The Hidden Danger of the Gardiner Boat Ramp

Clam Diggers complained about the danger posed to boaters at the Gardiner boat ramp.  A clam digger who used the ramp this week as a meeting point for his family and friends brought the threat that the build up of soft sediment poses to boaters and children to the attention of the CDAO.  The depth of the sediment was source of his complaint and he felt it was deep enough to cover a child or small person. 

The Clam Diggers Association questions the safety of the boat ramp at Gardiner. The boat launch at Gardiner is unusable at low tide. The amount of silt built up at the boat is a threat to the safety to those who use the boat ramp. 

Conditions at the Gardiner boat ramp notwithstanding, clam digging in Umpqua River Estuary is renowned for some of the largest softshell clams found in any of Oregon’s bays. The most productive clam beds are associated with Bolon and Steamboat Islands from the communities of Reedsport and Gardiner down river to The Point. ODFW’s map of the softshell clam beds show a population of softshell clams on the north shore of the river located below The Point, however, the population has declined and the clams are no longer common in this area.  In addition to softshell clams the sand beach within the triangle produces the largest gaper clams dug in any of Oregon’s bays but a clam die off occurs when excessive rainfall floods the area for an extended period of time.