LINCOLN CITY — Massive piles of driftwood have washed ashore at Taft’s Siletz Bay turning the beach into a natural lumberyard of twisted logs, bleached branches and whole tree trunks.

The timber comes primarily from the Siletz River. During heavy storms, the river surges and flushes storm-felled logs downstream into Siletz Bay and onto Taft Beach.

This latest delivery arrived courtesy of the atmospheric river that hammered the Oregon coast March 11-14. The National Weather Service reported 4 to 7 inches or more of rain across the region, with even heavier amounts in the Coast Range hills. The same system brought heavy snow to the Midwest. Walker and Matt Schmidt from Wisconsin experienced 36 inches back home.

“We just had 36 inches dumped on us back home from the storm you had here,” Matt said. His brother Joshua, who lives locally, noted this appears to be the most driftwood he has ever seen piled up in Taft. Aleda Johnson summed it up: “It is a lot. Lots of bonfire material.”

A cleared corridor now slices neatly through the wooden maze. High tides push much of the wood into higher berms along the beach, while city crews and contractors use excavators to keep paths open near popular areas like the restaurant.

“It is the number one thing people ask — where is all the driftwood coming from?” said Abraham, a Mo’s staff member at the cash register.

Locals refer to the scene as “nature’s organization.” The tides have artfully arranged the timber into striking formations perfect for photographs and beachcombing.

Visitors also scan the area for Lincoln City’s signature glass floats, part of the ongoing Finders Keepers program. Marbles, sea glass and occasional glass coins frequently appear as well. Groups such as Lincoln City Rocks and Oregon Coast Treasure Hunters on Facebook stay active with the latest discoveries.

Shannon Mackey traveled from Helena, Montana, in search of glass floats. The professional bird dog trainer brought along her Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Ellie Mae. The shaggy dog has that classic Chewbacca look with her wiry coat and beard. Ellie Mae recently earned her utility title with a strong performance at a recent Idaho event and the pair qualified for a championship in New Mexico this year.

“It is beautiful. It is a work of art,” Mackey said of the beach.

Abraham at Mo’s says visitors from across the country come for the glass floats but often become captivated by the impressive driftwood display. Some cart pieces home for art projects or fire pits. Others arrive with chainsaws, sawing the storm-felled timber into custom tables, chairs and whatever else their woodworking skills can create.

With another round of rain forecast for the coming days, Mother Nature may soon be floating in the next load.