9/8 Sand lance, mama Tahlequah, Roberts Bank, climate health index, Grump mine, WA oil movement, BC WQ, WA wolf reform, Oly oysters, Carey Cr.

Pacific sand lance [World Life Expectancy]

Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus
Common in large dense schools in shallows over clean sand. Lacks the air-filled swim bladder most fish possess and so much swim to keep position. Often rests on sand during day; burrows into sand at night or if disturbed. Larva eats phytoplankton and is preyed on by herring. Juvenile east zooplankton. Adult feeds on variety of small organisms, preyed on by salmon and other large fishes, and by Minke whales and other marine mammals. Japan to Alaska to southern California. (Marine Wildlife of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

Orca Tahlequah is a mother again
Mother orca Tahlequah has had her baby. The endangered southern resident killer whale, J35, touched hearts in the Pacific Northwest and around the world in August 2018 when she lost a calf that lived only a half-hour. She carried the calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles, refusing to let the calf go. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Superpod of orcas congregate near Vancouver Island  The Center for for Whale Research out of Washington has released video of an orca superpod congregating in the waters between Washington state and Vancouver Island. Terry Farrell reports. (Coast Mountain News)

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 decision delayed as Wilkinson flags ‘gaps’ in addressing project’s risks
Environment and Climate Change Canada Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has requested detailed information from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority about potential harms to chinook salmon and critically endangered southern resident killer whales. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

UBC researchers launch vulnerability index to track potential health impacts of climate change
A team of researchers at the University of British Columbia is launching a climate vulnerability index — a new resource that will map climate change-related health vulnerabilities and help local health authorities plan for them. The index, developed by researchers at the faculty of medicine, measures how communities in the Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health regions are susceptible to the health effects of extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding and air pollution. (CBC)

Grump files appeal over Mason County decision on gravel mine
Grump Ventures LLC, which operates a gravel mine in Belfair, is appealing the decision by the Mason County Hearing Examiner to rescind a surface mining permit, saying the decision says was issued wrongfully...The appeal claims that Mason County suddenly revoked the permit without notice to Grump Ventures in January 2020. The county’s decision stated the mining use had been abandoned for a period of more than two years — a two-year lapse in business activity requires re-permitting. However, the appeal argues that the county decided to revoke the permit for the mine being inactive for two years despite ongoing permit applications. Jessie Darland reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Ecology seeks comment on proposed changes to oil movement rules
The state Department of Ecology seeks public input on proposed changes to expand the reporting requirements for companies in the state receiving crude oil by rail and pipeline. The proposed changes would require facilities, including the Marathon and Shell refineries near Anacortes, to report the type and vapor pressure of the oil transported by rail, and the type and gravity of the oil transported by pipeline, among other changes. The updated standards will help Ecology and emergency responders better understand the oil moved through the state and prepare for a potential spill. Jacqueline Allison reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

New web tool enables public to determine water-quality trends in B.C. rivers
Science geeks and environmental-health advocates can now go online to find out how polluted B.C. rivers have been at different times. That's because there's a new Canada–B.C. surface water quality web tool, which reveals levels of contaminants when samples were taken. Charlie Smith reports. (The Georgia Straight)

Environmentalists say Washington's wolf program is broken
Gov. Jay Inslee has directed the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft new rules governing the killing of wolves involved in conflicts with livestock, a move winning praise from conservation groups. The Democrat on Friday reversed the commission’s denial of a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in May that called for reform of the state’s wolf-management policies. He wrote in a letter to the commission that the potential for future conflicts between wolves and livestock, and the resulting killing of wolves, was unacceptably high. Nicholas K. Geranios reports. (Associated Press)

If you like to watch: Jefferson Marine Resources Committee Olympia Oyster Restoration
The Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) is the native oyster of the Pacific coast of the US. Due to habitat loss and overfishing, the populations of this oyster are a fraction of what they were 150 years ago. Volunteers for the Jefferson Marine Resources Committee is working to enhance a stable but small population of Olympia oysters in Discovery Bay.

Carey's Creek flows freely under new bridge
The shadows of several dozen small fish caught the eye of Bo Rains as he leaned over the rails Friday of a newly minted bridge on his property near Hamilton, peering into Carey’s Creek...The creek is now also clear for those fish, which previously had a hard time making their way through two mud-clogged culverts recently replaced by the 50-foot bridge on which Rains stood. Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, the local nonprofit that coordinated replacing the culverts with a bridge, said the project opened 14 acres of habitat along Carey’s Creek, which is a tributary to the nearby Skagit River. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  258 AM PDT Tue Sep 8 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON   
TODAY  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 12 seconds.




--
"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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told