12/16 Fish fall, Zinke's coal, Vic sewer, invasive species, Tristan Baurick

(UW Conservation Magazine)

Flying fish fries power for more than 170 Seattle City Light customers
More than 170 utility customers lost power when a fish fell on power lines.  The fish is believed to have been a salmon, according to Seattle City Light. A witness apparently saw the fish fall from a bird and hit the power lines. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times)

Trump’s Interior pick could signal revival of Northwest coal export terminal
 Donald Trump’s nomination of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke to lead the Interior Department could signal the revival of a much-debated coal-export terminal in Northwest Washington state that’s pitted industry groups and unions against environmental and community groups, and two Indian tribes against each other. In Congress, Zinke has been a staunch supporter of the Gateway Pacific Terminal, a $600 million facility in Whatcom County, Wash., that would export about 48 million tons a year of coal mined in western states to Pacific Rim markets. Zinke also wants to lift a moratorium on new leases for coal extraction on federal lands, 90 percent of which takes place in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. The Interior Department imposed the hiatus earlier this year. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Here we go again: Sewage plant site needs Esquimalt rezoning after all
The proposed sewage-treatment plant site at McLoughlin Point will have to go through a rezoning process after all, meaning approval of the mega-project once again will be up to Esquimalt council. It’s an unexpected turn of events that’s made some local politicians uneasy, especially given Esquimalt council’s previous unanimous opposition to locating a plant at McLoughlin…. In May, with senior-government funding deadlines looming and the CRD spinning its wheels, B.C. Community Minister Peter Fassbender stepped in. He took the process out of the hands of local politicians and turned it over to an expert panel called the Core Area Waste Water Treatment Project Board, headed by chairwoman Jane Bird. After examining all the data and public input collected by the CRD, that panel again recommended a single regional treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. Bird told CRD directors Wednesday that it was originally believed McLoughlin would not need rezoning for the plant. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Invasive species need to be on Legislative agenda
With invasive green crabs entering Puget Sound from the north and invasive mussels discovered in Montana to the east, the Legislature will be called on to make some critical funding decisions to ward off potential invaders…. To fully address the threats through prevention and enforcement, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that $5.2 million per year is needed. That would move Washington ahead of Oregon and Idaho in addressing the problems. Each of those states spent about $1.3 million in 2014, while California spent about $10.7 million. Washington’s current budget for dealing with aquatic invasive species is one of the lowest in the country at $900,000 a year. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

State drains Capitol Lake to help fight invasive mud snails
The state Department of Enterprise Services began lowering the water level in Capitol Lake on Thursday to fight the New Zealand mud snails that have invaded the lake. The goal is to expose the tiny mollusks to the cold weather and reduce their population. The department expects that most of the lake’s bottom will be exposed to the elements Friday through Sunday, when temperatures are forecast to dip into the low 20s at night and hover just above freezing during the days. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Kitsap Sun journalist wins Connelly Award
Kitsap Sun reporter Tristan Baurick has been honored with the 2016 Dolly Connelly Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award for his story "River Delta's Rebirth."… The award honors Dolly Connelly, a longtime Northwest freelance writer and Time-Life correspondent. Her son is Joel Connelly of SeattlePI.com, who endowed the award. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  307 AM PST FRI DEC 16 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY  
TODAY  E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS IN THE  AFTERNOON. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3  FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT  SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT  16 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT  S WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT  AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN  SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

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