3/21 Cherry blossoms, TM pipe, tribal artifacts, Nooksack logging, Clean Water Act, Squaxin Park, Mount Polley mine, novovirus, BC Ferries, Intalco restart

Cherry blossoms [Keith Thorpe/PDN]

Cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower of the spring, a time of renewal, and the fleeting nature of life. Their life is very short. After their beauty peaks around two weeks, the blossoms start to fall. (Smithsonian)

Trans Mountain blames massive spike in project cost on natural disasters, debt costs — and frogs
The projected cost of twinning the Trans Mountain pipeline has nearly tripled because of natural disasters, environmental protection measures and rising debt payments, according to the government-owned pipeline corporation. The latest figures show TMX's initial $7.4 billion price tag — projected when the federal government purchased the project in 2018 — has since ballooned to $21.4 billion. The federal Department of Finance updated those figures in February during a Friday news conference — held on a day when media outlets were distracted by Ottawa police beginning to clear out an entrenched anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest on Parliament Hill. David Thurton reports. (CBC)

Seattle will return 270 artifacts to Upper Skagit Tribe
The Upper Skagit Tribe will soon reclaim hundreds of historic artifacts from the city of Seattle that were uncovered during construction projects... The Upper Skagit Tribe formerly had a permanent winter village along the Skagit River. Part of the land is now considered property of the city of Seattle as part of the city-owned Gorge Inn, a dining hall and historical site in Newhalem...Seattle City Light crews excavated the Gorge Inn site in 2013 for a renovation project, and found the historic tools and food-related devices. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

Logging forests takes this toll on already-strained Nooksack River, new research suggests
The Nooksack River is under enormous strain, as development brings its ecosystems to the brink of collapse and climate change chokes summer water supply by reducing the region’s annual snowpack. Recent research shows there is another party that should very likely be held partially responsible for the Nooksack’s dangerously low summer stream flows: The commercial forestry industry, which cuts down trees to sell as timber. Commercial forestry could reduce late-summer stream flows in the Nooksack River’s South Fork by as much as 25%, said Oliver Grah, the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s water resources program manager. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

The Clean Water Act: 50 years later
In 1972, the federal Clean Water Act was signed into law. Designed to address water quality and pollution levels, the act seemed like a Hail Mary for human health and marine life. The end goal: to make all bodies of water in the United States “fishable and swimmable” by 1982...According to a recent study from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), about half of the bodies of water that have been studied across the country in recent years are too polluted for swimming and recreation, aquatic life, fishing or for use as a source for drinking water. Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

Rumours of the Death of False Creek Are False
Despite pollution, the waterway lives. A photographer dove in to find creatures in an improving ecosystem. Biologist Fernando Lessa photographed surprisingly abundant marine life in Vancouver’s False Creek, including this hermit crab found among ‘pop cans and disposable cups.’ Jen St. Denis report. (The Tyee)

Priest Point Park in Olympia to be renamed Squaxin Park
After receiving only positive oral feedback during their meeting on Thursday night, the advisory committee to the city of Olympia’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department voted unanimously in favor of renaming Priest Point Park to Squaxin Park. The committee will send its recommendation along to the City Council, which has final say on the matter. The name was chosen by and recognizes the Squaxin Island Tribe, whose people have occupied and stewarded what is now Olympia for thousands of years. The Tribal Council met last December and agreed on the name change, as well as the decision to possibly rename trails and landmarks within the park in the future. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Mount Polley mine applies to extend waste water discharge past 2022 as it gears up for restart
Imperial Metals is seeking a three-year interim extension to discharge mine effluent into Quesnel Lake while it works through a major regulatory amendment to extend the life of the Mount Polley gold and copper mine. The extension of the B.C. Ministry of Environment discharge permit, which is set to elapse on Dec. 31, 2022, is opposed by some mine-area residents. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Norovirus cases up due to consumption of raw oysters: health authority
Vancouver's health authority is warning residents of the risk of norovirus associated with eating raw oysters after a spike in cases over the past week.  Since Monday, more than 50 people have been affected by acute gastrointestinal illness after eating raw oysters, Vancouver Coastal Health said in a statement. (CBC)

B.C. Ferries extends schedule changes due to staffing shortage
Anticipating staff shortages in the months ahead, B.C. Ferries has extended until June 22 changes to three of its routes in order to maintain reliable service. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Intalco redevelopment faces more delays
The reopening of Ferndale's Intalco aluminum smelter has been portrayed by project proponents as needing only a favorable power deal with the Bonneville Power Administration to get the plant rolling quickly, restoring hundreds of family-wage jobs as early as next month. BPA officials cast serious doubt on that this week, saying the agency likely could not deliver the required electricity to run the plant on its own, or, because of legal mandates, sell that power at a requested price likely to make the plant financially feasible. Julia Lerner reports. (Cascadia Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  256 AM PDT Mon Mar 21 2022  
TODAY  SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt this morning.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12  seconds. Rain. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.

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