Rolling Bay Walk

In January, 1997, a family of four was killed by a landslide at this site on Bainbridge Island (see Brenda Bell's article, The Liquid Earth, in the January, 1999, Atlantic Monthly). Other nearby houses were lost to separate slides during the previous winter and in March 1997, although without the fatalities. Today, a double-tiered retaining wall is being built on the slope so the waterfront lots can be redeveloped.

Point Bolin

Some seawalls are special. I'm sure there is a great story to go with this one, but it's not one I've learned yet. The concrete pipe segments that remain upright are acting as planters for dune grass.

Chimacum Beach

More pictures of the evolving beach at Chimacum. The spit seems to be becoming more distinct. The hydrology of the back-barrier lagoon is still a bit confused - with two outlets and a drainage governed by the incidental topographic subtleties of February's excavation work. Some organic material is accumulating in the nascent lagooon. The hydroseeded vegetation on the upland is beginning to take hold, along with a healthy assortment of nettles, blackberry, and morning glory.

Clallam Bay

Back to May for this one. Some beaches attract more attention than others. After the Clallam River reaches the coast, it hangs a sharp left and heads a mile or two west before finding its way to the sea. But it doesn't always find its way to the sea in the same place. And sometimes, it doesn't even have the oomph to reach the sea at all, disappearing into the gravel behind the berm for months at a time. This presents a bit of a challenge if you are anadramous. A bridge usually provides pedestrians a way across the river to the beach. Except last year, when the river migrated right under the seaward end of the bridge, taking the steps away and leaving a bridge to nowhere. The best answer is often to roll with the punches rather than fight (or even try to predict) nature's whims. Simpler to build a new ramp and prepare for occasional closures.