6/14 Fish book, drought, fire danger, Kalama methanol, buffers, BC mining, tampon plastic

Fishes of the Salish Sea
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish — oh, what Dr. Seuss might’ve done with the encyclopedic new book Fishes of the Salish Sea, a three-volume, illustrated guide and history of the 260 species swimming in the waters off Washington and B.C. (One fish is a jawless hagfish, one fish is a bit-of-a-nag fish …). This definitive compendium from University of Washington Press took decades of scholarship by UW-affiliated biologists Theodore W. Pietsch and James Wilder Orr. But it’s not all strictly ichthyology. The book is a work of art, thanks to gorgeous full-color illustrations by “America’s leading fish artist” Joe Tomelleri (whose skill confirms that fishy superlative). Brangien Davis writes. (Crosscut)

B.C. drought fears surge as rivers dry up across the province
Extreme hot dry weather has left streams and rivers across the province running low and that's creating drought conditions more commonly seen in late July. On June 12, temperature records for many places in B.C. were broken — with highs not seen in some spots in a century. Provincial drought monitors say this kind of weather is leaving many waterways at record-low flows, fuelling fears over everything from fire risks to salmon survival. David Campbell who heads the River Forecast Centre for the province says seeing drought ratings this high in June raises obvious concerns for July and August. Yvette Brend reports. (CBC) And: Wildfire danger unusually high for Western Washington  Steve Kiggins reports. (KQCP)

Port Of Kalama: Methanol Refinery Can’t Export For Fuel
Port of Kalama commissioners unanimously passed a lease amendment with a controversial methanol facility Wednesday night that prohibits the company from exporting its product for fuel. The commissioners voted 3-0 to approve new contract language with NW Innovation Works, or NWIW. Port officials said the changes ensure the methanol from southwest Washington will only go toward making plastics and other materials. At Wednesday’s meeting, port spokesperson Liz Newman told commissioners the amendment “affirms what has always been the intent of this project.” She said the port was doing its due diligence in response to concerns raised about the use of the methanol earlier this year. Molly Solomon reports. (OPB)

Streamside buffers could help efforts to save Washington orcas
The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance announced their efforts to teach people about the importance of streamside buffers and their impact on salmon, and ultimately, orcas. Emily Gilbert reports. (KING)

Eight U.S. senators ratchet up pressure on B.C. over mining's effects on American rivers
Eight U.S. senators ratcheted up pressure on British Columbia Premier John Horgan as worries persist over the province’s mining practices and their impacts on rivers that flow into the United States. In a bipartisan letter to Horgan, senators from Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana wrote that they “remain concerned about the lack of oversight of Canadian mining projects near multiple transboundary rivers that originate in B.C. and flow into our four U.S. states,” documented U.S. steps to protect these watersheds and asked for B.C. to “allocate similar attention, engagement and resources” to the issue. Evan Bush reports. (Seattle Times)

Environmentalists push for plastic tampon applicators to be included in federal plastics ban
Environmental advocates would like to see plastic tampon applicators added to the list of items that could be banned in Canada by 2021. Earlier this week, the prime minister announced the Liberal government intends to ban single-use plastics, such as plastic shopping bags and straws, within two years. The full list of banned items has not yet been created. Jude Haydock of Terrace, B.C., said she's found dozens of plastic tampon applicators in a settling pond in her hometown that have ended up there because people are flushing them down the toilet. Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC)


Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PDT Fri Jun 14 2019   
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft. W swell  4 ft at 10 seconds. Patchy drizzle 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. W swell 2 ft at 8  seconds. 
SAT  Light wind becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves less than 1 ft becoming 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 8 seconds. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds. 
SUN  W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft  at 13 seconds.



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