7/15 Squidding, Vic sewer, poop snoop, Tacoma LNG, aquariums, dead seabirds, Stanley Park

(PHOTO: Peninsula Daily News)

Summertime and the squidding is a hot choice in Port Angeles
Summertime and the squidding, while not easy, is an available option for those hungering for some calimari. The squid are around in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and squid jiggers are catching them off Port Angeles’ City Pier in the midnight hour. You can’t keep a good squid down on the salt farm apparently, as some innate urge in their biology has them swimming toward the bright lights and big city atmosphere downtown. Michael Carman reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

New sewage panel getting up to speed, CRD told
A panel of experts is on track to have a business case for sewage treatment completed by the Sept. 30 deadline, Capital Regional District directors were told Wednesday. The new panel, called the Core Area Waste Water Treatment Project Board, has met three times since it was appointed in May, lawyer Jane Bird, the panel’s chairwoman, told CRD directors Wednesday. It expects to provide a business case for the recommended sewage option to the CRD board by mid-September. The board is in the process of reviewing, assessing and rating all treatment options and sites, including all public input gathered to date, Bird said in her first update to the board. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Poop-sniffing dog found traces of human waste in Whatcom water samples
A dog brought to Whatcom County to sniff out human “poo”-llution in area waterways found it in the majority of water samples taken from 58 sites. Crush, the sewage-sniffing dog, detected the presence of fecal coliform bacteria from people in 67 percent of those sites, according to Erika Douglas, a senior planner for Whatcom County Public Works Department who oversees water-quality monitoring. The water samples went into bins. If Crush sniffed and stopped to lie down, that was a sign the water contained human waste. The dog also did field investigations in which she walked along 11 areas in the county — a stretch of ditch or culverts, or stream sections — and had at least one alert in each area, indicating the presence of waste from humans. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

LNG plant’s business plan raises concern with state utility watchers
Puget Sound Energy wants its proposed liquefied natural gas plant to be run by a wholly owned shell company as a way to sell the gas on the unregulated market, while also storing it under regulated utility terms. Critics fear the proposal puts customers at risk of subsidizing the facility through higher utility rates. The UTC and two utility consumer organizations, Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities and Northwest Industrial Gas Users, voiced their opposition for that very reason. More opinions are likely as the plan plays out. It’s a seemingly complex financial structure that is raising questions with the state’s Utilities and Transportation Commission, which is tasked with making sense of it while overseeing the emerging industry rather than just critics. The scheme adds to the roster of legal and safety questions surrounding the planned facility. (Tacoma Weekly)

Sea change for Sidney's aquarium
The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, formerly known as the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, underwent big change last year. Executive Director for the Centre Mark Loria brought the District of Central Saanich up to speed Monday night on their name change and mission change. As a not-for-profit organization, they rely on admission, sponsorship and donations to remain sustainable. With their new name, comes a lot of other changes. Carlie Connolly reports. (Peninsula News Review) See also: Point Defiance holds groundbreaking for new Pacific Seas Aquarium  Derek Shuck reports. (Tacoma Weekly)

Bird Studies Canada concerned about dead seabirds in Pacific Northwest
Researchers say a concerning number of dead sea birds have washed up in the Pacific Northwest. Bird Studies Canada, which monitors sea bird fatalities, says so far there have been 14 reports of dead rhinoceros auklets around the Victoria area and Washington State. "It's definitely more than we normally see, but it's still too early to tell if it is going to be a large die-off event," said program coordinator Karen Devitt. Sea birds are important indicators of ocean health, she said, adding that causes of large die-offs range from a prey shortage to plastic in the ocean.(CBC)

Stanley Park's watershed is getting a cleanup
The Stanley Park Ecology Society and HSBC Bank Canada are partnering to restore the health of Stanley Park's watershed. HSBC has committed $50,000 to support the society with their aquatic stewardship initiatives, which help preserve the aquatic ecosystems and wildlife habitats of at-risk wildlife species like wood ducks and swallows. This is the fifth year of the HSBC Freshwater Initiatives in Stanley Park program. Cory Correia reports. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  304 AM PDT FRI JUL 15 2016  

TODAY  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT  SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT...BECOMING 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL  4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

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

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7/14 Corals, eagles, pipelines, oil spills, drones, PSP, daylight, Stanwood parks

(Jaffe Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

If you like to watch: Underwater microscope catches corals dancing in their natural habitat
A new underwater microscope allows scientists to take their lab right to the bottom of the ocean, where they can get up close and personal with coral and other sea life to see how they behave in their own watery domain.  This high-powered tool, described in a paper published Tuesday in Nature Communications, is already revealing new details about life at the sea floor and the inner workings of mysterious marine organisms like coral.  Coral reefs can stretch for miles. The huge structures are built by tiny animals, called polyps, that are related to jellyfish and sea anemones. It takes millions of them to build and maintain a reef. Megan Daley reports. (LA Times)

State agency proposes removing protection for bald eagles
State wildlife managers are proposing to remove bald eagles and peregrine falcons from Washington’s endangered species list. They’re also recommending greater protections for lynx and marbled murrelets, small seabirds that nest in old-growth trees. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says bald eagles have made “an extraordinary recovery” in Washington state and nationally, following decades of decline due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT and habitat loss. Bald eagles were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007. The agency says peregrine falcons have also recovered and can now be found nesting throughout much of the state. Both birds would still be protected under other federal laws. (Associated Press)

