6/23 Species at risk, WA shutdown, salmon hotspots, ferries, Pendrell Sound, Anderson Cr., Salish film

American vetch

American vetch Vicia americana
American vetch is a species of legume with trailing or climbing stems, compound leaves and bluish purple flowers. The name vetch is from vicia, which is thought to be derived from the Latin vincio ('to bind') in reference to the climbing habit and twining tendrils of the plant.

Species at Risk Act failing to protect critical habitat, study says 
This month marks the 11th nesting season of the Pacific Western painted turtle since it was designated an endangered species, yet it remains without the critical protections it is supposed to receive within a year of being listed. Fifteen years after Canada's Species at Risk Act was implemented, a new study shows the majority of listed species are in the same situation as painted turtles; waiting for legally mandated critical habitat designation. "We have a law on the books and we're not using it," University of British Columbia Okanagan biologist and associate professor Karen Hodges said. Ash Kelly reports. (CBC)

What happens in a government shutdown in WA 
Mass layoffs of state workers, disruptions to government health services, and a loss of child care assistance. That’s only some of what’s in store under a partial government shutdown if state lawmakers can’t reach an agreement on Washington’s next two-year budget and pass it by midnight on June 30. It’s a scenario top lawmakers say is unlikely, and one that has never happened before. Walker Orenstein reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

New study maps out salmon hotspots across B.C. for bears
The long term salmon-eating habits of British Columbia's bears have been documented in a new study by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the University of Victoria.  Published Thursday in the peer-reviewed open-access journal Ecosphere, the study determined which specific locations in B.C. over 1,400 black and grizzly bears had a salmon meal —  by collecting bits of their hair from single strand barb wire corrals. (CBC)

Ferry Chimacum welcomes Bremerton, and vice versa
Ferries are fun, kids came away from a welcoming ceremony believing. Youngsters by the scores roamed the new vessel Chimacum on Thursday at the Bremerton dock ahead of its official debut Friday. Topped by colorful balloon hats, they held chocolate chip cookies as big as their heads in one hand and bags of popcorn in the other…. The Chimacum will sail in the No. 2 position, beginning with the 6:20 a.m. departure from Bremerton, so it can work late when only one boat is running. Because it has a full complement of life rafts, it can carry 1,500 passengers then instead of 600 on the Kaleetan. Ed Friedrich reports. (Kitsap Sun) See also: Bremerton fast ferry sets sail July 10  Coral Garnick reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Destinations: Pendrell Sound famously tepid
Pristine. Beautiful. Breathtaking. The upper reaches of Pendrell Sound is all those things. And maybe that should be enough to make the inlet famous. But it’s not really what sets it apart from nearby Desolation Sound. What makes Pendrell so unique is its warm water. It’s a quirk of nature and geography, a tidal zone near where the Johnstone and Georgia straits collide, deep but with limited water circulation and drainage — the warm water tends to stay in the sound, near the surface. The result is a year-round water temperature of more than 23°C (74°F), and summer temperatures hitting 25°C (80°F). Some say these are the warmest Pacific waters north of Mexico. (Three Sheets Northwest)

A trick question: Can you locate Anderson Creek?
Let’s talk about Anderson Creek in Kitsap County. Where exactly is that stream? If you were to say that Anderson Creek is a stream that spills into Hood Canal near Holly, you would be right. If you are thinking of another Hood Canal stream — the one that you cross north of Seabeck while traveling on Anderson Hill Road — that would be right, too. And nobody could complain if you believe that Anderson Creek is the name of the stream that flows into Sinclair Inlet near Gorst. Officially, they are all Anderson Creek, according to the Geographic Names Information System, the official database of true names. GNIS is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Rich underwater world explored in new film
Artist and film-maker Sarama has seen a world that most of us will never experience – and it begins just down the street from his Gibsons home. It is the vast underwater world of the Salish Sea that stretches from Puget Sound in the U.S. north to Quadra Island. Seven million people live around this body of water that harbours rich productive ecosystems, from the microscopic plankton to the giant octopus and whales. Sarama’s film, This Living Salish Sea, was over four years in the making and will have its world premiere in Gibsons on Monday, June 26, presented by the Green Films Series. Jan DeGrass reports. (Coast Reporter)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PDT Fri Jun 23 2017  
TODAY  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. W swell 4 ft at  9 seconds.
TONIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 4 ft  at 13 seconds.
SAT  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at  15 seconds.
SAT NIGHT  Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. SW swell 3 ft  at 16 seconds.
SUN  Light wind becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 4 ft at 15 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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