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Ocean Shores waterways board sets July cleanup schedule and limits barge crew to three for safety
Summary
The Ocean Shores Freshwater Advisory Board set a weekly July cleanup schedule and agreed on volunteer and barge safety rules after reporting improvements in Bass Canal; the city will remove nonpowered tubes from Bass Canal next week.
The Ocean Shores Freshwater Advisory Board voted to hold canal cleanups every Wednesday in July at 10:30 a.m., and laid out a volunteer workflow aimed at speeding removals while reducing risk to volunteers.
The board’s plan calls for two people to stay onshore trimming and stacking, two people on the boat to load debris and one or two operators to shuttle loads to an unloading site such as Chinook Park. "We can have no more than 3 people on that barge when we're cleaning," one member said, noting safety concerns after an experimental run left participants injured.
Chair (speaker 2) said the group will try the schedule for July and revisit August tasks at the next meeting. The board emphasized basic personal-protection steps: wear long sleeves, heavy gloves and waders when volunteers enter the water.
Ricky (city liaison, speaker 10) and other members discussed logistics for where to dump debris and coordination with public works for pickup. Members suggested that volunteers on the bank keep debris organized so city crews can collect piles the next day.
Members also flagged navigation challenges at canal entrances caused by dense lily pads and pennywort and asked the planning office to clarify removal limits so volunteers do not worsen erosion control.
The board set the schedule and staffing approach during a meeting that also included event planning and grant discussions. The group will meet again Aug. 3 at 2:00 p.m. to finalize August cleanup assignments.
What happens next: volunteers will be asked to sign up for shifts and the board will confirm unloading sites and pickup dates with public works before the first scheduled Wednesday in July.