Surveys off Alaska lead to new types of soft-bodied fish
Federal biologist Jay Orr never knows what’s going to come up in nets lowered to the ocean floor off Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands, which separate the Bering Sea from the rest of the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes it’s stuff he has to name. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologist is part of a group that uses trawl nets to survey commercially important fish species such as cod in waters off Alaska. Sometimes those nets come up with things no one has seen before. With co-authors, Orr has discovered 14 kinds of new snailfish, a creature that can be found in tide pools but also in the deepest parts of the ocean. A dozen more new snailfish are waiting to be named. Additional species are likely to be found as scientists expand their time investigating areas such as the Bering Sea Slope, in water 800 to 5,200 feet deep, or the 25,663-foot deep Aleutian Trench. Dan Joling reports. (Associated Press)

Natural gas company may face $4M in penalties for failure to track pipeline pressure limits
Regional natural gas distributor Cascade Natural Gas may face $4 million in penalties for safety violations along segments of its pipeline, some of which are in Mount Vernon. The state Utilities and Transportation Commission announced the safety violations Tuesday. According to a news release, Cascade Natural Gas does not have proper documentation to ensure segments of its pipeline are being operated under the appropriate pressure. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Feds Propose Railroads Have Plans to Deal With Oil Spills
 Railroads hauling crude oil would be required to develop comprehensive plans for dealing with a significant oil spill, including providing detailed information to state and tribal authorities, under a rule proposed Wednesday by the Department of Transportation. The proposal also includes a new testing method for shippers to determine the volatility of oil shipments. Oil is often transported in trains with as many as 100 tank cars at a time. At least 27 oil trains have derailed in the U.S. and Canada in the last decade, often leading to fiery explosions and extensive environmental damage. Local authorities have complained in the past that they've been unable to obtain information or there have been delays in obtaining information from railroads. Joan Lowy reports. (Associated Press)

New Energy East memo reveals conflicting government views on pipeline's value
Canada's oil pipelines are already operating to their full potential and the Energy East project is well-positioned to meet the country's projected need in increased capacity by 2020, according to a briefing memo to Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr obtained by CBC News. "Absent this capacity, more oil will be shipped by rail, and some production will be restricted," reads the document, dated Feb. 15, 2016. The memo was released under an access to information request and largely contradicts an earlier finance department memo, obtained in the same way, which suggested Canada already has sufficient capacity between rail and pipelines "until at least 2025." Andrew Leach, an energy and environment economist at the University of Alberta's school of business, said he's more inclined to trust the analysis in the memo sent to Carr. Robson Fletcher reports. (CBC)

The Oil Spill Cleanup Illusion
When the Deepwater Horizon well operated by BP (formerly British Petroleum) exploded and contaminated the Gulf of Mexico with at least 650 million liters of crude oil in 2010, blue-smocked animal rescuers quickly appeared on television screens. Looking like scrub nurses, the responders treated oil-coated birds with charcoal solutions, antibiotics, and dish soap. They also forced the birds to swallow Pepto-Bismol, which helps absorb hydrocarbons. The familiar, if not outlandish, images suggested that something was being cleaned up. But during the chaotic disaster, Silvia Gaus poked a large hole in that myth. The German biologist had worked in the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea, a region of the North Sea and the world’s largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud, and critical bird habitat. A 1998 oil spill of more than 100,000 liters in the North Sea had killed 13,000 birds in Wattenmeer national park, and the scientist had learned that cleaning oil-soaked birds could be as harmful to their immune systems as the oil accumulating in their livers and kidneys. Kill, don’t clean, she advised responders in the 2010 BP spill. Gaus then referred to scientific studies to support her unsettling declaration. One 1996 California study, for example, followed the fate of brown pelicans fouled by oil. Researchers marked the birds after they had been “cleaned” and released them into the wild. The majority died or failed to mate again. The researchers concluded that cleaning brown pelicans couldn’t restore them to good breeding health or “normal survivability.” Another study from 1997 observed that once birds affected by an oil spill had been cleaned, they fared poorly and suffered higher than expected mortality rates. Andrew Nikiforuk reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Exxon is using drones -- to scout for whales
Drones are quickly becoming a game-changer in the oil and gas industry, as the flying robots perform otherwise costly and dangerous inspections of pipelines, offshore rigs and refineries. Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM, -0.07%  is one of many major oil companies using drones in its oil-and-gas production operations (Shell Oil RDSB, -0.56%   and BP BP, -0.95%   are among the others), but it’s also finding new ways to make use of the technology. Exxon this year successfully used drones along the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif. to contribute to a continuing research project of tracking whales. It’s typical for oil and gas companies to do environmental studies before conducting offshore operations. Sally French reports. (MarketWatch)

Kilisut Harbor, Mystery Bay shut to recreational shellfish harvesting
Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay, has been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting. The state Department of Health closed the area after shellfish samples were found to contain elevated levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), reported Michael Dawson of Jefferson County Environmental Health on Wednesday. (Peninsula Daily News)

Seattle’s “season of light” coming to an end for 2016
The bright reddish glow lingers until around 10pm behind the jagged silhouetted peaks of the Olympic mountains in picturesque form. For the Pacific Northwest, this is our season of light. Every year for about 40 days, Seattle has sunsets that are after 9pm. These long days straddle the summer solstice which happens annually in late June…. This season of light around the Emerald City comes to a close soon. (KCPQ)

Plans for waterfront finalized
With help from a proactive committee led by Theresa Metzger, the city of Stanwood has completed a master plan for two waterfront parks. Deborah Knight, city administrator, offered a quick overview at the recent joint meeting of the Stanwood and Camano Island chambers of commerce on June 30. Two pieces of land, purchased with Conservation Futures funds from Snohomish County, will reorient the city back to the water, Knight said. “Like La Conner and Mount Vernon,” she said. Sarah Arney reports. (Stanwood-Camano News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT THU JUL 14 2016  

TODAY  W WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.  NW SWELL 4 FT AT 4 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER  MIDNIGHT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 3 SECONDS.

