Grayland Beach

A seasonal stream meets the Pacific Ocean at Grayland Beach

Photo by Dan Coe, WGS/DNR

We take for granted the permanence of the land we live on, but residents of coastal Washington know otherwise. The power of coastal currents to pick up, transport, deposit, and rearrange sediment along the coast has built up islands where none were before, and eaten away at other areas. These changes pose a hazard to homes, highways, and livelihoods. Grayland Beach and the community of North Cove are a part of this story. Visiting this stretch of the coast will give visitors an appreciation for the powerful natural forces at work along the Washington coastline.

Be aware that this area is part of a tsunami hazard zone. Go here to learn more about tsunami hazards in Washington.

Map of historical shorelines between Grayland Beach and Cape Shoalwater. This shows how erosion and accretion have dramatically changed the coastline in the past century and a half.

Data sources: USCGS, USGS, NAIP. Map by WGS/DNR

The coastline here is receding at about 100 feet per year

Erosion and deposition patterns on the north side of the mouth of Willapa Bay show just how complex nearshore ocean systems are. Grayland Beach is experiencing high rates of accretion, on the order of hundreds of feet per year and is predicted to continue to accrete at rates of up to 85 feet per year. In contrast, Washaway Beach, south of North Cove, is experiencing astounding rates of coastal erosion. The coastline here is receding at about 100 feet per year, and is predicted to continue doing so at rates of up to 131 feet per year.

This pattern of accretion and erosion has built a vast sandy beach at Grayland State Park but has proven devastating to the community of North Cove. Many inhabitants of the community have lost their homes and even State Route 105 and the local cranberry industry are in danger. Every year more and more of the community is eaten away by the encroaching seas. Homes previously a short walk from the coast are now beach-front property.

The wide, sweeping beach at Grayland Beach State Park is a result of sand being deposited continuously over past decades.

Photo by Katrina Lassiter, DNR

Why is there such a big difference in erosion and accretion rates between two places located right next to each other? This question is difficult to answer because regional coastal processes are often too complex to fully understand. Factors such as waves, tidal flow, water circulation, sediment transport, and coastal geology and geormophology all play a role.

Washaway Beach just south of Grayland Beach is being eroded over time.

Photo by Dan Coe, WGS/DNR

At Washaway Beach, erosion is thought to be controlled partly by a 13- to 20-year cycle in which the natural deep-water channel at the entrance to Willapa Bay migrates northward, cutting into the shoreline. Human activities may also have contributed to the rapid rate of erosion. Jetty construction and the planting of non-native species for erosion control may have affected sediment supply to the coastline here.