Willapa Erosion Control Action Now (WECAN)

Supporting ongoing erosion control and shoreline stabilization projects along the northern
shore of Willapa Bay in Pacific County, Washington.

WECAN Overview

The Willapa Erosion Control Action Now (WECAN) community forum was established in 2015 to provide a means of coordinating action to address the ongoing erosion issues along the north shore of Willapa Bay in Pacific County, Washington. This webpage provides information for WECAN and other interested parties on upcoming meetings and recent announcements, as well as details on ongoing and completed projects, relevant news articles and reports, and other resources.

To learn more about WECAN, visit the About page. 

For general inquiries or to get involved with WECAN, please email the current WECAN facilitator, Kelly Rupp, at kelly.rupp@leadtoresults.com.

Latest News and Upcoming Meetings

The WECAN community is deeply saddened by the passing of David Cottrell. David played a pivotal role in the community, which included serving as Vice Chair of the Grayland Cranberry Association, as a work group member for the Volunteer Stewardship Program, and as chairman of Pacific County Drainage Ditch #1. David’s insight and initiative started the North Cove dynamic revetment, which has effectively halted a century-long trend of shoreline retreat and saved the remaining North Cove community in the process. He was a central figure in the creation and sustained collaborative impact of WECAN. His full obituary can be found here.

Previous updates:

  • Pacific County / Moffatt & Nichol are are nearing completion of the Willapa Shoreline Erosion Mitigation Master Plan. Updates forthcoming.
  • October 8, 2022: The Guardian published an article the success of dynamic revetments in North Cove: “The experiment that may have saved a Washington town from falling into the ocean.“
  • September 30, 2022: Phase 3 (final design and permitting) for the Graveyard Spit Restoration & Resilience Project was completed, funded by NFWF. The project team and partners are now seeking funding for the construction, restoration, and monitoring phase.
  • August 17, 2022: The third stakeholder meeting for the Willapa Shoreline Erosion Mitigation Master Plan was held. See the Public Meetings tab for notes and documents.
  • June, 2022: The first and second stakeholder meetings for the Willapa Shoreline Erosion Mitigation Master Plan were held. See the Public Meetings tab for notes and documents.
  • Pacific County is working with Moffatt & Nichol on the Willapa Shoreline Erosion Mitigation Master Plan over the course of 2022. A number of meetings with WECAN members and stakeholders will be held over the course of the project timeline to inform the process and deliverables.
  • WECAN held a meeting on October 21, 2021. View the Public Meetings tab for the meeting agenda and associated meeting materials.

Additional Information

  • To see a list of WECAN members and project leads, visit the WECAN contact page.
  • Wash Away No More is a local community organization, active in WECAN since its formation, that supports and promotes erosion control measures on the North Shore of Willapa Bay. The name refers to their work to prevent the continued erosion of so-called Washaway Beach in North Cove. The Wash Away No More live feed can be viewed to the left.