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

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7/13 Orcas, seal scat, humpbacks, bag ban, 1-732, Colstrip, K-ply, bee killer, green crab, Vic sewer

Pigeon guillemot (Whidbey Daily News)

Unique Whidbey Island bird celebrated
To an undiscerning eye, they don’t look very exotic or special, but the seabird known as the Pigeon Guillemot plays an important role on and about Whidbey Island and the rest of Puget Sound. The seabird is so popular, in fact, Pigeon Guillemot Appreciation Day was just observed at Ott and Murphy’s Winery and Tasting Room in Langley. The event was put on by the Guillemot Research Group, a citizen science project of the Whidbey Audubon Society. The group, founded by Whidbey Island author and naturalist Frances Wood, along with professor Phyllis Kind, has been conducting an annual breeding survey of the seabirds the past 12 years. Kathy Reed reports. (Whidbey Daily News)

Whale Scientists Say Resident Orcas Are Mostly Missing From Salish Sea This Year
Whale watchers say they finally spotted some orcas off the Washington coast late last week. But experts say it’s still an alarmingly bad year for sightings of resident killer whales, which have been late to arrive and are showing up in much smaller numbers than usual. May and June are normally the months when three pods of orcas known as the Southern Residents show up in the Salish Sea. They usually stick around in large groups through September, feasting on Chinook salmon from the Fraser River. But this year, they’ve been scarce. “To say that they’re late, that’s like the understatement of the century,” said  Dr. Deborah Giles, with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island.  “It’s really scary.” Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Researchers collect seal scat to study decline of fish
Researchers are collecting seal scat across Puget Sound in an effort to learn why salmon and steelhead are at historically low returns. The work is part of the Salish Marine Survival Project. It will supplement a variety of other research, including acoustic tags placed in fish, as well as a swim study focused on steelhead infected with a prevalent parasite. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

'Humpback comeback' in Salish Sea wows whale watching companies
A West Coast whale watching association is reporting unprecedented sightings of large groups of humpback whales near Victoria and Port Angeles, Wash. Whale watching groups are calling the phenomenon the "humpback comeback" in the Salish Sea. Anita Bathe and Maryse Zeidler report. (CBC)

Tacoma City Council votes in favor of plastic bag ban
Starting a year from Tuesday, Tacomans won’t be able to get thin, single-use plastic bags at the grocery store or at other places they shop in the city. The Tacoma City Council voted, 8-1, on Tuesday night to ban the plastic bags after hours of discussion and after a substitute ordinance that would have charged a five-cent fee for paper and plastic was brought before the group and then shot down.  Candace Rudd reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Audubon backs I-732 to fight climate change — it’s better than nothing
You’d think a major environmental group endorsing a measure to combat climate change would be no big deal. But over at Audubon headquarters in Seward Park, they are girding themselves for the blowback. Audubon Washington, the state chapter of the century-old National Audubon Society, is set this week to back Initiative 732, a grass-roots effort to levy a statewide tax on fossil fuels. It means Audubon is breaking away from a huge group of environmental, labor and progressive groups in the Puget Sound region — a group that Audubon awkwardly still belongs to. That coalition has opposed Initiative 732 as a “Republican lite” effort that raises no money for various causes and may even blow a hole in the state budget. Danny Westneat reports. (Seattle Times)

Puget Sound Energy agreement to shut part of Montana coal- power plant
Puget Sound Energy has reached an agreement to close part of its Montana coal-fired power plant by 2022, the company announced Tuesday. Under a settlement with the Sierra Club and Montana Environmental Information Center, PSE and Talen Energy will shut down the two oldest units of the Colstrip Generating Station, which the companies co-own, by July 1, 2022. In return, the environmental organizations will drop their allegations that the plant has violated the federal Clean Air Act, which stem from a 2013 lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court in Missoula.  Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Port of Port Angeles approves settlements for millions for plywood mill site cleanup
Port of Port Angeles commissioners have approved settlements with ExxonMobil and Rayonier Advanced Materials that will reimburse the port’s out-of-pocket costs of cleaning the former 19-acre plywood mill site at 439 Marine Drive. ExxonMobil will pay $5.5 million and Rayonier $2.2 million as reimbursement to the port for their shares of the costs. Commissioners took action Monday. Jesse Major reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Vancouver votes to ban bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides
A hotly-debated class of pesticides, which are toxic to bees, will no longer be allowed to be used in the City of Vancouver to improve the look of lawns ravaged by chafer beetles. City council voted unanimously early Tuesday to ban neonicotinoids, which includes imidacloprid, an insecticide marketed and sold to kill the grubs…. The chemicals are legal in Canada, though Health Canada is currently reviewing the use of imidacloprid because of emerging evidence it hurts pollinators. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

Scientists, citizens track voracious predator: European green crab is not our friend
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is calling on beachgoers to be on the lookout for a "raving mad" crustacean that has colonized waters and threatened native shellfish from South Africa to the Pacific Coast. The European green crab, a small, efficient and adaptable predator also known as Carcinus maenas, meaning “raving mad crab,” was discovered in 2012 in Sooke Inlet, just west of Victoria on the south end of Vancouver Island, a discovery that sounded the alarm for Puget Sound's shellfish beds. The green crab feeds on a variety of organisms found in estuarine environments, including native shore crabs. It has been blamed for the collapse of the soft-shell clam industry in Maine, and might likewise affect native and commercial species in Puget Sound. (Port Townsend Leader)

Kilmer urges action on British Columbia sewage releases into Strait of Juan de Fuca
The House Appropriations Committee passed Tuesday a bill that includes a provision authored by U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer seeking to make progress on the dumping of raw sewage from Canada into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The report accompanying the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2016 includes language encouraging the U.S. State Department to work with Canadian counterparts on a solution to Victoria’s sewage problem. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  304 AM PDT WED JUL 13 2016  

TODAY  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 4 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT.  NW SWELL 4 FT AT 4 SECONDS.

