Last Sunday, March 8, 2026, over 120 dedicated community volunteers gathered to clean up debris from the Nehalem Bay estuary – from it’s shores, beaches and waterways. The weather was typically coastal and these hearty souls came prepared in rain gear, hats and boats they fanned out across ten areas to “git’r done” — bringing in thousands of pounds of trash and debris. See the great video below.
14th Biennial (held every other year) Nehalem Estuary Cleanup – By the Numbers:
Volunteers: Over 120
Zones (clean up areas around and on the bay): 10
Yards of Trash: 20 cubic yards (1 overflowing dumpster) – 20 cubic yards of trash typically weighs between 2 and 3 tons (4,000 to 6,000 pounds), or six pickup loads of trash or about 133 trash bags …
Tires: Over one dozen
Mugs: Hoffman Center for the Arts volunteers & LNCT’s Shane Sjogren handmade 95 mugs for volunteers – for enjoying the soup and goodies after a wet day across the bay.
The success of the 14th Biennial Nehalem Estuary Cleanup is a testament to the power of community action, collaboration and partnerships.
This year, more than 100 people of all ages spread out along the near and far reaches of the estuary—by foot and by watercraft—to collect over 20 cubic yards of debris. Among the items recovered were an abandoned kayak, half a canoe, large blocks of Styrofoam, countless flip-flops, containers, and plastic odds and ends. Volunteers also removed over a dozen tires and three full-sized gas tanks, and a 30-foot inflatable rubber dragon discovered amuck in the northern reaches of the bay.
Cleanup Zones were led by LNCT Volunteers and partners from Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP), Friends of Netarts Bay Watershed, Estuary, Beach, and Sea – WEBS, Oregon State University, Nehalem Bay Health Center, the Salmonberry Trail Foundation, Oregon Shores, and the Nehalem Tide Runners!
This event is made possible by the collaborative organizing of LNCT, Nehalem Bay Watershed Council, and Heart of Cartm, supported by donations from Nuveen, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP), North Coast Land Conservancy, Kellys Marina and Char and Bob Forster.
Event support provided by friends and neighbors at Hoffman Center Manzanita, Wild Grocery & Cafe, Manzanita Grocery & Deli, Fresh Food Market, Wolfmoon, Base Camp Manzanita, The Roost, XRAY.FM, Tillamook County Solid Waste – Public Works, Recology, and Jandy Oysters!
For more information about Lower Nehalem Community Trust go to www.nehalemtrust.org