1/6 Bull kelp, Skagit water, Trump's wild birds, spotted owl, sewage, whales webinar, Bill Holm

Bull Kelp [Monterey Bay Aquarium]

 
Bull Kelp Nereocystis luetkeana
Bull kelp grows and thrives in rough-and-tumble coastal waters. It's aided by its rootlike holdfast, which has many fingerlike projections (haptera) that hold the plant tight to rocks. From the holdfast, a flexible stem (stipe) extends 30 to 60 feet (about 10-20 meters), gradually enlarging to form a single bulbous structure (a pneumatocyst) that is positively buoyant. As many as 30 to 64 long, narrow blades grow from the float and form a golden-brown canopy on the water's surface. (Monterey Bay Aquarium)

Skagit County commissioners approve water plan
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement Tuesday with the state Department of Ecology to move toward providing water to some rural property owners along a portion of the Skagit River. Many properties in the Skagit River watershed have been without a legal source of water since 2013 as a result of a 2001 instream flow rule and related lawsuits. Instream flow rules are a tool Ecology uses to ensure adequate stream flows for fish...Ecology developed the program in partnership with Seattle City Light, the Washington Water Trust and Skagit County. The program will allow the 338 properties with existing structures or building permits, and about 900 addition Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Trump administration scales back wild bird protections
The Trump administration on Tuesday finalized changes to a century-old law protecting most American wild bird species despite warnings that billions of birds could die as a result. Federal wildlife officials have acknowledged the move could result in more deaths of birds that land in oil pits or collide with power lines or other structures. A U.S. District Court judge in August had blocked the administration's prior attempt to change how the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is enforced. But urged on by industry groups, the Trump administration has remained adamant that the act has been wielded inappropriately for decades to penalize companies and other entities that kill birds accidentally. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press) See also: Group to sue interior secretary for delaying protection of spotted owl, other species  The Center for Biological Diversity alleges the Trump administration has failed to make “expeditious progress” on species awaiting protection under the Endangered Species Act. Bradley Parks reports. (OPB)

Sewer overflow spills into Port Ludlow Bay
Residents are urged to stay out of the Port Ludlow Bay after some 50,000 to 70,000 gallons of a mixture of stormwater and wastewater spilled into it. Olympic Water and Sewer discovered a bypass at the wastewater treatment plant in Port Ludlow at about 7 a.m. Tuesday. The plant was experiencing extremely high flows due to an excessive amount of rain in a short period of time, officials said. (Peninsula Daily News)

Way of Whales Webinar Jan. 9
Learn about the intricate connections between salmon, endangered Southern Resident orcas, and their need for safe and healthy habitats (and more) at the Orca Network virtual event 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For info and to register, go here.

Editorial: Remembering Bill Holm’s respectful cultural support
The Pacific Northwest lost a towering presence with the Dec. 16 death of Bill Holm at 95. His meticulous effort documented and sustained Native cultures that had been practiced in this region for millennia. Even though Holm was an outsider to the Native cultures he so admired, his life’s work showed how to be an ally without exploitation. (Seattle Times Editorial Board)

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  241 AM PST Wed Jan 6 2021   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT   
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming NE 15 to 25 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 17 ft at 14 seconds. A  slight chance of showers in the morning then a chance of showers  and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 16 ft at 15 seconds subsiding to  14 ft at 15 seconds after midnight. A chance of showers and a  slight chance of tstms in the evening.

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