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

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7/12 Oil trains, Parks Canada, oil spill data, urban wildlife, river otters, Feiro Marine Life, BC LNG

Elwha nearshore, 7/11/16 (Tom Roorda & CWI)

Inslee wants increased inspections on oil transport rail lines
Gov. Jay Inslee wants federal regulators to issue an emergency order requiring safety inspectors to physically walk the rail lines in the hours before Bakken crude oil is transported. In a letter to the railroad administration’s chief, Inslee called current federal inspection standards “insufficient to protect our communities from the imminent threat of fires, spills, and collisions that result from oil train derailments,” The Columbian reported Sunday Inslee wants the tracks to be inspected every day, at a minimum, and inspected at least 24-hours prior to oil transportation. (Associated Press)

Parks Canada should focus on environment, not development, says report
Parks Canada is breaking its own legislation and endangering the very ecosystems it is supposed to protect, according to a report from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society…. The report warned that if Parks Canada continues on this path, wildlife and wilderness will be "whittled away" and we will fail "on our commitment to pass along our national parks unimpaired to future generations." Susan Lunn reports. (CBC)

Summary of West Coast Oil Spill Data, 2015
The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force’s Summary of West Coast Oil Spill Data, 2015 is now available. This report contains data on crude and non-crude oil spills in 2015 from Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, and reports on spills 42 gallons (1 barrel) or larger. The report also captures trends in oil spills across the West Coast from 2002 to 2015. From Sarah Brace. (Pacific States British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force)

Birds, beavers, bats and rats: Seattle’s urban wildlife thrives
The geography of the Northwest brings a diversity of wildlife — and related headaches. Birds get in the path of jetliners. Crows frequently knock out power. And rats occasionally crawl up toilets. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times)

Researchers ask the public to report river otter sightings
They are charming and carnivorous, and can let humans know about environmental decline. "Like other animals that feed on the top of the food chain, river otters tell us a lot about what's happening," said Joe Gaydos, chief scientist for the SeaDoc Society. "They inhabit marine water and fresh water and go on land so they integrate information from all three places." Citizens are being asked to take part in a state-wide project to track the trends of river otters. Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, as part of their Living Northwest conservation program, has invited the public to participate in the Otter Spotter program…. If you observe a river otter, report your sightings at http://www.zoo.org/conservation/otterspotter#.V31-tZMrL8s to submit the online form. Sightings anywhere in the region will provide valuable data. Try to record the time of day, number of otters present, location of the sighting and behavior of the animals. And photos are welcome. Colleen Armstrong reports. (San Juan Journal)

Longtime volunteer encourages visitors for Wednesday’s open house at Feiro Marine Life Center
Shirley Anderson, a longtime naturalist with Feiro Marine Life Center, marvels at the success the facility has seen throughout the years and encourages the public to stop by during a free open house celebrating 35 years from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday…. Feiro cofounded the Marine Life Center with Will Wirt on Nov. 21, 1981, and since then people have been able to easily see examples of the sea creatures living in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Jesse Majors reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

LNG Canada delays final decision on Kitimat project, no new timeline set
Instability in global energy markets has caused international partners in a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Kitimat, B.C., to delay their final decision on the venture. LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz said in a conference call Monday that a drop in natural gas prices around the world, particularly in Asia, has made the project too expensive for now…. The LNG Canada project would export up to 24 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year and cost up to US$40 billion to build. Royal Dutch Shell (TSX:SHC) owns a 50 per cent stake in the project along with partners Korea Gas Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., and PetroChina Co. Ltd. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  254 AM PDT TUE JUL 12 2016  

TODAY  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W  SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN  A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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7/11 Salmon woes, Padden spill, Big Beef Cr., Nature's value, quieter ocean, Skagit kayaks, pickup poop

Rufous hummingbird (Mike Yip/BirdNote)

Rufous Hummingbirds Head South
Right now in the Northwest, male Rufous Hummingbirds are heading south. By late July, they will pour into southeastern Arizona on their way to wintering areas in Mexico. The females and their offspring will leave later in the summer, some lingering until mid-September. Along the way, they will take advantage of the wildflowers blooming in north-south mountain ranges. (BirdNote)

Tribal report: Region's salmon remain in peril despite habitat restoration
Although millions of dollars are being spent on research and restoration projects aimed at protecting the region's salmon fisheries, salmon habitat in Puget Sound is not as healthy or abundant as needed to support recovery of the fish, according to the 2016 State of Our Watersheds report produced by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. The commission, which represents 20 treaty tribes in Western Washington, first published a look at the state of area watersheds in relation to salmon habitat in 2012. The 2016 update released last week concludes that salmon and tribal treaty rights remain at risk due to habitat loss and degradation throughout the region. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

