3/18 Samish Bay Lake Serene, oil spills, oil trains, radiation, Big Bang, best bee, SJ Monument

Samish Bay fails state evaluation
Samish Bay closed to shellfish harvest for the fourth time this month Sunday, due to high river flow. But it was the second time fecal coliform bacteria was confirmed to exceed state standards in water samples, which means it failed the state’s annual evaluation that had Clean Samish Initiative members holding their breath.... During this year’s testing period, the first closure occurred just four days in. The two times fecal coliform bacteria was found to exceed the state’s limit of 4.7 trillion units it was between 6 and 6.4 trillion. Skagit County water quality analyst Rick Haley said that’s a significant improvement compared to the shocking spike of 170 times the state standard that triggered the Clean Samish movement in 2008. “In 2008 we routinely got loadings over 50 and sometimes 100 trillion,” Haley said. “So we’re down below 6 and we need to be down below 4.7.” (Skagit Valley Herald)

Rains turn Lake Serene drainage woes into headache for county
Homeowners on the shores of Lake Serene have watched nervously this month as water covered entire back yards and inundated crawl spaces. It’s not just the heavy rains contributing to the problems at this lake north of Lynnwood, in unincorporated Snohomish County. A major factor, county officials concede, is a blocked drainage system. The county over the weekend started emergency efforts to pump water out of the lake and around some blockages, as planners look into long-term fixes. Some homeowners are worried it may be too late. They’re critical of what they see as the county’s inaction over both the short and long term. Private ownership of some of the drainage areas, however, could complicate any solution. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

You need to watch: Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez
See the award-winning documentary at the San Juan Island Grange, 7 pm, 3/18; Orcas Island Senior Center, 3 pm, 3/23; and Lopez Library, 7 pm, 3/24.

Washington Legislature Fails To Pass Any Oil Train Legislation
The Washington Legislature’s Republicans and Democrats couldn’t get together to pass a single piece of legislation specifically relating to oil trains or vessels, despite the introduction of several bills from both sides of the aisle. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Concerns Over Measurement of Fukushima Fallout
University researchers in Japan say that even now, three years after the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, they feel under pressure to play down the impact of the disaster. Some say they cannot get funds or university support for their work. In several cases, the professors say, they have been obstructed or told to steer clear of data that might cause public “concern.” David McNeill reports. (NY Times)

The San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee (RAC) Application Period Ends March 24
The Bureau of Land Management seeks applicants for its advisory committee to provide information and advice regarding the development of the San Juan Islands National Monument's resource management plan. Information and application form are found here.

Landmark find: Scientists detect waves from Big Bang
On Monday, radio astronomers reported that they had seen the beginning of the Big Bang, and that physicist Alan Guth’s hypothesis that the universe had swelled faster than the speed of light for a prodigiously violent instant, known undramatically as inflation, was right. Dennis Overbye reports. (NY Times)

If you like to listen and watch: Fight of the Bumblebee
On the 170th anniversary of composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's birth, CBC Music presents this track and video of flutist Mark McGregor and rapper Kia Kadiri battling the bumble — may the best bee win. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 18 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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