Salish Sea News and Weather

Thursday, January 12, 2023

1/12 House mouse, wet weather, sea sponge compound, Bigg's and humpbacks, sewer violations, smelt ears

House mouse

House mouse Mus musculus Linnaeus 1758
Mus musculus may have originally been distributed from the Mediterranean region to China, but it has now been spread throughout the world by humans and lives as a human commensal. Because of their association with humans, house mice have been able inhabit inhospitable areas (such as tundra and desert) which they would not be able to occupy independently. (Animal Diversity)

Flurry of weather warnings for southwest B.C., up to 120 mm of rain forecast
Environment Canada has issued a series of rainfall and wind warnings for British Columbia's South Coast, spanning Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast and the Sea to Sky corridor, along with parts of Vancouver Island. (Canadian Press) Atmospheric river to bring rain, possible flooding to Western Washington An atmospheric river moving from storm-battered California will bring about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of rain accompanied by possible river flooding to Western Washington through the end of the week. (Seattle Times)

Compound derived from B.C. sea sponge could block COVID-19 virus, researchers find
Researchers at the University of British Columbia say a compound derived from sea sponges found off the B.C. coast can block coronavirus infection in human cells. An international team led by UBC scientists analyzed a catalogue of more than 350 compounds derived from natural sources that included plants, fungi and marine sponges in an effort to find new antiviral drugs to treat coronavirus variants. (CBC)

There was a record number of sightings of these whales in the Salish Sea in 2022
A record number of Bigg’s killer whales and Humpback whales were spotted in the Salish Sea during 2022. There were 1,221 unique sightings of Bigg’s killer whales, formerly known as transients whales, in the Salish Sea. This is double the amount recorded from 2017, and an increase of 153 from 2021. In 2022, 396 individual humpback whales were photographed in the Salish Sea. This includes 34 mothers with calves, beating out the previous record of 21 humpback calves, set in 2021. This is the largest number of humpbacks recorded in over a century. Jack Belcher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Seattle and King County fined for sewer overflow violations
(News Release) The Washington Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency have fined the city of Seattle and King County for overflow violations that occurred between July 2020 and June 2021. Seattle’s penalty is a total of $117,500: $87,500 for 35 sanitary sewer overflow events and $30,000 for four dry-weather overflows from combined sewer overflow discharge pipes (outfalls). King County’s penalty totals $53,500: $36,000 for exceeding pollutant limits at its wet weather treatment stations that treat combined sewer overflow discharges and $17,500 for seven sanitary sewer overflows. (Dept of Ecology)

Something Fishy Is Happening Inside the Ears of Delta Smelt
Abnormalities in the ear bones of hatchery-reared delta smelt could challenge efforts to save the endangered fish native to the San Francisco estuary. Annie Roth reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 336 AM PST Thu Jan 12 2023
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 9 to 11 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 8 ft at 20 seconds building to 10 ft at 20 seconds and S 16 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. Rain. TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 12 ft at 18 seconds and S 16 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

1/11 Shaw Island vole, Strait weapons training, climate costs, BC salmon fishery, Budd Inlet cleanup, Teck Metals, local journalism

Townsend's vole [J. Maughn/WikiCommons]

Shaw Island Townsend's vole Microtus townsendii pugeti
This subspecies of Microtus townsendii occurs on at least 16 islands in the San Juan Archipelago. Museum specimens from the late 1930s to the 1960s exist from Allen, Cypress, Deception, Dot, Frost, Guemes, Lopez, Orcas, Saddlebag, San Juan, Shaw, Sucia, and Turn islands in San Juan and Skagit counties. Island residents reported voles present on Henry and McConnel islands in the late 1960s. Surveys conducted in 2012 and 2014 confirmed presence on Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and North Finger islands, but did not detect them on Blakely, Vendovi, or Waldron islands. Recent surveys on other islands have not been conducted and population status is unknown. (WDFW)

