11/4 Salish Sea News and Weather: Orcas, toxic pollutants, Skagit basin closure, herring, birds, lobstermen, oil spills, Belfair sewer, First Nation biz

PHOTO: Orca Network

New blog: “Still Looking For The Silver Bullet: Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen”

Get whale sighting info in ASAP to Orca Network (1-866-ORCANET, emailed to info@orcanetwork.org, or posted on the Orca Network Facebook page ) and help researchers track and photograph the whales in Puget Sound. The Orcas are Here!  

Is it news how much of the bad stuff enters our water bodies? The toxic soup comes from leaking oil from cars, zinc from rooftops, copper in boat paint, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from creosote-treated wood pilings and woodstoves. Now what? Chemicals in Puget Sound come from diverse sources    See also Preventing toxic pollution key for protecting Puget Sound, new scientific assessment shows
 
The Department of Ecology has closed Skagit County’s Fisher-Carpenter creek basin to withdrawing water for residential development, which means folks can’t build on property they own. The Nookachamps basin could be next. Basin closure draws ire of residents  

Jude Isabella posts a special report in The Tyee about the biggest fish in British Columbia waters. Behold! The Mighty Herring! 

If you like to watch: Murmuration   Incredible.

Climate scientists expect that global warming and climate changes would cause species to become smaller. West Coast birds, they’ve found, are doing just the opposite. Birds Fly in the Face of Climate Change Expectations

If you like to watch: Daniel Klein spends time with Maine lobstermen and shares their wisdom. Lobstermen pinch and save    

Yesterday’s fire at the Bainbridge fish pen destroyed a shed and compressor but thankfully didn’t do much damage. Diesel spill contained after fish-pen fire

“I’m particularly concerned about ensuring that the ( Oil Spill Liability ) trust fund can handle multiple incidents, so that a big spill doesn’t empty the fund and leave smaller spills, like if one were to occur in the Puget Sound, without resources to clean them up.” That’s Rep. Rick Larsen of the 2nd Congressional District questioning witnesses on the safety of domestic energy production following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Rep. Larsen Seeks Ways to Ensure Oil Spill Cleanup 

Belfair residents and businesses are stepping up to do their parts in making Hood Canal a healthier place by hooking up to sewer instead of polluting through malfunctioning septic systems. Change is hard— and expensive. Belfair still embroiled in sewer scandal

Let’s make a deal. Instead of treaties with First Nations, British Columbia wants to work with native leaders who want to do business in land transfers, revenue sharing and deals brokered by the province between private investors and First Nations.  B.C.'s Premier Clark breaks with decades-long first nations strategy 

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PDT FRI NOV 4 2011
  SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
  TODAY
 W SWELL 13 FT AT 7 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 10 FT AT 6 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. E WIND 10 KT EARLY...BECOMING NW LATE. WIND WAVES 1 FT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS EARLY.
 TONIGHT
 W SWELL 10 FT AT 6 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 6 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W WIND 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
 SAT
 SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 5 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
 SAT NIGHT
 E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.
 SUN
 E WIND 10 KT IN THE MORNING BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT...BUILDING TO 10 FT IN THE EVENING.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told