Three Washington beaches to open for razor clams

OLYMPIA — State officials today announced tentative razor clam seasons through February at Copalis, Mocrocks and Kalaloch beaches, but Long Beach and Twin Harbors remain closed.

Final approval of all scheduled openings  beaches will depend on whether results of marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife typically announces whether a dig will go forward about a week before the opening.

“We know people are anxious to make plans to go razor clamming in 2017,’’ said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager. “We’ve planned openings for 19 days in January and February, but we can’t give final approval until tests show we can open those beaches to digging.’’

For the first time since 2012, Kalaloch Beach is tentatively scheduled to open — on Jan. 8 and 9 — for digging.

Inside Olympic National Park, the beach has not been open the last few years for razor clam digging due a low abundance of clams. State wildlife and park officials say the population is robust enough for digs in 2017. Additional digs at Kalaloch will be announced in the coming months.

The proposed digs, along with low tides and beaches open include:

• Jan. 8, Sunday, 3:11 p.m.; 0.4 feet; Kalaloch; Jan. 9, Monday, 4:08 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Kalaloch.

• Jan. 13, Friday, 7:17 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Jan. 14, Saturday, 7:59 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks;  Jan. 15, Sunday, 8:40 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks.

• Jan. 27, Friday, 6:26 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Copalis; Jan. 28, Saturday, 7:01 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Copalis;  Jan. 29, Sunday, 7:37 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Jan. 30, Monday, 8:13 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Jan. 31, Tuesday, 8:50 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks.

• Feb. 7, Tuesday, 3:53 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Feb. 8, Wednesday, 4:46 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks;  Feb. 9, Thursday, 5:33 p.m.; -0.9 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Feb. 10, Friday, 6:16 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Mocrocks; Feb. 11, Saturday, 6:57 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Mocrocks; Feb. 12, Sunday, 7:34 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Mocrocks.

• Feb. 24, Friday, 5:21 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Feb. 25, Saturday, 5:58 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks; Feb. 26, Sunday, 6:34 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks

Razor clams at Twin Harbors and Long Beach exceed public health standards for marine toxins.

“We’re continuing to monitor domoic acid levels at all our ocean beaches,’’ Ayres said. “As soon as testing indicates the clams at Long Beach or Twin Harbors are safe to eat, we’ll announce digs there.’’