I recently had the privilege of attending the 2nd annual Navigating Coastal Hazards Workshop in Astoria, Oregon earlier this month. This event, organized by the Cascadia Coastlines & Peoples Hazards Research Hub (CoPes), brought together researchers, policymakers, and coastal advocates to discuss the most pressing issues facing our coastlines today. From sea level rise adaptation to tsunami preparedness and community resilience efforts, the workshop was an important gathering of minds dedicated to protecting our disappearing shorelines.
A gathering of the minds at the 2025 Navigating Coastal Hazards Workshop
**A quick note: Federal agencies (like NOAA and USGS) provide essential resources to state and local agencies, from funding to expertise to tools, and are under direct threat by the current administration. The impact of ongoing layoffs and budget cuts will have very real, very damaging, and long-lasting effects on our coastal communities. Any actions you can take to support federal funding could save beaches, homes, and lives. You can keep an eye out for federal action alerts at surfrider.org/action.
Collaboration is key to coastal resilience
One of the most encouraging aspects of the workshop was the strong emphasis on collaborative projects. From Surfrider’s own Ecola Creek erosion mitigation project to multi-agency partnerships addressing tsunami preparedness, it’s clear that the future of coastal resilience depends on cross-sector cooperation. The roundtable discussions provided valuable insights into successful partnerships and innovative approaches necessary to manage the converging threats affecting Washington’s coasts.
Cutting-edge research is needed to address coastal hazards
The poster and lightning talk sessions showcased some of the latest scientific advancements in hazard assessment and mitigation. Some highlights included:
- Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning in Grays Harbor County – Important for our ongoing efforts to protect Washington’s low-lying communities, including severe erosion issues in Ocean Shores and Westport that are directly impacting beach access and threatening coastal infrastructure and homes.
- Multi-Hazard Evacuation Mapping – A critical tool for ensuring effective emergency response in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone event. The result of these types of assessments is that in some places, vertical evacuation is the only way to get people out of harm's way.
- The Expansion of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) into Cascadia – This predictive tool can help Washington communities prepare for future storm impacts and better manage compound flooding (flooding that occurs as a result of multiple different influences - think heavy rainfall and king tides).
People aren't the only critters to call our coastal places home.
Empowering Communities Through Outreach and Education
Workshops on community engagement reinforced the importance of locally led resilience efforts and the role that grassroots community groups like Surfrider have to play. One of the standout presentations discussed outreach to the hospitality industry on the Oregon coast, emphasizing the need to integrate tsunami preparedness into tourism and business operations—something Washington’s coastal communities could benefit from as well.
We participated in numerous discussions around nature-based solutions to coastal erosion. In particular, Oregon Surfrider’s involvement in the Ecola Creek project was highlighted in the Community Resilience Projects Roundtable. This initiative, a collaborative effort between Surfrider, the City of Cannon Beach, and CREST, focuses on implementing innovative, non-structural erosion control measures while securing funding to support long-term resilience.
During the numerous breakouts and discussions, we engaged with experts on shoreline armoring, disaster preparedness, policy wonks and planners, GIS and modeling gurus, student researchers, and community leaders. These conversations provided key takeaways that will inform Surfrider Washington’s advocacy and conservation efforts moving forward.
Field Trips to some special spots in Southwest Washington
One of the highlights of this year’s workshop was the field trips. We visited several locations along the Southwest Washington coast, speaking with community members, talking story with Tribal leaders, and witnessing first-hand the challenges and successes of managing a dynamic shoreline.
Staff at the Port of Chinook Port described their ongoing efforts to deal with the sedimentation of the port. Sediment coming out of the Columbia River settles along their coastline, creating draft constraints that limit both the number of marina slips available to rent as well as the size of the ships that can land there, with profound economic impacts. While continued dredging to keep the port accessible is costly, there is potential for mutual benefits if that fill could be used to enhance coastal areas nearby.
You can see the sandy beach that's grown around the driftwood installation compared with the sandless shore of the rip rap in the background. Not only does this nature-based solution do a better job of protecting the shore, but they were cheaper to install and look way better!
We also spoke with some landowners who’ve implemented a unique nature-based solution to protect their homes. Instead of riprap, which does little to slow wave action or prevent erosion (often making it worse), they installed a beautiful driftwood fence that both reduces wave energy and accretes sand. They’ve since seen the beach in front of their house grow, and are not only safer from king tides and flooding, but have a lovely sand beach for their grandchildren to play on. It was an incredible example of a nature-based solution that protects homes, improves habitats, reduces flooding and erosion, costs less than riprap, and uses locally sourced logs and root wads. You can read more about the incredible work led by the Pacific Conservation District here.
We were privileged to visit a Chinook sacred place and talk story with Chairman Johnson. He shared with us the history of his peoples’ stewardship and relationship with the land, the long legacy of colonialism extraction, and the hopeful prospect of working together to right past wrongs and protect coastal places. Watching the sun begin to set from this incredible little beach, littered with limpets and jellyfish and other tidal critters, was a powerful reminder of what we fight for.
Chairman Johnson sharing stories of the Chinook peoples' stewardship of this area
We rounded out the trip with a sunset tour of the Chinook Historical Fish Hatchery (Washington’s oldest salmon hatchery). The local non-profit that runs it, Sea Resources, is working to both enhance salmon populations and provide students with hands-on experience, connecting the community to conservation in the most grassroots, hands-on way. A serene spot definitely worth a visit (and you can donate to support their work here).
Washington's oldest salmon hatchery is now a community-based non-profit working to enhance salmon populations and provide educational opportunities to students
Looking Ahead
I left this two-day workshop exhausted but energized to continue working on science-driven, community-led, nature-based solutions to coastal hazards. The importance of maintaining strong local and state partnerships cannot be overstated. We will continue to advocate for sustainable shoreline management policies, to support funding for the groups, agencies, and Tribes working on these issues, and to enhance public awareness about both the threats and solutions.
A quick note: Federal agencies (like NOAA and USGS) provide essential resources to state and local agencies, from funding to expertise to tools, and are under direct threat by the current administration. The impact of ongoing layoffs and budget cuts will have very real, very damaging, and long-lasting effects on our coastal communities. Any actions you can take to support federal funding could save beaches, homes, and lives. You can keep an eye out for federal action alerts at surfrider.org/action.