12/17 Christmas anemone, human health standards, gray whale, diesel spill, Mount Polley mine, Columbia salmon returns, Skagit birding

 

Editor's note: It's always sad news to report the closing of a local newspaper and the story below about the closing of La Conner's weekly paper is a tough one to take, especially during this time of year. Not-for-profit, community-supported news is one business model the Salish Current is pursuing and it will only work with the financial support of its community. Please support community-based news with a monthly or one-time donation before the end of the year. Thank you. Mike Sato.

Christmas anemone

Christmas anemone Urticina crassicornis
Urticina crassicornis, commonly known as the mottled anemone, the painted anemone or the Christmas anemone, is a large and common intertidal and subtidal species of sea anemone. Its habitat includes a large portion of the coastal areas of the northern hemisphere, mainly polar regions, and it lives a solitary life for up to 80 years. Mottled anemones are similar to Dahlia anemones (U. felina) and both are commonly referred to as northern red anemones. Wikipedia

Today's top story in Salish Current: Future of La Conner newspaper unclear despite community efforts to save it

Protecting the health of people who eat fish: The long battle over water quality standards
...A lawsuit filed against the EPA over toxic pollution limits is finally due for a decision. All the old players are waiting anxiously for a judge to decide if the EPA — and now the state Department of Ecology — have made reasonable choices. Even if the judge sides with the EPA and Ecology, the case is likely to be on appeal when President Donald Trump returns to office with a pledge to overturn regulatory controls within the EPA. Christopher Dunagan writes. (Puget Sound Institute)

North Puget Sound Gray Whale ‘Little Patch’ among animals returning to Salish Sea early
Whales have been returning to the Salish Sea earlier than usual, according to a news release from researchers. The whale “Little Patch” is the first of the North Puget Sound Gray Whales, or “Sounders,” to return to the Salish Sea, as reported by the Orca Network and Cascadia Research Collective. Experts said the whale’s spotting has continued a trend of early arrivals. (KIRO)

Island First Nation closes clam beaches after 'human error' diesel spill at fish farm near Zeballos
Up to 8,000 litres of diesel fuel spilled into Esperanza Inlet while it was being transferred at a Grieg Seafood fish farm. Jeff Bell and Michael John Lo report. (Times Colonist)

How toxic impact of Mount Polley disaster filters through B.C. waters
The catastrophic collapse of a tailings dam in the B.C. Interior sent about 25 million cubic metres of poisoned water from the copper and gold mine surging into waterways including Polley and Quesnel lakes on Aug. 4, 2014. Darryl Greer reports. (Canadian Press)

Number of salmon returning to Columbia River Basin stays flat over last decade
Average salmon and steelhead counts in the Columbia River Basin over the last decade are still well below officials’ goal of 5 million fish per year. From 2014 to 2023, just 2.3 million salmon and steelhead made the same journey. That’s an improvement from the 1990s when that average fell to 1.3 million fish due to dams, predation and other environmental factors. James Dawson reports. (Boise State Public Radio)

A Puget Sound birding bounty just off I-5
As the days grow shorter and colder, thousands of winter waterfowl migrate to this valley, drawn to the region’s intertidal estuaries, marshes and rich agricultural lands. Bird watchers, too, flock to North Puget Sound to catch a glimpse of the birding bonanza: snow geese, swans, short-eared owls, Northern pintail and eagles and other raptors, from October to March... In early 2024, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife biologists identified around 10,500 swans and 66,300 snow geese from the Canadian border to North King County. Erika Schultz reports. (Seattle Times)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  203 AM PST Tue Dec 17 2024    
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH  WEDNESDAY MORNING    
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 20 kt, becoming E 20 to 25 kt late this  morning and early afternoon, then becoming SE 15 to 20 kt late.  Seas 6 to 9 ft. Wave Detail: E 5 ft at 5 seconds, S 2 ft at  10 seconds and W 8 ft at 15 seconds. Rain.  
TONIGHT  S wind 20 to 25 kt with gusts up to 35 kt, veering to  W after midnight. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: SE 5 ft at  5 seconds and W 7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain, mainly in the evening.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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