State fines city, builder, over sewage spill into Padden Creek
The city of Bellingham and Strider Construction have each been fined $9,000 after as much as 300,000 gallons of sewage was piped into Padden Creek over three days during a sewer replacement project in February. The state Department of Ecology found both parties were responsible for the mistake, which happened when a crew working for Strider put a temporary bypass sewer pump into a manhole that was labeled “sewer” but was actually connected to a storm drain that discharges into the creek. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Big Beef Creek to get log jams to aid salmon
Helicopters will lower 13 log jams into Big Beef Creek as part of a restoration project this summer. Last year, in Phase 1, 10 piles of large woody debris were placed in the creek and three old buildings removed. In Phase 2, the logs will be deposited about three-fourths of a mile up the creek to reduce sediment flowing to the estuary and to create pools where fish can avoid fast flows in winter and stay cool in summer. A 2,500-foot-long gravel road will be removed that divides the creek from its floodplain, said Sarah Heerhartz, habitat program manager for Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. The road, which comprises 1,600 cubic yards of fill dirt, leads to a well that's no longer used at the University of Washington field research station. Ed Friedrich reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Nature’s assets valuable, CRD told
Lakes, forests and aquifers should be listed right alongside sewers, treatment plants and buildings as local governments list and manage their assets, Capital Regional District directors were told last week. Nature is a fundamental component of a municipal infrastructure system and should be hard to ignore — but it regularly is, said Emanuel Machado, chief administrative officer for the Town of Gibsons…. Machado noted that such natural assets can provide some services at a lower cost than engineered alternatives, as they have no capital costs and often have lower operating costs. Gibsons, a pioneer in “eco-asset management,” recently teamed up with other municipalities and the David Suzuki Foundation as part of the Municipal Nature Capital Initiative. The pilot project is designed to develop practices and approaches to valuation of natural assets. Bill Cleverley report. (Times Colonist)

New tech could restore some quiet to noisy oceans
Forty feet below the surface of Puget Sound, a marbled murrelet dives for its catch. The water is cold, dark — and incredibly noisy. A ping-ping-ping emanates from the shore over second-long intervals and continues on for the next several hours, sending a series of pressure waves through the ocean. For the endangered bird, these sounds could result in anything from a disturbing annoyance, to internal injuries, or even death. The pings come from installing marine piles, which are concrete or steel pipes that are driven into the sediments to hold up piers or other platforms over the sea. Piles are ubiquitous in waterfront cities like Seattle. In the early 2000s, however, researchers began to realize there was a connection between putting the piles in and the dead fish that turned up floating on the water when they did it: the pile-driving noise was so loud, it was literally killing the surrounding marine life. But now there might be a better way to put the piles in. Seattle-based Marine Construction Technologies says they have developed a much quieter pile-driving system that could help save aquatic animals’ hearing — and lives. Samantha Larson reports. (Crosscut)

Kayaks float down Skagit River to protest oil train expansion
Around 70 people celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Skagit River railroad bridge to highlight what they call the danger of increasing oil train traffic in Skagit County. Saturday’s event was a mix of party and protest. It included presentations about the danger of oil train derailments, a river kayak flotilla and a birthday cake in the shape of an oil train to celebrate the anniversary of the bridge that spans the river from Burlington to Mount Vernon. Breanna Visser reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Worried about water quality? Pick up, bag and trash your dog’s poop
You’ve seen it along Bellingham trails and at dog parks, piles of dog poop left behind by people who didn’t pick up after their pets. The poop is more than unsightly, or annoying if you step in it. The waste contains fecal coliform bacteria that wash into area streams, lakes and beaches when it rains. The bacteria, which are an indicator of mammal or bird poop, also point to the possible presence of other organisms, such as roundworms, E. coli and giardia, which could sicken people and animals that come into contact with polluted water. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Heald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  244 AM PDT MON JUL 11 2016  

TODAY  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
TONIGHT  NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.

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

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7/8 Saving shores, oil train, vibrio, Cherry Pt., salmon, Dickerson Cr,, bee killer, runoff suit, saving whales

Red elderberry (Erica Bats/WSU)

Red elderberry (Sambucus racemes) is a shrub to small tree common to coastal areas of the Salish Sea. Though small and seedy, red elderberries were an important food source for central and northern coast peoples. They should always be cooked since the raw berries could cause nausea. The berries make an tangy jelly and are sometimes used to make wine after cooking. Stems, bark, leaves and roots of fresh plants are toxic due to cyanide-producing glycosides. Caches of red elderberries have been found in archeological sites dating back hundreds of years. (Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast)

"Living Shorelines" Will Get Fast Track to Combat Sea Level Rise
As sea levels rise along U.S. coasts, it may soon get easier for people and local governments to obtain federal permits to build what are known as “living shorelines,” natural or nature-based structures designed to protect communities and infrastructure from extreme storms and flooding even as they protect habitat. The Army Corps of Engineers is considering a new category to its nationwide permits that would allow speedier approval of living shorelines, which include wetlands with sea and marsh grasses, sand dunes, mangroves, and coral reefs. Currently, it’s much faster for property owners in many parts of the country to get a permit for sea walls, bulkheads and other so-called gray infrastructure than it is to get a permit for construction of nature-based systems. If the corps moves forward with the new category, though, permits to build living shorelines could be issued in as few as 45 days, instead of 215, a spokesman for the agency said. Erika Bolstad reports. (Scientific American)

If you like to watch: Up close with the Cascadia Subduction Zone
An ocean exploration right off the Washington coast  last month was the first of its kind! A team of experts on board an exploration vessel used Remote Operated Vehicles to search along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, mapping methane seeps, marine life, and the overall ecology of the area. (KCPQ)