Canadian military to resume weapons training in Juan de Fuca Strait
The firing range known as Whiskey Hotel is a 30-kilometre-long and 11-kilometre-wide swath of water between Sooke and Port Renfrew, about a kilometre off land, where the Canadian and U.S. navies and coast guards practise using sea surface and aerial machine-guns and other small weaponry. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, cost the U.S. $165 billion in 2022
A town-flattening hurricane in Florida. Catastrophic flooding in eastern Kentucky. Crippling heatwaves in the Northeast and West. A historic megadrought. The United States endured 18 separate disasters in 2022 whose damages exceeded $1 billion, with the total coming to $165 billion, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The annual report from the nation's premier meteorological institution highlights a troubling trend: Extreme weather events, fueled by human-caused climate change, are occurring at a higher frequency with an increased cost — in dollars and lives. Nathan Rott reports. (NPR)

Who gets to fish for B.C. salmon in the future?
The West Coast’s commercial salmon fleet is clearly in the midst of transformative change. Ottawa has shuttered approximately 60 per cent of B.C.’s commercial fisheries since 2021 and last month launched a licence buyback program to lure fish harvesters to exit the industry to protect plummeting salmon stocks. What’s less evident is who will remain on the water with access to salmon as the federal government reshapes the industry that was once the backbone of the coast. Rochelle Baker reports. (Vancouver Sun)

EPA approves Budd Inlet water cleanup plan
(News Release) Last month, the Washington Department of Ecology received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its water quality cleanup plan for Budd Inlet. The plan addresses decades-old problems associated with low dissolved oxygen that have threatened fish and wildlife in the waterway at the southern edge of Puget Sound. The water quality plan sets a “total maximum daily load,” or TMDL, controlling how much nutrient pollution can enter Budd Inlet each day. The single most important action for improving water quality in Budd Inlet is removing the Capitol Lake dam. (WA Dept of Ecology)

Canadian mining company Teck Metals fined $2.2M for polluting B.C. river
Teck's operations in B.C.'s West Kootenay leaked pollutants into Columbia River in 2019: Environment Canada. (The Canadian Press) See also: A Canadian mining giant has long been fighting U.S. pollution rules. Now Montana is on its side. Montana’s about-face on pollution standards includes letting B.C.'s Teck Resources pen a petition to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Francesca Fionda reports. (The Narwhal)

AG Ferguson, Sen. Mullet, Rep. Pollet propose legislation to support local journalism
(News Release) Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that he is partnering with Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, and Rep. Gerry Pollet, D- Seattle, to propose a bill in the next legislative session to exempt Washington newspapers and eligible online news outlets from the state business and occupation tax. Newspapers currently pay a reduced B&O tax rate, but that preferential tax rate expires in July of 2024. Consistent with the Legislative Auditor’s recommendation, Senate Bill 5199/House Bill 1206 expands the preference to fully eliminate the B&O tax for newspaper publishers and printers. This legislation also extends the same rate to exclusively online news outlets that provide a similar public benefit as printed papers. (Washington Attorney General Office)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 253 AM PST Wed Jan 11 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the morning then a chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt after midnight. Combined seas 10 to 12 ft with a dominant period of 11 seconds. Rain.

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

1/10 Muskrat, hot Earth, warm ocean, gas stove ban, Cooke fish farms, 'green banks,' crab harvest, goose cull

Muskrat [WikiCommons]

Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus
Muskrats weigh 2 to 4 pounds and reach lengths of 18 to 25 inches, including their 8- to 11-inch, sparsely haired tails. Their coat color is generally dark brown, but individuals can range from black to almost white. Muskrats have partially webbed hind feet that function as paddles and much smaller front feet used primarily for digging. Muskrats are found throughout still or slow-moving waterways, including marshes, beaver ponds, reservoirs, irrigation canals and ditches, and marshy borders of lakes and rivers. They don’t live in mountainous areas where cold weather makes their food unobtainable. (WDFW)

Earth’s Last 8 Years Were the Hottest on Record
The world remained firmly in warming’s grip last year, with extreme summer temperatures in Europe, China and elsewhere contributing to 2022 being the fifth-hottest year on record, European climate researchers said on Tuesday. The eight warmest years on record have now occurred since 2014, the scientists, from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, reported, and 2016 remains the hottest year ever. Overall, the world is now 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.1 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than it was in the second half of the 19th century, when emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels became widespread. Henry Fountain and Mira Rojanasakul report. (NY Times)

