10/7 Glines Dam, BC LNG, orca watch, BC herring, Big B Duwamish, ORCA, quake 9.0, Asarco Everett

Glines Canyon Dam before final blast (NPS)

A huge piece of Glines Canyon Dam was blasted away late Saturday as dam removal on the Elwha River resumed. Explosive charges set by demolition crews removed almost the entire eastern third of the remaining 60 feet of concrete dam, webcam photos show. But water did not immediately flow through the new gap because of tons of sediment behind the dam as well as rubble from the explosion that created temporary blockage between the current river channel and the new hole. With a section of the former 210-foot dam removed nearly to the original riverbed, workers will clear a passable fish channel on the floor of the river canyon before stopping work in November for the next fish window, according to Brian Krohmer, dam removal project manager. Arwyn Rice reports. Glines Canyon Dam doesn't look much like a dam anymore    See also: Chinook salmon returning to dam-less Elwha River  

If you can stand to watch: Rare Footage of Killer Whales Attacking a Blue Whale!

A year ago, Premier Christy Clark laid claim to the brand she wants for a liquefied natural gas industry in B.C. “We have set a goal to have the cleanest LNG in the world,” she said. Last week, the Premier appeared to have narrowed the scope of that promise, saying her commitment is “to have the cleanest LNG facilities in the world,” ignoring the significant pollution issues that occur upstream in the production of the raw material, natural gas. Justine Hunter reports.  Dirty truths surround Clark’s clean LNG boast  

Carl Safina watches transient killer whales from Ken Balcomb’s kitchen: Kitchen Killer Whales  and Carl Safina and Ken Balcomb watch resident whales: Killer Whales in Washington State: Serial Problems  

Before bridges stretched across False Creek and marinas dotted its waters, the Vancouver inlet was a rich spawning ground for herring, which drew predatory dolphins and whales into surrounding waters. But according to Jonn Matsen, co-chair of the Squamish Streamkeepers’ Society, when False Creek was dredged and creosote-soaked pilings were driven into the seabed, its herring-friendly habitat faded and the fish and their predators all but vanished. Now Matsen and the streamkeepers plan to reverse some of the damage with an unexpected product that can turn docks themselves into herring spawning grounds — plastic. “Herring see a nice clean surface and they spawn on it,” he explained. In particular, they are attracted to wooden pilings which are often coated in creosote, a preservative that is toxic to fish eggs. Matthew Robinson reports. Group hatches plan to bring herring back to Vancouver's False Creek  

Boeing built an empire on the banks of the Duwamish River and now it’s trying to return some of the favor. Workers on Friday rolled out mats of native grasses and anchored them along banks that were once covered with fortifying boulders and invasive species like blackberries. It’s part of what Boeing calls the largest planned wildlife habitat restoration project on the waterway. The rehab project is taking place near the now removed Plant Two where Boeing built the B-17 that helped win World War II. Acres of shoreline that was reinforced with boulders to support and protect the company were cleared of manmade structures. Gary Chittim reports. Boeing digs up past to preserve future of Duwamish River

On the first day of class, the school was empty. No books. No labs. No lecture. Instead, the faculty and their students were on a beach near Deception Pass State Park. The 90 students from Ocean Research College Academy gathered scientific data about the Salish Sea ecosystem. Up at sunrise and unperturbed by rain, they examined sea stars before the tide came in and tracked porpoises feeding in the changing currents offshore. In their analysis, students hypothesized about what the data might mean. Gale Fiege reports. ORCA students dive deep into marine science

The compelling story of our last megaquake and how scientists are piecing together a picture of the future destruction: an excerpt from “Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest” by Seattle Times science reporter Sandi Doughton   The next giant quake: It’s coming and here’s how  

The state plans to dig up the lawns and topsoil from 21 homes in north Everett starting today to clean arsenic contamination left from the former Asarco smelter that closed 100 years ago. It's part of the ongoing effort to rid as many as 500 homes and three parks of the decades-old pollution. The work on this round of homes around East Marine View Drive and 8th and 9th streets is expected to take three to five months. Jim Davis reports. Smelter site cleanup continues  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 7 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 11 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE
 AFTERNOON. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 20 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 12 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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