7/13 Eulachon, farm drought, research trawl, BC LNG debate, oil train monitoring, Ketron Is estate

Eulachon (Northword)

‘Salvation Fish’ That Sustained Native People Now Needs Saving
…. This is the last great eulachon fishery on Earth, near the mouth of the Nass River in British Columbia, just at the tip of the Alaska Panhandle. Eulachon are a species of smelt, each fish a bolt of silver-blue not much longer than a ballpoint pen. In lean years the eulachon's arrival meant the difference between life and death…. Today, the fish that used to safeguard native people from starvation is itself in need of a lifeline. J.B. MacKinnon reports. (National Geographic)

Farmers’ profits could sustain a hit reaching the millions
Hot, dry weather and a shortage of water are taking their toll on the county’s agriculture industry. Some crops may never recover. The yield loss in Skagit County this year could be 30 percent, said Don McMoran, director of the Washington State University Skagit County Extension. If that happens, local farmers could lose $6 million in profits. While many county farmers get their water from wells — and the majority can take as much as they need up to their permit amount — others have restricted water rights. Then there are those who have no access to irrigation, making them especially vulnerable to the early warm weather. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to watch: Studies of bottom fish help fill in key portions of Puget Sound food web
n a new video, Dayv Lowry of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife does a great job explaining how scientific trawling provides information about the kinds of creatures that hang out on the bottom of Puget Sound. The video shows a big net being brought to the surface filled with crabs and all sorts of strange creatures, which are then sorted and measured right on the deck of the Chasina. This research, which has been going on for years, provides information about how populations of marine species are changing over time. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

B.C. legislature to debate law on 25-year LNG deal
The B.C. legislature will hold a rare summer sitting Monday to debate an unprecedented 25-year liquefied natural gas agreement projected to be the cornerstone of the province's financial future. The government plans to pass legislation enabling the $36 billion deal with Pacific NorthWest LNG, a consortium led by Malaysian energy giant Petronas. The consortium wants to build an LNG export terminal near Prince Rupert. The agreement would protect the business from tax increases made specifically to target the LNG industry. (CBC) See also: LNG protest attracts dozens of boaters to Horseshoe Bay  Coalition of citizens groups says Howe Sound wrong place for an LNG plant (CBC)

Whatcom County environmentalists want to monitor oil trains
Whatcom County environmentalists want to step in as watchdogs and keep tabs on the trains rolling through their backyards. For a few months, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities staff members have asked people who are interested in environmental activism if they own property near the tracks, and if they’d be willing to host a camera there to document train movements. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Landmark Ketron Island estate sells to Lacey couple
A 5-acre estate with 1,000 feet of waterfront, commanding views of Puget Sound and the Olympics and a midcentury home built in the style of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright on the northern tip of Ketron Island has sold to a Lacey couple.... The new owners are Thurston County restaurateurs Nicole Pham and her husband Jim Porter, according to Karen Vincent who handled the sale for Morrison House Sotheby’s International Realty. The estate originally was listed for $1.77 million. Then it was reduced to $1.299 million. It sold for $1.1 million. John Gille reports. (Tacoma News Tribume)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUL 13 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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