Warming oceans have decimated marine parasites — but that’s not a good thing
More than a century of preserved fish specimens offer a rare glimpse into long-term trends in parasite populations. New research from the University of Washington shows that fish parasites plummeted from 1880 to 2019, a 140-year stretch when Puget Sound — their habitat and the second largest estuary in the mainland U.S. — warmed significantly. The study, published the week of Jan. 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the world’s largest and longest dataset of wildlife parasite abundance. It suggests that parasites may be especially vulnerable to a changing climate. Hannah Hickey writes. (UW Today)

Gas stoves may be banned in U.S. amid health concerns, links to childhood asthma
A federal agency says a ban on gas stoves is on the table amid rising concern about harmful indoor air pollutants emitted by the appliances. Researchers in Canada have also raised concerns about the health risks associated with cooking with gas. University of Saskatchewan chemist Tara Kahan and her colleagues published a study that showed “levels of nitrogen oxide pollutants sometimes exceed Health Canada guidelines for a one-hour exposure, but the pollutants often lingered for a couple of hours,” CBC News reported. Ari Natter reports. (Bloomberg)

Clarification: Cooke wins extension on Washington State deadline
Yesterday's positing from Fish Farmer Magazine was confused in saying that the DNR order was for the company to dismantle its two fish farms by 14 April. The original 60-day order by DNR required dismantling by Jan 14. "On Jan. 6 the Superior Court for Washington State granted the motion filed by the company to extend the deadline to April 14 to remove the fish from its Rich Passage and Hope Island farms." (SaltWire)

‘Green banks,’ poised for billions in climate funds, draw states’ attention
In recent years, several states have created or helped to fund specialized banks that lend money to homeowners and businesses for energy-saving and climate projects. Now, states have billions more reasons to establish such institutions, known as green banks. Congress last year approved a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund of $27 billion, largely to pour money into green banks and similar financial institutions. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline)

Dungeness crab harvest delayed off WA, OR coast
The prime Dungeness crab harvest grounds stretching from Klipsan Beach, Washington, to Cape Falcon, Oregon, will not open until Feb. 1 due to surveys that found legal-sized males still lacked enough recoverable meat in their shells...The Dungeness crab harvest is Washington state’s most valuable commercial fishery. During the past decade, the seasons have generated on average $47.92 million to crabbers. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

CRD proposes Canada goose management service
Canada goose populations have exploded on the Island in recent decades, with the large birds damaging delicate ecosystems, ravaging farmers’ fields and invading parks, golf courses and playing fields, leaving massive amounts of poop in their wake. The Capital Regional District is hoping to halt the proliferation of geese with egg-addling and culling, setting up a new regional service that would include monitoring and mapping of populations and public education. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 304 AM PST Tue Jan 10 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. SW swell 9 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 20 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 8 ft at 13 seconds.

Monday, January 9, 2023

1/9 Nutria, western Canada glaciers, legislature, Cooke extension, Site C acid rock, Heart of the Fraser, bulkheads, Oak Bay salmon, Storming the Sound

Nutria [USGS]

Nutria Myocastor coypus
Nutria are semi-aquatic rodents native to southern parts of South America. In the 1930s, they were sold throughout North America to fur farmers and as a means of controlling unwanted aquatic vegetation. Various associations, magazine and newspaper articles, and demonstrations at county fairs promoted the sale of nutria in Washington. Adult nutria average 24 inches long from the nose to the base of the tail.Nutria are found in lakes, wetlands, sloughs, drainage ditches, and irrigation canals along the Columbia River and north to Skagit County. Cold temperatures seem to reduce the distribution of nutria, as they don’t live in areas where water surfaces freeze for long periods. (WDFW)

Most of Western Canada's glaciers will melt in 80 years, University of Northern B.C. study finds
A study by international researchers using a supercomputer at the University of Northern British Columbia has found that most of Western Canada's glaciers will disappear by the year 2100. The study, "Global Glacier Change in the 21st Century: Every Increase in Temperature Matters" was published Thursday in the journal Science. Michelle Gomez reports. (CBC)

Why you should pay attention to the 2023 Washington Legislature
The legislative session kicks off today in Olympia, and state lawmakers have a full agenda: gun regulations, education, big budget questions and more. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Crosscut) See also: Local legislators set housing, public safety, education and climate as priority. All-Democrat delegation from 42/40 legislative districts identifies top issues they will pursue when the legislative session begins on Jan. 9. (Salish Current)

