7/21 Bear-grass, hottest June, BC river levels, kelp water temperature, lamprey comeback, tree memory, week in review

Bear-grass Xerophyllum tenax
Bear-grass is in the Liliaceae (lily family) which contains 478 species in North America and approximately 4,200 species worldwide distributed mostly in the tropics. It is a diverse plant family and includes numerous important ornamentals, a number of important agricultural crops and has been the source of valuable pharmacopoeia. Leaves of Bear-grass are collected from wild populations and sold to the floral industry for use in floral arrangements. Bear-grass is also sought for use as an ornamental in cultivated landscapes and gardens. Collection of Bear-grass from native habitats should occur only after proper permission and permits have been obtained from the appropriate agency or land owner. The collection of entire plants from wild populations is strongly discouraged. (Russ Holmes/USFS)

NOAA Confirms June Was Earth’s Hottest on Record. August May Bring More of the Same.
Last month was the planet’s warmest June since global temperature record-keeping began in 1850, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its monthly climate update on Thursday. The agency also predicts unusually hot temperatures will occur in most of the United States, almost everywhere except the northern Great Plains, during August. Delger Erdenesanaa reports. (NY Times)

Drought conditions threatening B.C. salmon as river levels drop
B.C. is currently grappling with an extended drought which has left two-thirds of the province's water basins at drought Level 4 or Level 5. The provincial scale goes from zero to five. The Lower Mainland basin, which includes the Fraser Valley, is at Level 4, which means adverse impacts to ecosystems are likely. Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC)

Northeastern Salish Sea temperatures boiling kelp alive
Temperatures in the northeastern Salish Sea have been reaching 21 degrees or higher, two to three degrees higher than kelp can take. Since the 1970s, rising ocean temperatures have led to entire kelp forests on the east side of Vancouver Island from Denman Island to Campbell River essentially being clear-cut. Many scientists call kelp the “canary in a coal mine,” acting as a warning of what’s to come elsewhere in British Columbia. And it’s not just kelp that will be affected, the rising sea temperatures will cause changes in the whole ecosystem and complete changes to our coastline. (CHEK)

Northwest tribes celebrate as lamprey make a comeback
On the banks of Oregon’s Willamette River, cooks grilled up food for hundreds of people. It’s a summertime barbecue. The smell of sizzling lamprey drew people to a tent where Yakama Nation citizens placed three- to four-inch chunks of the fish onto the grill. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

The Memory of a Tree
Naturalist David B. Williams writes: "To the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, western red cedars have long been the tree of life...Now, one western red cedar has become central to the more recent inhabitants of Seattle. The double trunked tree grows in the Wedgwood neighborhood and has been slated to be cut down in order to build new homes."(Street Smart Naturalist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 21 2023: Moonwalk, canoe journey, Cowichan salmon, refinery safety, Vancouver ecosystem, BC wildfires, dairy digester, BC spotted owl, Big Oil climate pledges, Cherry Pt herring, Fraser drought.

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  248 AM PDT Fri Jul 21 2023   TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 2 ft at 4 seconds. Patchy fog. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. W  swell 2 ft at 6 seconds. Patchy fog after midnight. A slight  chance of showers after midnight. 
SAT  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 2 ft at 5 seconds. Patchy fog in the  morning. A chance of showers. 
SAT NIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 2 ft at 5 seconds. 
SUN  W wind to 10 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. W  swell 3 ft at 7 seconds.

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