11/11 Elwha smelt, tug spill, Navy Growlers, bad Navy water, green reversals

Elwha nearshore, Oct. 8, 2016

Go High, Very High
Election Day 2016 photo of the Elwha nearshore, courtesy of Tom Roorda and Anne Shaffer, Coastal Watershed Institute.

Key species returns to mouth of Elwha
Smelt, a tiny fish with big importance, is the latest species to show rapid recovery after the fall of the Elwha River dams. The marine waters near the Elwha's mouth have experienced a 20-fold increase in surf smelt abundance since the dams were removed two years ago, according to a study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…. Surf smelt are a schooling fish that grow a bit bigger than sardines. They and other forage fish, such as herring and sand lance, are key food sources for seabirds, marine mammals and salmon. Tristan Baurick reports (Kitsap Sun)

Tug recovery near Bella Bella still hampered by stormy weather
Four weeks after a tug ran aground and sank near Bella Bella, the salvage operation continues on the North Coast of B.C. The salvage company is trying to drag the tug over to a larger barge, but weather and tides continue to hamper the operation, according to Heiltsuk Chief Councillor Marilyn Slett. The tug has to be dragged about 300 metres across the sea floor to the barge before it can be hoisted out of the water, she said.  Mike Laanela reports. (CBC)

More Growlers on Whidbey Island increase noise levels, Navy study says
Basing up to 36 more EA-18G Growlers at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island would have a “significant impact” on noise as the pace of training increased at two airfields, according to a Navy study released Thursday. The air-station training is key for flight crews whose aircraft, which jam communication and launch systems, play a leading role in the nation’s electromagnetic warfare. But the noise from low-flying jets has generated complaints, as well as health concerns, from Whidbey Island residents and some in the San Juan Islands. The environmental study lays out the effects of a move to expand, by more than a third, the fleet of 82 Growlers at the station used in training at Ault Field near Oak Harbor and Outlying Field Coupeville (OLF). That would increase the total number of aircraft flight operations at the two air fields from 88,600 annually to more than 129,000. Hal Bernton reports (Seattle Times) See also: Navy to test Whidbey Island wells for possible contaminants  The Navy will test wells on Whidbey Island to see if drinking water is contaminated with potentially hazardous chemicals used in firefighting foam. Wells within a mile radius of sites at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s Ault Field Base and Outlying Field Coupeville will be tested in the next month, base Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding confirmed. (Everett Herald)

Trump likely to try to reverse Obama environment initiatives
President-elect Donald Trump has not minced words about his approach to environment and energy policy: He loathes regulation and wants to increase the use of coal, offshore drilling and fracking. Trump has said he believes climate change is a hoax and that he would “cancel” U.S. involvement in the landmark Paris Agreement on global warming. While he’s been vague about precise policies, Trump’s election likely means trouble for some of President Barack Obama’s signature environmental initiatives, environmentalists and policy analysts say. Jason Dearen reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST FRI NOV 11 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE  TONIGHT  
TODAY  E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11 FT  AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT  SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11 FT  AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT  S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE  MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SUN  SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12  SECONDS.

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