Cooke wins extension on Washington State deadline
Cooke Aquaculture has been granted a preliminary injunction giving the company more time to harvest the fish and dismantle equipment at its last two sites in Washington State. The injunction was granted by the Superior Court of the State of Washington after Cooke filed a motion against the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) and Hilary Franz, the Commissioner of Public Lands. After announcing that Cooke’s leases at Rich Passage and Hope Island, in Puget Sound, would not be renewed, the DNR had ordered the company to dismantle the two fish farms by 14 April, and to harvest all remaining fish by 14 January. Robert Outram reports. (Fish Farmer Magazine)

BC Hydro, Site C dam contractor charged after acid rock drainage flows into Peace River
Four million litres of potentially contaminated water was discharged into the fish-bearing river. The incident was not reported ‘in a timely manner,’ according to BC Hydro’s latest Site C dam report. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

ICYMI: Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 5: The bleeding Heart of the Fraser
Gravel beds in the Heart of the Fraser — called one of the “most productive stretches of river on the planet" for spawning fish — are threatened with large-scale wetland destruction. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current)

ICYMI: Bulkheads: protecting property at what cost to the environment?
Armoring the shoreline aims to protect property from high tides and erosion — the same natural forces that nourish shorelines for forage fish spawning and juvenile salmon rearing. Kai Uyehara reports. (Salish Current)

Volunteers clear smothering debris from Oak Bay creek to ready for 30K salmon eggs
Streamkeepers started 2023 strong in Oak Bay, spending Jan. 1 clearing Bowker Creek of last year’s backlog. Volunteers literally cleared space to make room for its second annual salmon egg installation in an Oak Bay section of the creek. Debris filled the area where last year the Friends of Bowker Creek Society and Peninsula Streams Society – with approval from Fisheries and Oceans Canada – tucked about 30,000 eggs into the creek bed. Christine van Reeuwyk reports. (Vancouver Island Free Daily)

Storming the Sound
The annual conference for environmental educators in the north Puget Sound region will be held on Jan. 19 at Maple Hall in LaConner— in person! Register here.

Salish Current Newsletter
Fact-based, independent community news free to read and free of ads. Jan. 6: Heart of the Fraser, bulkheads, Whatcom County Jail, San Juan council, 40/42 legislative priorities. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 353 AM PST Mon Jan 9 2023
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY E wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 9 to 12 ft with a dominant period of 14 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then showers in the afternoon. TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft at 12 seconds. Showers in the evening. A slight chance of tstms. Rain after midnight.

Friday, January 6, 2023

1/6 Alligator lizard, Heart of the Fraser, bulkheads, Puyallup tideflats, WA lege session, UW sit-in, transportation, Skagit steelhead, Coho ferry, Way of Whales, week in review

Northern alligator lizard [WDFW]

Northern alligator lizard Elgaria coerulea
Northern alligator lizards occur in the Pacific Coast, Puget Trough, North Cascades, East Cascades, West Cascades, Okanogan and Rocky Mountain ecoregions. The northern alligator lizard inhabits grassy, brushy or rocky openings within forested landscapes. They have also been observed along road corridors and near lake edges. They can persist in low to moderately developed landscapes where they are typical seen in rock retaining walls, rock piles, woody debris and along building foundations. This species is relatively cold tolerant. Activity starts in late March to early April depending on location and weather conditions. (WDFW)

Tacoutche Tesse, the Northwest’s great ghost river — Part 5: The bleeding Heart of the Fraser
Gravel beds in the Heart of the Fraser— called one of the "most productive stretches of river on the planet" for spawning fish— is threatened with large-scale wetland destruction. Eric Scigliano reports. (Salish Current)

Bulkheads: protecting property at what cost to the environment?
Armoring the shoreline aims to protect property from high tides and erosion— the same natural forces that nourish shorelines for forage fish spawning and juvenile salmon rearing. Kai Uyehara reports. (Salish Current)

Puyallup Tribe announces economic development project at port
The Puyallup Tribe announced Wednesday it would development an international logistics company on property it owns on the Tacoma Tideflats. Formed in December, Tahoma Global Logistics will run land operations on the Tribe’s port properties in the Port of Tacoma, according to a news release. The Puyallup Tribe regained properties along the Blair Waterway in Tacoma with the 1990 Land Claims Settlement. Liz Moomey reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

