6/29 Drought, Navy in Hood Canal, geoducks, conservation fund, humpbacks, gas tax, McTaggart Cowan

Don Moyer’s Sketchbook
(moyersketchbook.blogspot.com/2013/07/fish.html)

Running dry: Drought sparks concerns over fish survival
The mountains are bare. The streams are low. The banks of the Skagit River are exposed…. This year’s drought will be worse than the last statewide drought in 2005, and the region’s fisheries are expected to suffer. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Warming Northwest Rivers Raise Risk Of Fish Kills  Courtney Flatt reports. (EarthFix) And also: B.C. heat wave sparks worries about wildfires, water supplies and fish habitats Gemma Karstens-Smith reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Navy stealthily targets Hood Canal development
The U.S. Navy has quietly restricted development across thousands of acres of water and land near Hood Canal in western Puget Sound. Last year, in the name of national security, the Navy may have gone too far. Will Drabold reports. (Seattle Times)

Harvesting geoducks is lucrative, but it's also brutally hard work
The sound of labored breathing crackles over the radio aboard the fishing boat Rawdeal on an overcast morning in late May. Anchored about 100 yards off the eastern coastline of Whidbey Island, within sight of the Clinton ferry landing, the crew on the 26-foot aluminum fishing boat is after geoduck. The giant clams, which grow wild in the Pacific Northwest, are pound for pound the most-valuable seafood being harvested from Puget Sound today. Ian Terry reports. (Everett Herald)

Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund gets tangled in politics
Two members of the Washington’s congressional delegation — Reps. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, and Dave Reichert, R-Auburn — are expressing confidence that the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be reauthorized. But with so many dollars on the line for conservation purposes, many supporters are growing nervous about when it will happen and what the final bill will look like. After all, what could possibly go wrong in a Congress famous for getting nothing done, with less than 100 days left to go before the law expires? Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Humpback whale entanglement an international problem
Four humpback whales have been found entangled in fishing gear in the last two weeks, with one near Powell River effectively "hog-tied" and anchored to the ocean floor, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada. "It was amazing how wrapped up it was. The tail had significant wraps, loose rope and ends all over. Then it was actually up, underneath the body, through the mouth three times," said Paul Cottrell, Marine Mammals Coordinator, and lead whale disentangler for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (CBC)

Lawmakers reach deal on gas tax increase, transportation funding
State lawmakers have reached a deal to raise the gas tax to pay for highway improvements, with leaders from both parties saying they’re optimistic lawmakers will approve a package by Tuesday. Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday that he would accept a deal even if it restricts his ability to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from gasoline and diesel fuel — wiping out the biggest point of contention on the highway and mass-transit package. Jordan Schrader and Melissa Santos report. (Olympian)

Ecologist’s archive offers a glimpse of B.C. wilderness
A lifetime of material compiled by Ian McTaggart Cowan — known as the “father of Canadian ecology” — has found a home at the University of Victoria. McTaggart Cowan, who died in 2010 at the age of 99, came to Canada from Scotland with his family at age three and grew up in North Vancouver. He was UVic’s chancellor from 1979 to 1984, taught for 35 years at the University of B.C. and worked at what is now the Royal B.C. Museum. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

If you like to watch: First Nations war-canoe races return to Victoria's harbour
The first war-canoe race in more than 100 years took place place Saturday in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Five First nations from across Vancouver Island kicked off the event with traditional dances and ceremonial blessings. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUN 29 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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