough constructed beaches on Puget Sound, and Puget sound is large enough, so that it's easy to lose track of some of them. Including some of the nicest ones. Particularly when they're located a little off the track. This one, which I last visited in October 2010, is located in Manchester, pretty much in front of the Manchester Environmental Lab (EPA and Ecology). It is a secured area, so professional interest is tolerated, but a lunch stop with the kids would be frowned on.

AERIAL VIEW

The "Shore Protection System" (some might call it a gravel beach) was built in 1999-2000? as part of cleaning up and capping the old Navy dump site (nothing like a little lagoon behind a spit in which to dump stuff, then burn it for fire training exercises). The Corps is responsible for occasionally checking on how it's doing, but I don't know if there has been any tweaking of the original beach work. Frankly, it looks like it's doing just fine.

This is a really neat beach. It has a slightly engineered look, particularly the coarse gravel storm berm, but what a great alternative to the rock revetment that might have been built otherwise. Remind me someday to figure out how to draw more attention to these projects!