7/28 Blackeye goby, canoe journey, WA wildfires, fewer birds, WA extreme drought, clearcutting and floods, democracy watch

Blackeye Goby [MaST Center Aquarium]

 
Blackeye Goby Rhinogobiops nicholsii
True to its name, blackeye gobies have prominent black eyes, and a black tip to their first dorsal fin. They can be found throughout the nearshore northeast Pacific from Alaska to Baja California. They are a relatively small fish, reaching a maximum length of just 6 inches. (MaST Center Aquarium)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Why vote? Primary results affect our daily lives / Truth and news: film series spotlights today’s issues 

Canoe Journey: The paddle to Elwha has begun
Canoe families from across the Salish Sea and beyond have begun their annual canoe journey, this year paddling to Elwha where the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will host for the first time in 15 years. Nika Bartoo-Smith and Carrie Johnson report. (ICT) 

Drop in state funding for WA’s work to prevent severe wildfires is stoking concerns
The state’s top public lands official is urging lawmakers to restore the spending to previous levels after they cut it by about half this year. Emily Fitzgerald reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Where did the birds go? Why Oregon’s spring was quieter than usual
Some Oregon birdwatchers say this spring was strangely quiet – and the data backs that up. April Ehrlich reports. (OPB) 

USDA designates three counties primary natural disaster areas
Three Washington counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Asotin, Garfield, and Whitman Counties are now considered to be in a state of “extreme drought” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. (Dept. of Ecology) 

Clearcutting tied to 18-fold increase in flood risk: UBC study 
A new study from the University of British Columbia suggests that clearcut logging can make catastrophic floods up to 18 times more frequent. The study, published in the Journal of Hydrology, analyzed long-term data from one of the world's longest-running forest research sites in North Carolina, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory. Shaurya Kshatri reports. (CBC) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people (Washington Post) 
• Why building owners don’t want the EPA to ditch Energy Star (Bloomberg) 

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  325 AM PDT Mon Jul 28 2025    
TODAY  W wind 5 to 10 kt, becoming NW 10 to 15 kt this  afternoon. Seas around 2 ft or less.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas around 2 ft or less. Wave Detail: W 2 ft at  6 seconds.

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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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