7/9 Herons, Elwha water, farm water, Marina Beach plan, smoke, Skagit farmland, Latino climate

(PigeonPoint.Org)

When predator turns protector at B.C.’s largest heron colony in Tsawwassen
It’s the closest thing to Jurassic Park, a wooded bluff on the Tsawwassen First Nation lands that is home to B.C’s largest great blue heron nesting colony. Hundreds of them fly overhead like pterodactyls, distinguished by their hoarse, raucous calls, hunched silhouettes and outstretched wings. By any definition, this is a remarkable place. What makes it even more extraordinary is the fact that the herons have formed an unlikely alliance with their sworn enemy — the bald eagle — to protect their young even as they lose some to predation. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Port Angeles considering stricter city water curbs to protect fish; other sources studied
City officials are pondering imposition of stricter, Stage 3 water conservation measures within the next three weeks as the Elwha River flows slower and slower during the North Olympic Peninsula’s rainless summer, Craig Fulton, city public works and utilities director, said Wednesday. Fulton told City Council members Tuesday that the city also is looking at other options for city water other than the Elwha River so the waterway remains vibrant for fish. Fulton said the river is flowing at 340 cubic feet per second (cfs) two months ahead of schedule. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
 
Ecology approves transfer of water rights to help farmers
The state Department of Ecology approved Wednesday a water rights transfer to help Skagit County farmers. Farmers in Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District No. 15 and Consolidated Diking Improvement District No. 22, which are west of Mount Vernon and Conway, will receive 1.6 million gallons of Skagit River water a day from the Skagit Public Utility District through Sept. 30. The transfer comes eight days after the city of Anacortes agreed to transfer the rights to 4.8 million gallons of water a day through Sept. 30 to the two districts. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Final open house for Marina Beach Master Plan presents preferred scheme for park, Willow Creek
At the third and final open house on the Marina Beach Master Plan, approximately 40 participants were presented with the final preferred plan for developing and enhancing the park, a major feature of which is a free-flowing, salmon-supporting Willow Creek. The previous open houses in March and May drew almost 200 participants, who provided the consultant team with feedback on design proposals and alternatives. Larry Vogel reports. (My Edmonds News)

Cooling Smoke
Cliff Mass writes: "Tuesday was almost comfortable over much of Northwest Washington today... but why? One of the reasons might be unexpected:  the Northwest part of Washington State had a relatively thick layer of smoke overhead.  It almost seemed like an overcast day...but there were no clouds, but plenty of smoke from the British Columbia fires…. Smoke like this tends to cool the surface by scattering some of the solar radiation back to space…. Weaker sun means less warming. Well, if this theory is correct we should be able to see it in the high temperatures yesterday...let's check it out. South of Seattle there are lots of temperatures between 82 and 85F.  This is true even with some cooler marine air and low clouds pushing into that area Tuesday AM.  But north of Seattle most land stations east of the Sound and Georgia Strait were in the 70s--Bellingham was only 72F! (Cliff Mass Weather Blog)

Another 1,000 acres of farmland to be preserved from development
Another 1,000 acres of Skagit County farmland will be preserved forever against development after funding was included last week in the state’s capital budget. The Legislature approved about $1.3 million, and the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program, which protects local agriculture, will match the funding. The 1,000 acres will be added to 9,500 acres of Skagit County farmland — out of about 100,000 total acres — that have been preserved against development since 1996. The 9,500 acres come from 194 farms. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Majority of Latinos see global warming as serious problem, poll shows
A large majority of Latinos see global warming as a serious problem - a view that crosses party lines and includes Republicans, whose party leaders are climate change skeptics. More than 73 percent of U.S. Latinos surveyed by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative consider global warming to be a somewhat serious or very serious problem. Concern is higher among Democrats - 82 percent than among Republicans at 62.2 percent. Concern is much lower - 49 percent - among Latinos who are independents or not registered. Anthony Man reports. (Sun Sentinel)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 308 AM PDT THU JUL 9 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
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. SW SWELL
 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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