A coalition of five Whatcom County organizations is calling on volunteers to help clean up Birch Bay this Fourth of July weekend. The event is scheduled for Sunday, July 5, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Birch Bay Berm, with all supplies, including trash bags, gloves, trash grabbers, and refreshments, provided free of charge to participants.
Birch Bay is a small seaside community in western Whatcom County about 20 miles north of Bellingham, known for its shallow warm-water bay that draws families and summer visitors throughout the season. The Berm is a long strip of sandy shoreline that separates the bay from the road, and it tends to accumulate debris from both beach visitors and tidal action, particularly heading into and coming out of summer holidays.
The cleanup is organized by Whatcom Conservation District, Birch Bay WARM (BBWARM), the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Whatcom County Health and Community Services, and the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce. The collaboration reflects the range of interests invested in keeping the bay healthy, from salmon habitat and water quality to tourism and local business vitality.
BBWARM, short for Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management, has been one of the primary organizations focused on improving water quality in Birch Bay, which has historically struggled with fecal coliform levels that sometimes trigger shellfish harvest closures and beach advisories. Reducing litter and debris is one part of a broader effort to maintain the bay's ecological health alongside stormwater management and shoreline restoration projects.
The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association brings a watershed perspective to the partnership, as the bay and its connected waterways are part of the broader Nooksack River system. Keeping the shoreline clean is one piece of protecting habitat that supports returning salmon runs. More information about their salmon restoration work can be found on their website.
For those planning to attend, the event runs from 9 a.m. to noon on July 5 at the Birch Bay Berm. No registration is required. More details about the event are available at bbwarm.whatcomcounty.org.
The timing, the day after Independence Day, is intentional. Holiday weekends historically produce some of the highest volumes of beach litter of the summer season, and organizers are hoping to channel community energy from the holiday into something restorative.
Those who cannot make the July 5 event can still contribute to ongoing bay health by packing out trash during beach visits, reporting water quality concerns to Whatcom County Environmental Health, and avoiding single-use plastics near the shoreline.
