BEACH SEINES

This is great fish fun, that’s free and open to the public! Since 2009, the Clear Creek Task Force in concert with the Suquamish Tribe has been collecting data on the Dyes Inlet nearshore habitat. 

​

The nearshore habitat is the area from the water at high tide to the area where water becomes too deep for light to penetrate and allow plants to grow. It includes marine habitat and estuarine habitat, and ends at the farthest reach of the tide into an estuary. Clear Creek’s gravel beach nearshore is rich with forage fish such as shiner perch, northern anchovies, staghorn sculpins and starry flounders.

​

On the north shore of Dyes Inlet, lies Old Mill Park with public access to a cobbled beach. It’s here that forage fish come to spawn. And where the Task Force and partners Paul Dorn, recently retired Suquamish Tribe senior marine biologist, WSU Extension Kitsap, Port of Silverdale, Steve Trunkey, Kitsap Sailing & Rowing Club and Sea Discovery gather each May, June and September to take inventory of the nearshore habitat.

​

This is done by casting a 100’ seine net by boat into the inlet with volunteers pulling the lead-weighted net into shore. The catch is then identified, measured, counted and released. Contingent on weather, one to three sets are pulled in.

​

This is a tidal dependent event. It involves getting into the water, pulling in a net, taking inventory and pictures all while hearing to biologists explain the nearshore inhabitants.  

 

volunteer@clearcreektrail.org

​

Save these 2018 dates:

Saturday, May 12th – 2:30p. start time

Saturday, June 9th – 1:30p. start time

Saturday, September 22nd – 2:30p. start time