What WA voters want to see from the 2023 legislative session
State residents say the cost of living and housing are big issues as lawmakers draft a new budget, according to a new Crosscut/Elway poll. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Crosscut)

Student sit-in protests fossil fuel company recruitment at University of Washington
A student group at the University of Washington is calling on the university to prohibit oil, gas, and mining operation companies from recruiting on campus. Many such companies have graduate and internship programs. The ICA-UW Chapter started holding sit-ins at the university's career center in late November. The group plans to continue doing so through winter quarter. ICA stands for Institutional Climate Action. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

On transportation, WA Legislature looks to tackle safety, equity, inflation
With housing and homelessness already taking top billing for this year’s session, transportation is unlikely to collect the same level of political capital as it did earlier this year. But as more people die on the roads, inflation drives up the cost of projects, workforce shortages persist and questions about how Washington will fund transportation in the future become more pointed, the policy debates around transportation in the upcoming session could reverberate on the roads for years. David Kroman reports. (Seattle Times)

Skagit River steelhead forecast looking good
Fishery managers hope to hold a catch-and-release steelhead season on the Skagit and Sauk rivers in early 2023, according to a state Department of Fish and Wildlife news release. Fishery managers canceled last year’s steelhead fishing season after their estimates indicated that fewer steelhead than the 4,000-fish requirement would return to the watershed. State fish biologists and tribal co-managers have forecasted that 5,211 wild steelhead will return to the Skagit River this year. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Coho ferry undergoing scheduled maintenance
North Olympic Peninsula residents will need to find alternative transportation to Victoria for the next three weeks as the MV Coho passenger and car ferry undergoes its annual maintenance. The ferry went out of service on Tuesday and is scheduled to resume its twice-daily round trips across the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Port Angeles and Victoria with an 8:20 a.m. sailing from Port Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 26. Brian Gawley reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Way of Whales Workshop
The Way of Whales Workshop will be held on Jan. 14 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Coupeville High School and online. Keynote speaker is Dr. John Ford with a panel discussion featuring Deborah Giles, Monika Weiland Shields, Michael Weiss, Joe Gaydos, Kim Parsons and Linda Rhodes. There will also be an update on the campaign to return Tokitae to local waters. $40, or $30 senior/student; lunch $20. Registration required.

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/6/23: Lock 'em up, Wild Olympics, EPA water rule, Fraser riverfront, BC timber, giant freighter, big seas, ship noise, WA climate, WA recycling, Heart of the Fraser, bulkheads

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 231 AM PST Fri Jan 6 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 12 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. SW swell 12 ft at 12 seconds. Rain.
SAT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 3 ft. SW swell 14 ft at 14 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. SW swell 12 ft at 14 seconds.
SUN E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 3 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds building to 9 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon.

Thursday, January 5, 2023

1/5 Skate, TM fine reduction, WA climate actions, WA recycling, Ken Balcomb, giant octopus release

Big skate [iNaturalist]

Big skate Beringraja binoculata
Big skate range from the Bering Sea and southeast Alaska to central Baja, California. They are rare south of Point Conception, California. They are found from the intertidal to 800 m (2,600 ft) in depth but are most common at moderate depths of 3 to 100 m (10-360 ft). They occur in coastal bays, estuaries, and over the continental shelf, usually on sandy or muddy bottoms, but occasionally on low strands of kelp. Big skates can grow up to 2.4 m (8 ft), but rarely over 1.8 m (6 ft), in length, and 91 kg (200 lbs) in weight. Maximum age is 26 years old. (WDFW)

Fine issued to Trans Mountain pipeline for harming birds reduced from $88K to $4K
The $88,000 penalty handed to Trans Mountain Pipeline almost a year ago for harming nesting birds has been reduced upon review to just $4,000. In the decision, the Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator said Trans Mountain Pipeline's violation of environmental regulations aimed at protecting nesting migratory birds was "unacceptable." However, the three-person review panel also said the amount of the penalty was not properly determined, characterizing the "level of actual harm as low, given that the species impacted are common species, and the number of individuals impacted is relatively low compared to the estimated populations." Karin Larsen reports. (CBC)

