12/12 Red brotula, cetacean cooperation, WA floods, climate change, Fraser Valley flood, disaster relief, BC oil, closed beaches, democracy watch, week in review

 

Editor's note: This week's floods will recede and the real story of recovery will continue for weeks to come. Salish Sea News and Weather and Salish Current will be here to follow that story as we did four years ago. Please support our regional and local news efforts with a donation to our 2X NewsMatch Campaign [salish-current.org/donate] so we can continue our work. Thank you. Mike

 

Red brotula [D.W. Gotshall]

Red brotula Brosmophycis marginata 
Red brotula is a species of viviparous brotula found along the North American Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California. This fish is often displayed in public aquariums. This species grows to a length of 46 centimetres (18 in) TL. The red brotula is the only known member of its genus. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Where words meet the natural world

Orcas and dolphins caught on video collaborating to hunt salmon
Pacific white-sided dolphins and Northern Resident killer whales were observed in a symbiotic relationship in hunting salmon with orcas listening to dolphin echolocation and dolphins feeding on salmon scraps. Lauren Vanderdeen reports. (CBC) 

Skagit River crests, but risk is not over as Western WA flooding continues
Nearly 10,000 Burlington residents were told to evacuate their homes early Friday as a slough from the Skagit River started flooding homes. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday and Thursday, including all of those in the Skagit Valley’s 100-year flood plain. Residents in some areas of Pierce, Whatcom, Snohomish and Lewis counties were also told to leave, and people hunkered down in shelters and hotels. The risk is not over. The Skagit River near Mount Vernon crested at a record-breaking 37.7 feet around 12:15 a.m. Friday, presenting the devastated valley with further danger. Snohomish River at Snohomish was still above record high level of flooding as of 5 a.m. Friday. (Seattle Times) 

How Western Washington’s ‘100-year’ floods are changing 
Flooding is a natural part of how rivers function, but climate change is going to make things worse, threatening communities along rivers and in floodplains. Climate change is playing a role for two main reasons: The snow line is creeping higher so more precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow. And warmer air moving over warming ocean water can hold more moisture than before. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times) 

New evacuation orders issued as flood warnings expanded in B.C.'s Fraser Valley
Much of the Fraser Valley remains under a flood warning on Thursday, but new warnings have been issued for Princeton and other areas along the upper Similkameen and Tulameen rivers and their tributaries. Chad Pawson and Nick Logan report. (CBC) 

Amid historic flooding, WA scores win over Trump administration on federal disaster funds 
While the Skagit Valley and other areas across Western Washington were being inundated with floodwaters, a federal judge ruled Thursday against the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down an emergency program to protect infrastructure against natural disasters. Lauren Girgis reports. (Seattle Times) 

How the Carney-Smith Pact Could Bring More Tankers to Burrard Inlet
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that Premier David Eby had told her he agreed to a different proposal than a new pipeline to the northwest coast to expand oil shipments through B.C. That proposal would see a 40 per cent increase in the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline to B.C.’s Lower Mainland and an increase in tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. Andrew McLeod reports. (The Tyee) 

Beaches closed after heavy rain leads to wastewater overflow
The Capital Regional District said beaches in the affected areas will be closed until water-quality samples confirm the risk from the overflows has passed. Jeff Bell reports.(Times Colonist) 

Democracy Watch
Senate rejects extension of health care subsidies as costs are set to rise for millions of Americans (AP) 
US national park gift shops ordered to purge merchandise promoting DEI (AP) 
Trump’s ‘gold card’ program goes live, offering US visas starting at $1 million per person (AP) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 12/12/25: Poinsettia Friday, Tacoma aroma, Carriger Solar, BC giant cedar, Trump's wind block, new orca calf, WA coal plant, climate migration. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  217 AM PST Fri Dec 12 2025    
TODAY  SE wind around 10 kt, veering to SW late this morning  and afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 13 seconds.  Rain.  
TONIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 12 seconds. Rain  likely, mainly in the evening.  
SAT  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in  the afternoon.  
SAT NIGHT  SE wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming S 20 to 25 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: SE 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  5 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  S wind 20 to 25 kt, easing to around 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: S 3 ft at 4 seconds and W  4 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.

---


"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)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told