Razor clam digging resumes Sunday at Long Beach

LONG BEACH — Ten more days of razor clam digging will begin Sunday on the Long Beach Peninsula.

Digging will be open daily through April 12. The dig coincides with the annual Long Beach Razor Clam Festival on April 9 and 10.

“After a late start to the season, we have tried to provide as much digging as possible while still conserving our razor clam populations,’’ said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Low tides at Long Beach are: Sunday, 4:13 p.m., 0.5 feet; Monday, 5:04 p.m., 0.1 feet; Tuesday, 5:51 p.m., 0.0 feet; Wednesday, 6:36 p.m., 0.0 feet; Thursday, 7:07 a.m., -0.6 feet; Friday, 7:54 a.m., -1-1 feet; April 9, 8:42 a.m., -1.3 feet; April 10, 9:32 a.m., -1.2 feet; April 11, -0.9 feet; 10:23 a.m.; April 12, 11:19 a.m., -0.4 feet.

Diggers are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

An annual license costs $14.10 and is valid April 1 through March 31. A three-day razor clam license costs $9.70. An annual combination fishing and shellfish licenses costs $55.35.

Razor clam digging remains closed at Twin Harbors beach and may not open this spring.

“Razor clams at Twin Harbors had the highest levels of domoic acid during the peak of the harmful algae bloom in 2015,’’ said Ayres. “It is taking longer for clams there to rid themselves of the toxin.’’