Washington state starts 2023 with ambitious new climate efforts
One of Washington's biggest climate programs yet launched on Jan. 1: the Clean Fuel Standard. Under this program, fuel suppliers must gradually provide cleaner and cleaner fuels for gas pumps across the state, starting now, through 2034. Also kicking in this month is a law that caps greenhouse gas emissions from the state's largest polluters. That program allows companies to buy carbon credits in an auction, which can be traded like other investments — also known as cap and invest. In Seattle, the city will start funding its Green New Deal, the city's climate change master plan. As part of that, middle and low income residents will be eligible for assistance to buy heat pumps. And this year, major federal incentives for green energy kick in. People can get tax credits for buying electric vehicles, installing rooftop solar, and heat pumps. Paige Browning reports.(KUOW) See also: 6 new climate policies anticipated for B.C. in 2023 Will it be enough to meet the province's critical climate and biodiversity goals? Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Here’s how Washington might get consumer bottle recycling, eliminate waste production
The Washington Recycle and Packaging Act, sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry and Sen. Christine Rolfes, will require producers, manufacturers and companies to fund residential recycling services for packaging and paper products across Washington and create a bottle deposit system. Jack Belcher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Remembering Ken Balcomb and his extraordinary life with killer whales
Chris Dunagan writes: "I’m still adjusting to the world of killer whales without Ken Balcomb. Ken, who died Dec. 15 at age 82, was a constant presence throughout my career as an environmental reporter. His presence inspired many others among the so-called “killer whale community,” made of experts, observers and those who simply love and follow the stories of our beloved orcas..." (Puget Sound Institute)

Sylvia, Port Townsend's giant Pacific octopus, to return to the Salish Sea
Sylvia the giant Pacific octopus, who has spent the last few years at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center Aquarium (PTMSC), will be released soon as he has reached maturity. Sylvia was collected in the PTMSC's light trap at Port Worden pier in June 2020. PTMSC staff said at that time he was a "well-developed paralarvae just starting to transition from floating in the water column to a benthic juvenile crawling across the seafloor." Now, at 3 years old, he is considered a mature adult and is ready to mate. (KOMO)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 203 AM PST Thu Jan 5 2023
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY E wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 5 ft. SW swell 6 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 20 to 30 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 11 ft at 15 seconds building to 13 ft at 13 seconds after midnight. Rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

1/4 Sculpin, canoe carving, ship noise, Skagit eagles, frog condo

Buffalo sculpin [Edmonds Underwater Park]

Buffalo sculpin Enophrys bison
Buffalo sculpin range from Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. They are most commonly found in inshore rocky and sandy areas to a depth of 20m (65 ft). The maximum recorded depth for this species is 227 m (743 ft). Buffalo sculpin can grow up to 37 cm (14.5 in) in length. Enophrys from two Greek words meaning “on eyebrow” for the ridges over the eye; bison refers to North American bison and the horn-like spines on the pre-opercular bones. [WDFW]

Seattle building canoe carving center in SLU to showcase Native culture
More than 150 years after Seattle’s government tried to ban Native residents and more than 50 years after Native activists embarked on a campaign to regain waterfront access in the city, a space dedicated to Coast Salish canoe culture is about to take shape on the shore of Lake Union. The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation will hold a ceremony Friday to bless the construction of the new Canoe Carving House, which is scheduled to break ground later this year. The 1,200-square-foot structure on the western edge of Lake Union Park will be a place to carve, store, launch and educate visitors about traditional canoes made from cedar trees. Daniel Beekman reports. (Seattle Times)

Ship Noise Kills Crabs’ Libidos
The constant thrum of ship engines and other human noises can be a real nuisance for many sea creatures, disrupting their feeding, navigation, and communication. Now a new study shows that ship noise can also kill the mood for amorous crabs. Brian Owens reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center open for the winter
The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center is open weekends until mid-February, as well as Monday, Jan. 16. Guided walks leave at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. from the Interpretive Center and last 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Snohomish flower farmer’s ‘frog condo’ goes viral
The video on Snohomish Lavender Farm’s Instagram shows two pint-sized tree frogs nestled in the dark pink petals of a dahlia. Originally posted on Sept. 28, the video now has more than 7.7 million views. The guests at the frog hotel are the Pacific tree frog. It is the most common frog species in the state, growing up to 2 inches in length. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Everett Herald)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 214 AM PST Wed Jan 4 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT TODAY E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 20 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind 25 to 35 kt. Combined seas 8 to 11 ft with a dominant period of 13 seconds. Rain.