The storm log debris pile has been buried by wind-blown sand, transported by summer northwesterlies, and has been colonized by some seasonal vegetation. Oblique aerial photo of a wide sand flat north of Parksville. Water retention within the mud sediments is high. Wave exposure at this location is very low. Beach slopes are in the range of 5 to 20 with the berm the steepest part of the intertidal zone.
Sediments are highly mobile in moderate to high energy exposure areas.
Beach permeability may range from high to low depending on the mud content of the beach. Wetland greasses frequently rim the estuary at the high water mark. Brackish water conditions are common due freshwater input to the estuary from stream runoff. Exclusively confined to low wave-exposure environments. There is a very sharp transition from high wave exposure on the seaward side of the spit to low wave exposure inside the estuary.