4/28 Seattle sewer, Skagit shellfish, whale ban, derelict boats, weed parade, Ericksen & Benton

Fairy ring mushrooms

Fairy Ring Mushroom Marasmius oreades
Fairy ring mushrooms are found in spring, summer and fall after rains in grass lawns, parking strips, golf courses or meadows, always in the open, forming 'fairy' rings. This mushroom is considered a pest by homeowners but it has a good flavor and is easily dried. The tough stems should be discarded. Do not confuse this mushroom with the sweat-producing clitocybe which also grows in partial circles on lawns. (The Savory Wild Mushroom)

Mechanical systems restored at West Point plant, but dirty water still flowing into Puget Sound
The West Point Treatment Plant is getting back on track after cleaning, repair and replacement of equipment destroyed in a catastrophic flood Feb. 9. The effluent discharged to the Puget Sound still does not meet permit standards, but it’s getting cleaner. All damaged mechanical systems have been repaired or replaced. Workers restored or rehabilitated a mile of tunnels, 151 electrical motors, two miles of insulation, 40 motor control centers, 125 electrical panels, 25 electrical transformers, more than 1,200 outlets and switches as well as sedimentation tanks bigger than football fields, and digester tanks. (Seattle Times)

Bacterial pollution closing part of Swinomish shellfish harvest area
Part of a commercial shellfish harvest area used by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is closing because of bacterial pollution. The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that the shellfish harvest site in west Skagit County is one of six in the state being closed indefinitely due to bacterial pollution found during annual water quality evaluations. The Department of Health is closing about a 185-acre portion of the about 1,700-acre shellfish growing area. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Vancouver Aquarium pushes back on cetacean ban
The Vancouver Aquarium is making a last ditch effort to thwart a park board bylaw amendment which would ban the importation and display of cetaceans, like dolphins and belugas. Aquarium officials hope a campaign to drum up public support will sway park board commissioners, who in March, voted unanimously in favour of making a change to the bylaws. Randy Pratt, incoming board chair at the aquarium, argued on Thursday the ban would put the Marine Mammal Rescue program at risk — a program responsible for helping more than 100 animals in distress in B.C. each year, though the vast majority aren't cetaceans. Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

Volunteers get ready to clean up derelict boats amid inaction
Volunteers unwilling to wait for government action have mobilized to clean up 10 or more derelict boats despoiling the Oak Bay side of Cadboro Bay. They plan to gather on May 13 for the cleanup, and are especially concerned about a 36-foot-long steel-hulled wreck…. There were 16 wrecks just a few weeks back, but owners appear to have dragged some if them away, he said. Abandoned and unsafe vessels and wrecks are under overlapping federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions, depending on the tide lines. Katherine Dedyna reports. (Times Colonist)

Behind the Veil at the EPA Beachhead
A look at the political and administrative destinies of Trump cronies Doug Ericksen and Don Benton. Michael Riordan and Elisabeth Britt write. (NW Citizen)

Bainbridge's annual noxious weed parade floats through Winslow
Christina Doherty’s lunch break turned into her 15 minutes of fame — almost to the minute — as royalty Thursday. Doherty was queen of this year’s Scotch Broom Parade, the island’s annual elusive, blink-and-you-miss-it, unannounced spoof celebration of a noxious weed. Members of the Bainbridge Kiwanis Club select the parade royalty on a lark by choosing someone off the street just before the parade begins. This year, Doherty happened to be in the area for the surprise jaunt through downtown. Nathan Pilling reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT FRI APR 28 2017  

TODAY  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT  11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT  SW WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 9  SECONDS.

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