11/16 Beach hopper, PA fish farm, Nicola R, dying newts, WA water standards, Native reps, whale deaths, Indigenous eats, darn wabbits

Beach hopper [Crystal Ernst]

Beach hopper Traskorchestia traskiana
Small (under 1 inch), drab gray-green. Hops around like flea in perpetual motion on wrack of seaweeds left stranded by tide or on upper levels of beach. As the seaweed dries out, beach hoppers retreat into the moist centers of the pile or dig into the sand. If you disturb the wrack, hundreds of beach hoppers will usually jump out. An important food for sanderlings and many other migrating shorebirds. (Marine Life of Puget Sound, the San Juans, and the Strait of Georgia)

Department of Natural Resources ruling may derail Port Angeles fish farms
A steelhead fish farm planned in Port Angeles Harbor may not be possible following a decision from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, but further details won’t be available until Friday. Peter Segall reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

The Demon River
On the night of November 15, 2021, British Columbia’s Nicola River sounded like thunder. Boulders boomed beneath a raging current that was bursting its banks, taking out everything in its path. It was the costliest disaster in the province’s history, resulting in an estimated $13 billion worth of damage. J.B. MacKinnon writes. (Hakai Institute)

The case of the dying newts: an Olympic Peninsula mystery
Max Lambert is a research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. He has been keeping an eye on a remote lake on the Olympic Peninsula, where a once-abundant amphibian has been turning up dead, littering the lakeshore with tiny carcasses. Something is killing the lake’s population of rough-skinned newts. John Ryan writes. (KUOW)

Feds restore WA water quality standards for chemical discharges
In a reversal of Trump administration policies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week reinstated federal water quality standards for chemicals discharged into Washington state waterways. The final rule signed Monday would ensure polluters stay within federally established levels of chemicals or conditions in a body of water that are not expected to cause adverse health effects. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Native representation to increase in Washington Legislature
Washington state is home to 29 federally recognized Native American Tribes, but only one Native person currently serves in the state Legislature. That will change next year. Three enrolled members of Native tribes are poised to win their elections this fall. David Hyde reports. (KUOW)

Could a 'silent killer' be behind B.C.'s recent whale deaths?
The public is being reminded to call DFO if they spot a whale in distress or if they suspect they've hit one with their boat. Alanna Kelly reports. (Times Colonist)

How Indigenous Restaurants Are Decolonizing Seattle’s Dining Scene, One Plate at a Time
Local Indigenous businesses like ʔálʔal Cafe, Off the Rez, and Native Soul work to educate and contextualize Native ingredients and customs while advocating for investment. Sabra Boyd reports.
(Seattle Eater)

Concrete Town Council sets plan to deal with rabbits
The Concrete Town Council authorized town code enforcement officer Karla Massingale on Monday to use an air rifle to help rid east Concrete of domesticated rabbits that were let loose last spring and continue to multiply. Rqcquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  404 AM PST Wed Nov 16 2022   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE  THURSDAY NIGHT   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 20 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft building to 3 to 5 ft after  midnight. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds building to 5 ft at  13 seconds after midnight.

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