Stop Oil Trains Week of Action hosts events
A nationwide Stop Oil Trains Week of Action starts today (7/6) and runs through July 12 with events across Skagit and Whatcom counties hosted by environmental groups. The goal is to call attention to the threat of oil trains, the people who are stopping them and the need for 100 percent clean and safe energy, according to a RE Sources for Sustainable Communities press release. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Opponents Of Crude Oil Terminals Rally In Grays Harbor County    Opponents of plans to ship crude oil by rail and barge through Grays Harbor in Southwest Washington will rally in Hoquiam on Friday. They say the risks far outweigh the benefits of the proposal. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

How Inspectors Missed Broken Bolts That Caused An Oil Train Derailment
…. Simple steps could have prevented the fiery derailment [June 3]. Had inspectors from Union Pacific railroad or government regulators walked the stretch of track in the weeks or months prior, they might have spotted the broken bolts. But no one did. Those unseen, broken bolts in Mosier, Oregon, expose a significant flaw in the current system for railroad inspections. Yet, federal and state regulators, as well as the railroads, all say current rules are adequate. Minimum federal requirements allow railroads considerable leeway for how they inspect their own track, while government checks are few and far between. As Mosier showed, the system can allow potentially dangerous defects to go unaddressed for months. Tony Schick and Conrad Wilson report. (OPB/EarthFix)

Raw oysters hit with vibrio bacteria again this year on B.C. coast
Raw oyster lovers are once again being warned about a possible outbreak of the bacterium Vibrio after the B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirmed its first case of illness this summer. An outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 2015 was the largest ever and sickened a total of 73 people who ate raw oysters in restaurants, bought from stores or self-harvested. Vibrio is linked to warmer sea water and can cause fever, vomiting and diarrhea. This first case was reported June 30 after a person ate raw oysters in the Vancouver area. Erin Ellis reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Cherry Point at planning crux
Whether the Cherry Point industrial zone should be used for future export of fossil fuels has shaped up to be a key battle point as the county gets close to wrapping up its Comprehensive Plan update. With the Gateway Pacific Terminal coal-shipping proposal derailed by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ruling in May, opponents now hope to keep that kind of idea from coming to the table again. Bellingham-based ReSources for Sustainable Communities has issued an action alert for its members to speak out on “prohibiting all future fossil fuel export projects for Cherry Point.” The Whatcom County Council received a steady volume of communication in June, much of it asking for the prohibition to be included in the land use section, chapter 2, of the massive Comprehensive Plan update. Cal Bratt reports. (Lynden Tribune)

Salmon diversity improves catch for First Nations, SFU study finds
The diversity of salmon populations in the Fraser River has a profound effect on the stability of catches and the length of the fishing season for First Nations, according to new research from Simon Fraser University. Diversity means much more than the presence of the five main salmon species, say authors Holly Nesbitt and Jonathan Moore. The health of distinct populations within those species from the many tributaries of the Fraser had the most potent effect on the food security of peoples that depend on salmon.  A recent study of food and nutrition in British Columbia found that 41 per cent of First Nations people are food insecure and more than 90 per cent expressed a desire to eat more of their traditional foods. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Dickerson Creek restoration keeps flowing
As Dickerson Creek adjusts to one stretch of new streambed, another is being prepared. Nordland Construction crews, in Phase 2 of a $4.4 million floodplain restoration project, have carved a new, longer route between Taylor Road and Dickerson's confluence with Chico Creek. The stream was too steep there as a result of homeowners straightening it. Fish now must climb a decrepit ladder to reach a culvert under Taylor. Ed Friedrich reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Lawsuit filed over federal permits for alleged bee-killing pesticides
Environmental groups have launched a court challenge to federal permits for two common pesticides that some say are behind large die-offs in bee populations. The lawsuit, filed in Federal Court in Toronto, takes aim at neonicotinoids, which are among the most widely used pesticides in Canada. The David Suzuki Foundation, Friends of the Earth Canada, Ontario Nature and the Wilderness Committee say in court documents that Canada's federal pesticide regulator has allowed the chemicals to be used despite being uncertain about their risks. Bob Weber reports. (Canadian Press)

Judge OKs clean-water settlement at Seattle cruise terminal
A federal judge has approved a settlement in a lawsuit filed over stormwater runoff at a Seattle cruise terminal. U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour signed off Wednesday on the agreement between Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and the Port of Seattle and Cruise Terminals of America. The environmental group sued in 2014, alleging the port and Cruise Terminals violated clean-water laws by allowing runoff into Elliott Bay without a proper permit. The port and the cruise terminal operator did not admit to the allegations. But they each agreed to pay Puget Soundkeeper $250,000 for legal and other fees. The group will allocate $50,000 to a fund that provides money to improve water quality in Puget Sound. (Associated Press)

Man rescues humpback whale entangled in fishing net off B.C. coast
A group of people helped free a humpback whale off B.C.'s Central Coast that had become entangled in fishing nets and other equipment — but Fisheries and Oceans Canada say it would have preferred if its teams could have performed the rescue instead, especially because there may still be netting attached to the animal. Gavin Fisher reports. (CBC) See also: New warning to leave harbor seal pups alone  Michelle Li reports. (KING)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  254 AM PDT FRI JUL 8 2016  

TODAY  SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT  NE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...  THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT  E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT  10 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A  CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT  NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

7/7 'Jultober," ocean acid, BC pipe, culverts, salmon & orcas, Action Agenda, pooping, clean ups, KPLU, cit sci

(PHOTO: Tim Durkan/KOMO)

