8/14 Madrone, Skagit ag, marine heat, eelgrass wasting, sea rise, clean energy, Skagit dams

Pacific madrone [Ben Legler]

Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii
Pacific madrone, is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the western coastal areas of North America, from British Columbia to California. It is nicknamed the "Refrigerator Tree" due to the fact that its bark contains water, and it stays cool in the summer. (Wikipedia)

Finding happily ever after in Skagit’s ag zone
A proposal that would constrain Skagit farms in operating as event venues has prompted discussion on the future of the area’s sense of place. Adam M. Sowards reports. (Salish Current)

Significant marine heat wave expected to affect B.C. wildlife
Scientists are worried that a strong heat wave off the B.C. coast will lead to birds dying from disease or starvation. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun) 

Researchers examine eelgrass wasting disease in Padilla Bay
Labyrinthula zosterae, the pathogen that causes eelgrass wasting disease, is what is known as a marine slime protist. Protists are mostly simple organisms that are not plants or animals or fungi. Eelgrass wasting disease shows up as dark lesions with  white centers on eelgrass blades. The white centers are  dead tissue. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Sea level rise could squeeze young salmon out of places to live
Juvenile salmon already face pressure from human land use and development, and may be further squeezed out of their estuary habitat by climate change, as sea levels rise. Molly Segal reports. (CBC)

The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think
The United States is pivoting away from fossil fuels and toward wind, solar and other renewable energy, even in areas dominated by the oil and gas industries. (NY Times)

Power production resumes at Skagit dams near Sourdough Fire
Seattle City Light has resumed power generation at two dams on the Skagit River as the Sourdough Fire continues to burn in Washington’s North Cascades. The flames had come close enough to Diablo and Ross dams — and the transmission lines that connect them to Seattle electricity users — that Seattle’s power utility evacuated workers and took the dams offline on Aug. 2. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  310 AM PDT Mon Aug 14 2023   
TODAY  E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at  12 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds.

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