Short Beach (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Short Beach is a 1,000-meter stretch of beach on the northern Oregon Coast
in the United States
. It is not named for its length. Locals guess that both the beach and the creek that runs onto it—Short Creek, several miles in length—were named after an early resident of the area. Just south of Cape Meares State Park, and a bit north of Oceanside
, the beach is hidden from the land except for a brief stretch of road which crosses the dam across Short Creek.
The seasonal shingle beach
is noted for the availability of agate
s, (the beach is sometimes erroneously called "Agate Beach") and jasper
, sometimes called "coastal jade" or "beach jade". Agates and jasper become more available after heavy winter or spring storms, which often cause landslides or rockfalls, bringing fresh parent rock to the beach, where the upper slope is a rock berm. These rock collapses are turned in short order to the smooth, rounded rock familiar on beaches by the pounding surf that brought them down.
Other attractions are the mussel
s, which can be gathered from offshore rocks at low tides, surf fishing, and beach fires. An occasional surfer may be seen, as well as paragliders who, now that there is safe access, sometimes land on the beach.
Offshore, and partly onshore, are a number of rocks belonging to the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
. In recent years, both these and the higher land around Short Beach have been a rough testimony to the rising sea level, as the higher surf brings increased collapse of rock faces and shoreward erosion
along the bluff of over five feet in the last decade.
The sand level has been dropping steadily ever since the first dams went up on the Columbia River
and other area rivers, and continues to drop, leading to a local joke that "Short Beach" means it is getting very short on beach.
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is not named for its length. Locals guess that both the beach and the creek that runs onto it—Short Creek, several miles in length—were named after an early resident of the area. Just south of Cape Meares State Park, and a bit north of Oceanside
Oceanside, Oregon
Oceanside is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The population was 326 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, the beach is hidden from the land except for a brief stretch of road which crosses the dam across Short Creek.
The seasonal shingle beach
Shingle beach
A shingle beach is a beach which is armoured with pebbles or small- to medium-sized cobbles. Typically, the stone composition may grade from characteristic sizes ranging from two to 200 mm diameter....
is noted for the availability of agate
Agate
Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.-Etymology...
s, (the beach is sometimes erroneously called "Agate Beach") and jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
, sometimes called "coastal jade" or "beach jade". Agates and jasper become more available after heavy winter or spring storms, which often cause landslides or rockfalls, bringing fresh parent rock to the beach, where the upper slope is a rock berm. These rock collapses are turned in short order to the smooth, rounded rock familiar on beaches by the pounding surf that brought them down.
Other attractions are the mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, which can be gathered from offshore rocks at low tides, surf fishing, and beach fires. An occasional surfer may be seen, as well as paragliders who, now that there is safe access, sometimes land on the beach.
Offshore, and partly onshore, are a number of rocks belonging to the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge off the southwestern Oregon Coast. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges comprising the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex...
. In recent years, both these and the higher land around Short Beach have been a rough testimony to the rising sea level, as the higher surf brings increased collapse of rock faces and shoreward erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
along the bluff of over five feet in the last decade.
The sand level has been dropping steadily ever since the first dams went up on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
and other area rivers, and continues to drop, leading to a local joke that "Short Beach" means it is getting very short on beach.