Warm trend to continue, signs of climate change observed
While temperatures have fallen below normal this week, the warmer-than-normal trend that set records in 2015 and melted snowpack early this spring is expected to continue. Warmer than normal temperatures are also being seen in the region’s waters, including the Skagit River, Padilla Bay and greater Puget Sound. State climatologist Nick Bond said while the recent warm temperatures will give way to a cooler period as El Niño conditions give way to La Niña — a transition in ocean temperatures anticipated later this year — there are signs of climate warming in long-term temperature trends. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: ‘Jultober’: More rainy, cool weather on its way to Seattle area  Jessica Lee reports. (Seattle Times)

Studies testing kelp as local fix for acidifying seawater
Scientist Joth Davis unspooled 150 feet of line holding thousands of tiny spores of kelp into Hood Canal in Washington state, while Brian Allen dove underwater and affixed the line to a buoy. Submerged about 10 feet underwater, the bull kelp seedlings will eventually form thick, slimy ribbons of brown seaweed and in the process take up carbon dioxide and other nutrients. Researchers hope it could offer a local strategy to ease the effects of ocean acidification - when seas absorb carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by human activity, a phenomenon that raises acidity and threatens marine life. Davis and a team of scientists are investigating whether growing kelp can reduce C02 levels in the inland marine waters of Puget Sound. They also want to find ways to market that harvested kelp for food, fuels or fertilizers. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Ocean acidification will make it hard for mussels to hang on, experiments suggest
For a seafood lover, the strong, stretchy threads that mussels use to cling to rocks are a nuisance to be discarded. But for the mussel, they're a lifeline — necessary to cling to its home — and new research shows they're vulnerable to the climate change double-whammy of warmer and more acidic waters. "It is concerning," said Emily Carrington, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle who is presenting the findings today at the annual meeting of the Society of Experimental Biology. Lisa Johnson reports, 7/6. (CBC)

Northern Gateway pipeline approval overturned
The Federal Court of Appeal has overturned approval of Enbridge's controversial Northern Gateway project after finding Ottawa failed to properly consult the First Nations affected by the pipeline. "We find that Canada offered only a brief, hurried and inadequate opportunity … to exchange and discuss information and to dialogue," the ruling says. "It would have taken Canada little time and little organizational effort to engage in meaningful dialogue on these and other subjects of prime importance to Aboriginal Peoples. But this did not happen." The majority ruling was signed by two of the three judges on the Appeal Court panel. Judge Michael Ryer wrote a dissenting opinion. Jason Proctor reports, 6/30. (CBC)

State takes input on pipeline regulations
The state Department of Ecology is updating oil pipeline contingency planning regulations and is taking public input. Six pipelines are affected by the regulations, including two that move petroleum through Skagit County. Pipelines move millions of gallons of oil through the state each year, according to Ecology. Kimberly Cauvel reports, 6/26. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Washington must fix culverts that block salmon from habitat, court rules 
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the state must repair culverts that block passage for salmon to spawning grounds. The decision handed down Monday marks the third time tribes have won their fight in court to hold the state to the promise of the treaties tribes signed in 1854 and 1855 ceding their lands to the federal government. In return, tribes reserved their right to continue to fish in their usual places. The court affirmed the federal government also was assuring tribes they would have fish to catch. Lynda Mapes reports, 6/27. (Seattle Times)

Summer salmon fisheries given the green light to get under way in many areas
After a two month delay, NOAA Fisheries has given state Fish and Wildlife the approval to reopen sport salmon fisheries effective immediately…. The negotiations that began in early March between state and tribal fishery managers was the most protected in history, stretching far deeper into the spring than in the past three decades of such talks, and one of the most contentious…. The heated issue stemmed from how to carve out fishing seasons while putting an emphasis to help conserve weak runs of Puget Sound wild coho and chinook listed under the federal endangered species act. Both the state and tribes finally came to an agreement on May 26. Mark Yuasa reports, 6/24. (Seattle Times)

Close fisheries to save West Coast killer whales, says federal report
Strategic fishery closures and marine habitat protection are part of a plan proposed by the federal government to protect two groups of threatened killer whales off Canada's West Coast. The recovery plan for the northern and southern resident killer whale populations has been set out online by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada with a 60-day public comment period. The document makes 94 recommendations to help the two distinct whale populations that eat only fish. 6/29. (Canadian Press)

Orca population remains uncertain on census day
The annual census of killer whales that frequent Puget Sound is supposed to be based on a population count for July 1 each year, but this year the count has barely begun as we move into July. For years, all three pods of Southern Resident orcas typically wandered into Puget Sound in late May or early June, but things have been changing. So far this year, most of the whales have remained somewhere else, probably somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. And that even goes for J pod, the most resident of the resident pods. Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research, who is responsible for the census, said the Fraser River chinook run has been so low this year that the whales have stayed away. He may not be able to get a complete count until September… Chris Dunagan reports, 7/6. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Anglers' plan to feed endangered B.C. orcas given green light, but met with some criticism
A group of fishermen in British Columbia say the federal government has given it the green light for a project designed to feed endangered killer whales. But it's a unique plan that not everyone supports….  [F]or the past two years, fishermen at the south end of Vancouver Island have had a somewhat wild plan in the works. They want to feed the whales by releasing young chinook salmon into the water…. The group says the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has given it the green light to buy and raise chinook at a hatchery in Port Alberni, B.C. When they reach the correct size, the fish will be trucked to the Sooke River, near Victoria, for release. The fish will be tagged so their travel in the ocean can be tracked…. The Raincoast Conservation Foundation is opposed to the idea and foundation biologist Misty MacDuffee says she is shocked DFO approved the plan. There are problems integrating hatchery salmon with wild salmon, she says. Belle Puri and Chris Corday report, 7/2. (CBC News)

