TIME TO GO to the beach. Gray days are here again.
Autumn’s arrival on the North Olympic Peninsula need not only be about fur, fish spawning and fungi.
There’s always room for razor clams, too.
The area’s most fidgety clams will once again be dodging diggers this October, November and December.
And for the second straight year, that includes a few digging dates at Olympic National Park’s Kalaloch Beach.
Approximately two million adult clams are currently burrowing through its pristine stands, according to Olympic National Park Coastal Ecologist Steve Fradkin.
That should translate into plenty of opportunity for clammers looking to gun down a few razors.
“This is not a bad year at Kalaloch,” Fradkin said.
“The clam numbers are down [from last year’s three million], but they are certainly enough that we’d be very comfortable with it supporting a harvest.”
The 2010 survey actually trumps many of the stock assessments in recent years, most notably in 2007 and ’08 (500,000), when Kalaloch was closed to harvesting.
Since the national park started keeping track of the numbers, there has only been three years where the Kalaloch population exceeded two million (2001, ’02 and ’09).
Park biologists believed that high levels of NIX — nuclear inclusion X — led to deteriorating populations between 2007-08.
With that not as much of an issue now – many clams still have NIX, but at lowered levels, Fradkin said — Kalaloch has been relatively healthy the past two years.
“Size is an issue,” Fradkin said. “The clams have not grown to a huge level, so they are still about 4 ¼ inches long.
“We don’t have a lot of five-inch clams out there.
“They are still a little on the small side.”
Much of Kalaloch’s clam cohort can be found near the campground and Beach Trail 2.
“As usual, the campground area is the richer spot,” Fradkin said.
“Beach Trail 2 does have a reasonable number of clams, but certainly, the bulk of the clams are distributed over to the camp ground/guardrail area.”
Fradkin said that the first digging dates for Kalaloch will likely to be Oct. 8-9.
Southern beaches
Four beaches to the south — Mocrocks, Copalis, Twin Harbors and Long Beach — will also likely open during those dates.
Kalaloch typically opens for two dates during each harvest weekend, with the southern coastal beaches often opening four three, four or five straight days.
Kalaloch’s clammers averaged 10.8 clams per digger trip during the ’09-10 season, according to data provided by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
It was the lowest harvest rate of any of the five beaches.
The highest rate came at Twin Harbors (14.0), with the other three beaches not too far behind.
(The daily limit is 15.)
A joint announcement from the park and Fish and Wildlife on exact dates is expected to be released in the next few days.
Kalaloch should open to afternoon digging for eight separate dates between October and December, Fradkin said.
“Depending on how those go we have every intention of announcing more dates into the New Year,” Fradkin said.
Clam comments
Fish and Wildlife is now accepting public comments on digging days, catch limits and other management options for the upcoming razor clam season.
Suggestions for the 2010-11 season can be sent via e-mail to razorclams@dfw.wa.gov or to RazorClams, 48 Devonshire Rd., Montesano, WA 98563.
Comments regarding initial digging opportunities must be received by Friday.
Fish and Wildlife will consider other suggestions throughout the season.
Information about current razor-clam stocks, marine toxins and digging options is available at http://bit.ly/aoIfnQ.
During the 2009-10 season, clam diggers harvested more than 3.7 million razor clams on the five ocean beaches.
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Matt Schubert is the outdoors and sports columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column regularly appears on Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at matt.schubert@peninsuladailynews.com.