1/23 Samish MRA, Everett sewage, tagging whales, Skokomish restoration, med disposal, Elwha Love, science free speech

Chinese New Year celebrations begin today and end 15 days later on the first full moon. Say “Happy New Year” in Mandarin, Xin Nian Kuai Le, or wish everyone prosperity in Cantonese, Gong Hei Fard Choy.

Today, the National Weather Service says 20-foot waves and high tides threaten some communities on the Washington coast. Big waves, high tides on Washington coast  At next Saturday’s seventh annual GroundFrog Day, the bullfrog Snohomish Slew predicts the coming of Spring by croaking. No croak, then winter will linger. Snohomish Slew's 'frognostication' could point to more winter weather

Today is the last day Washington State Ferries’ 64-year-old Rhododendron sails the Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry route. Rhody's last days | Islanders plan to take a farewell sail on Sunday

Skagit County officials will hold a public meeting on Tuesday in Burlington on whether to designate the entire Samish River watershed as a Marine Recovery Area in order to deal with fecal pollution and require inspection of on-site septic systems. Officials looking to designate watershed as recovery area  

Power surges disabled sewage pumps in Everett last Friday. Ugh. 50,000 gallons of raw sewage spill into Port Gardner  

Brad Hanson at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration has U.S. government approval to attach tiny satellite-tracking devices to the dorsal fins of six Southern resident orca whales per season. Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research, has seen other killer whales that were tagged off Alaska and is concerned. Plan to track endangered whales may harm them, expert says

The Skokomish River empties into Hood Canal and its restoration can heal the ailing south Hood Canal ecosystem. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report on ecological conditions in the Skokomish River in southern Hood Canal will list about 40 potential projects designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat while reducing flooding. Skokomish report will focus on ecosystem restoration

Leftover medications are fueling an epidemic of prescription-drug abuse that is killing more Washingtonians than traffic accidents, say drug-addiction experts. Environmental authorities say prescription drugs are turning up in waterways and even drinking water – and it’s happening often enough that the old medications now are considered hazardous waste. Yet pharmaceutical companies have consistently torpedoed efforts here to fund a statewide disposal program for unused drugs. Why? Drug industry has so far stalled safety and pollution measure

Elwha Love: Katie Campbell and Ashley Ahearn update the progress being made in Elwha restoration. Empire of Dirt Gives Way to the Return of the Salmon

Mark Hume at The Globe and Mail reports on a letter written last year by Kathryn O’Hara, then president of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the leaders of the other national parties requesting that the government allow its scientists to speak freely with the media.  Writers want Ottawa to let scientists ‘speak for themselves’

Last week’s Seattle Times Reel Tim Trivia winner was Oleg Shkinder who correctly named “This glacial lake dug about 50,000 years ago lies in the heart of a metropolitan city, and you can fish for a wide variety of fish species year-round with some getting large in size. Last year, more than 26,000 rainbow trout were planted into the lake, and it also holds carp, tiger muskie, brown trout, channel catfish, yellow perch, bluegill and largemouth bass. There are numerous places and docks to fish all around this lake.” You know the answer?  Reel Time trivia winner hails from Kent

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON JAN 23 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
W SWELL 18 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 13 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. ISOLATED
 SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 11
 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
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