Sea-Tac International Becomes First 'Salmon-Safe' Airport In the U.S. 
Sea-Tac International is the fastest growing airport in North America -- and the first in the U. S. to receive certification as “Salmon Safe.” The designation recognizes work to improve water quality that goes above and beyond federal requirements…. The Salmon-Safe label comes from a group called Stewardship Partners, which started the program about 15 years ago with wineries and small farms.  It has since expanded to include everything from golf courses to corporate headquarters and developers such as Nike and Vulcan. Bellamy Pailthorp reports, 6/28. (KPLU)

Mystery remains in deaths of young salmon
…. [W]hile much of the public’s attention has lately been focused on salmon runs from the Columbia River, where a federal judge just rejected—for the fifth time—a federal recovery plan, a subtler mystery has been unfolding a little farther to the north. Beginning in late 2009, scientists in the Salish Sea found that three species of its salmonids—the Chinook, the coho, and the steelhead—faced something somewhat murkier than the Four H’s. Somewhere between the time they would emerge from whatever watershed they hatched in, to the time they should return to it, many more than expected were dying. Since the 1970s, all three species have experienced ten-fold declines during the marine phase of their lifecycle—the time, that is, they spend in Puget Sound in the U.S., or the Strait of Georgia in Canada. Eric Wagner reports, 6/29. (Salish Sea Currents)

Feds want to remove type of rockfish from endangered list
Federal biologists are proposing to remove a species of Puget Sound rockfish from the endangered species list. NOAA Fisheries says a new study found that Puget Sound/Georgia Basin canary rockfish is not genetically different from other canary rockfish found along the West Coast, making it ineligible for federal protection. Researchers conducted genetic testing on fin clips collected from rockfish caught by anglers. The federal agency listed the long-living bottom dweller as threatened in 2010. Two other species — yelloweye rockfish and boccaccio — listed at that time would still protected under the Endangered Species Act. 7/6 (Associated Press)

Leadership Council adopts ‘leaner’ Action Agenda for Puget Sound
Puget Sound Partnership continues to struggle in its efforts to pull everyone together in a unified cause of protecting and restoring Puget Sound. This week, the Puget Sound Leadership Council, which oversees the partnership, adopted the latest Puget Sound Action Agenda, which spells out the overall strategies as well as the specific research, education and restoration projects to save Puget Sound. The goal of restoring Puget Sound to health by 2020 — a date established by former Gov. Chris Gregoire — was never actually realistic, but nobody has ever wanted to change the date. The result has been an acknowledgement that restoration work will go on long after 2020, even though restoration targets remain in place for that date just four years away. Chris Dunagan reports, 7/2. (Watching Our Water Ways)

King County drops plan for septic-system fee 
A King County proposal to adopt an annual fee on septic systems to fund an inspection and oversight program has been dropped after an outcry from rural King County residents. Patty Hayes, director of Public Health – Seattle & King County, announced at a packed public meeting Tuesday night in Fall City that the department was tabling its effort to adopt a fee of up to $37 a year. The money would have funded a program to better manage on-site septic systems and identify sources of water contamination in the county. Lynn Thompson reports, 6/29. (Seattle Times) See also: Stink rises over proposed fee for septic systems in King County  Lynn Thompson reports, 6/27. (Seattle Times)

Efforts to address Padilla Bay water quality continue
The state Department of Ecology is collecting water quality data that will help shape a cleanup plan for Padilla Bay. The bay has intermittent high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which indicates the presence of feces. Over the years, pollution has resulted in several closures to swimming at the Bay View State Park beach and recreational shellfish harvesting in the area. Ecology and Skagit County recently launched efforts to curb the pollution. Kimberly Cauvel reports, 6/25. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Clean up of Victoria's Rock Bay toxic site nearly complete
The federal government's remediation of one of B.C.'s most contaminated sites is wrapping up. The Rock Bay property in Victoria, which will now be sold to local First Nations, operated on Victoria's upper harbour until 1952. In its early days, the coal gasification plant helped to power Victoria. Work on cleaning up the land where the plant was has taken more than a decade. 7/5. (CBC)

March Point Landfill next waterfront cleanup site
Efforts to clean up historic pollution along the shorelines of Padilla and Fidalgo bays continue, with the next project aimed at the March Point Landfill site. The state Department of Ecology is drafting plans to clean up the site, which operated as a landfill for 23 years before becoming the site of a sawmill for about 30 years, according to a news release. The property is also known as the Whitmarsh Landfill. Kimberly Cauvel reports, 6/28. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Friends of 88.5 FM finalize details in sale of KPLU
The deal has been sealed to Save KPLU. Pacific Lutheran University and Friends of 88.5 FM announced Tuesday they have reached an agreement that will allow the nonprofit group to assume ownership of the station pending approval by the Federal Communications Commission. The purchase price for the station and its assets is $8 million, including $7 million in cash plus $1 million of in-kind underwriting announcements to be provided to PLU over 10 years. C.R. Roberts reports, 6/28. (Tacoma News Tribune)

University of Victoria researchers invite ferry passengers to become citizen scientists
University of Victoria geography professor Maycira Costa is turning BC Ferries' Queen of Oak Bay into a research vessel and its passengers into their lab assistants. Costa is the leader of the FOCOS project — Ferry Ocean Colour Observation System — which is inviting ferry passengers to take photos of the sea using a special tablet onboard. The images will be used to record the colour of the water, with greener water meaning a healthier and more productive ocean. Liam Britten reports, 7/5. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  252 AM PDT THU JUL 7 2016  

TODAY  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE  MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told