Storm season means higher waves, and higher waves bring gifts — at least if you’re a beachcomber.

We may not be getting the almost 30-year-old Legos whose cargo containers fell into the ocean in 1997 and which have been washing up on the shores of Western Europe since, but we can still find some pretty interesting things here along the shoreline of the lower Columbia region.

Oceans have always deposited various organic and mineral materials on beaches, and crab shells, strands of kelp, jellyfish and other creatures find their way onto land. But these days they’re joined by a variety of human-made items.

Most of that consists of various bits of garbage from land and sea, but now and then something more desirable comes along. The biggest bragging rights may belong to those who manage to find old Japanese glass fishing floats in hues of blue and green — and, rarely, red. These make quite a prize next to unbroken sand dollars and cool bits of driftwood.

Many folks walking along the shore end up being casual beachcombers, finding things by chance during their strolls. There’s not much to it beyond keeping your eyes peeled and watching for unusual bits of color or texture that might reveal a prize.

Your pockets may suffice for smaller items, but some people like to have a sturdy, waterproof backpack or sack to put larger finds in. Of course, it’s up to you how much sand, dirt and other debris you want to deal with once it comes time to clean up what you bring home.

If you want to make beachcombing a more dedicated practice, you’ll want to plan ahead. The first thing to consider is timing. Going out at high tide in the wintertime can be risky, especially if the wind is up, and most items will still be churning below the waves, so wait until the tide has been going out for a couple of hours before examining what’s washed up on the wrack line.

If you have a few hours to spare, you can wander along until low tide, discovering what the water leaves behind the further it recedes.

Choose your location carefully, to include how much vehicle and foot traffic may be expected. A busier area is more likely to be picked over by others, so head toward quieter places if you want less competition. Some areas may restrict collection.

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge prohibits the collection of any natural specimens or cultural artifacts from refuge land, so collect south of that portion of Leadbetter Point. If you’re after driftwood, you’ll also need to stay out of designated Washington State Parks like Cape Disappointment.

Speaking of driftwood, Washington and Oregon both allow the collection of small amounts of driftwood for personal, though not commercial, use. In either state, you can’t dig up driftwood. If it’s buried, you have to leave it where it is.

Washington lays claim to all unbranded stray logs, so if it looks like a tree trunk that could potentially be turned into lumber or other commercial goods, leave it be. Oregon also prohibits the use of chainsaws or other mechanical means of removal to take driftwood, and says that one may not take “large amounts.” Moral of the story: don’t be greedy.

What if you aren’t interested in driftwood? Outside of refuge land, anything made by human hands that washes up — other than, say, part or all of a derelict boat or other vessel — is fair game.

You can collect washed-up bits of seaweed to your heart’s content, though if you’re going to get fresh seaweed still attached to its substrate, you’ll want to look up foraging laws in the relevant state, same as for shellfish collection.

Some animal parts have stricter laws attached. The feathers and other remains, nests and eggs of gulls, shorebirds, raptors, and almost all other native wild birds in the United States are illegal to possess. This goes for feathers that were naturally molted, because there’s no easy way to distinguish a molted feather from one torn off a poached bird.

You may occasionally find bones on the beach, too. If you find bones, teeth or ivory from a dead stranded marine mammal such as a seal or whale, possession is generally prohibited by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Similar restrictions apply to endangered species, like sperm whales or sea turtles.

If there is no material attached to the bone and it is not part of a carcass, and it is found within 1/4 mile of the ocean or an estuary, you can collect and report it to the nearest regional fisheries office, where you can register it.

Finally, it’s good manners to take a trash bag and pick up garbage along the beach. The ocean is unfortunately full of trash, and the more you pick up, the healthier and happier you keep our local ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic alike.