4/26 Whidbey slide, Esquimalt biosolids, algae bloom, Sh*t Harper Did, Stanley Park pix

Donald, on guard (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment has a few more pictures and observations about her friends Donald and Daisy. "Earlier this week I introduced you to our friends Donald and Daisy Mallard... As promised, here are two more photos of the lovely couple during one of their exploratory waddles around our yard, and an update on their comings and goings. You’ll notice that Donald is vigilant, while Daisy’s focus in on the ground, searching out all potential edibles. I took the photos from inside the house, where I was cheering her on – the more slugs she swallows, the better our garden veggies will fare!" The Lovely Couple, Part Two  

Geotechnical engineers have set up a three-story drill along Fircrest Avenue just above a bluff that was blown out by a massive landslide last month. They drilled down more than 280 feet to collect core samples that may tell them how stable the remaining slope really is. They found sand, silt and unstable layer of saturated clay below sea level. Lee Stoll reports. Deep dig may answer questions about Whidbey slide

Esquimalt won’t be forced to accept a sewage sludge plant if the NDP wins government, the party says. Carole James, the party’s platform co-chair, said an NDP government would not consider overruling Esquimalt if the township refused to rezone a Viewfield Road property to allow a sewage biosolids facility. Esquimalt residents expressed outrage last month when the Capital Regional District announced it had negotiated in secret to buy the Wilson Foods warehouse site on Viewfield Road for $17 million, as a potential location for the region’s biosolids plant. Rob Shaw reports. NDP says it wouldn't force sludge plant on Esquimalt if party wins government  

Nothing spoils a summer swim in your favorite lake like an algae bloom. These become more common as the weather warms up. And almost every summer until last summer, Lake Lorene near Seattle would turn pea soup green.... The problem here is similar to so many other built up lakes. Stormwater, goose poop, and fertilizer runoff all carry phosphorus into the lake. That dissolved phosphorus is the key nutrient for algae growth. Left unchecked, blue-green algae can turn toxic. It can make people sick and kill pets and livestock. Earlier this week, aquatic biologists treated the lake with a new product to prevent toxic blooms. A three man crew in a small work boat crisscrossed the lake and a brownish plume spread out behind the boat’s stern. AquaTechnex aquatic biologist Adam Kleven explained that the crew injected the eight-acre lake with a follow up dose of the new mineral treatment, called Phoslock. The slurry, he said, is a combination of the element lanthanum and powdered clay. “What this product does is drift through the water column binding with the phosphorus and permanently locking it down in towards the sediment.” Tom Banse reports. Lake Managers Get New Tool To Combat Algae  

Vancouver’s irreverent band of political activists and comics behind the viral Sh*t Harper Did videos are hoping to take their message to the mainstream after raising enough money for a national television ad. The group has already raised more than $17,000 for the spot through indiegogo, a popular online fundraising platform. The group has surpassed its initial goal of $6,000 to buy an ad on prime-time TV and reach a 150,000 estimated viewers. There are 22 days left in the campaign and organizers state that if they raise $95,000 they will “share their message” during an NHL playoff game and reach an estimated one million Canadians. Mike Hagar reports.  Sh*t Harper Did activists coming to a TV screen near you in political ad

Eye Candy: The Stanley Park Ecology Society held its inaugural photo contest, entitled "A Week in the Life of Stanley Park," from April 6-14. Eight winners were selected this week from more than 600 photo submissions from over 100 photographers. The contest was judged by Vancouver-based wildlife photographer and National Geographic Explorer Paul Colangelo, musician Ben Worcester of Said the Whale, and entrepreneur and award-winning blogger (Miss 604) Rebecca Bollwitt.  Photo contest: A Week in the Life of Stanley Park  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI APR 26 2013
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 2 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 2 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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