Bucket Brigade : Clams Threatened by Dredging Are Moved to New Digs

An estimated 100,000 young Pismo clams are settling into their new digs at Ormond Beach after a massive rescue effort Saturday to save the tiny mollusks from being buried alive by an upcoming dredging project.

As toddlers squealed with delight, about 300 volunteers of all ages clawed through the sand, plucking tiny clams one by one from their beds just beneath the surface of Port Hueneme Beach.

Some used their hands, while others scoured the beach with rakes and shovels in a search and rescue mission timed to coincide with low tide. One enterprising fellow even brought a wood-framed screen to separate the sand from these mollusks on the move.

Youngsters placed the bivalves in small containers, including leftover trick-or-treat pails, to begin their mile-long journey down the beach out of harm’s away.

“I was raised in Pismo Beach. I’ve known the baby clams all my life. They’re my friends,” said Sue Rockholt, a 57-year-old bookkeeper from Oxnard.

Rockholt sported a blue sweat shirt, with the words “Baby Pismo Clam Rescue Team,” to commemorate “Save the Clam Day,” as proclaimed by the Port Hueneme City Council.

Judy Taplin sifted through the sand as her 9-month-old twins dozed in a stroller nearby, oblivious to the barefoot brigade of clam lovers.

“I’m not a big clam person. I only do shrimp, and that’s pretty rare,” said Taplin, 25, of Thousand Oaks. “I’m freezing my toes off. I’m just doing this so people can have clams someday.”

Dragging buckets too heavy to carry, children and adults hoisted their catch onto an awaiting caravan of trucks. Once whisked down the beach, some clams were poured into trenches dug in the wet sand. Others were tossed gently into the surf.

Within minutes, most disappeared into the sand. The less energetic ones were turned on their sides to give them a better chance to dig in.

California Department of Fish and Game officials, who supervised the clam salvation army, said most of the relocated mollusks would survive.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re pushing 100,000 or more,” said Dave Parker, senior marine biologist with the fish and game department. “You can’t get them all, but it can make a dent.”

Port Hueneme resident Paul Sturm organized the clam dig after discovering some small Pismo clams last summer while bodysurfing. Normally, the number of Pismo clams in the area is small, but recently, biologists have noticed a population explosion.

Sturm alerted fish and game department officials about the upcoming U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging project to dump tons of sand on the beach as a buffer against further erosion.

Several government agencies granted permission to move the mollusks, most of them only 1 year old and an inch long. These Pismo clams won’t reach legal size--4 1/2 inches--for a few more years, and fish and game department officials hope they won’t end up in chowder before then. Game wardens regularly patrol the beach to protect against poaching.

Sturm, a 63-year-old retired teacher, knew he would get some help from his fellow Rotarians. After all, he’s president-elect of the Port Hueneme Rotary Club. But he indicated he was overwhelmed with the sizable turnout.

“It shows a real community spirit,” said Sturm as he helped the clams nestle into their new surroundings. “It gives the kids a chance to take part in a hands-on ecology project.”

Linda Buttner, 29, of Oxnard brought her two young sons along.

“Mom, can I open the clam’s mouth?” asked 7-year-old Sabre, getting a sharp “No” from his mom.

“I can’t believe how many there are,” Buttner said. “I want to save them all, big or little.”

Most clam diggers wanted to rescue as many clams as they could before high tide returned.

Berta Hurley, one of the most diligent diggers, was intent on even saving those no bigger than a kernel of corn.

“You don’t feel those, you just kinda look for them,” said Hurley, 43, a Conejo Valley preschool teacher. “The big ones are easy to find. . . . I’m specializing in pediatrics,” she quipped, referring to the tiny clams.