12/11 Cutthroat, gas pipe leak, king tides, WDFW, masks, sea birds and fish stocks, bear eating whale, Forterra, freshwater fish extinction

 

Cutthroat [iNaturalist]

Coastal cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii
Resident coastal cutthroat trout are one of three subspecies of cutthroat trout that occur in Washington and one of the two that are native. The other native is the westslope. There is also an anadromous, or ‘sea-run’ coastal cutthroat.  Resident cutthroat trout can be mistaken for rainbow trout, but they have two distinguishing features that rainbow do not: the underside of the cutthroat’s lower jaw has red slash marks on each side (where it gets its name from) and small teeth on the back of the tongue. The cutthroat's upper jaw also extends past the back edge of the eye, where is does not in rainbow (except for rainbow over 20 inches). Average 7-9 inches. Coastal cutthroat can grow to 10-18 inches in quality populations. (WDFW)

Gasoline pipeline leaks near Mount Vernon, spilling into creek
A pipeline leaked Sunday south of Mount Vernon, spilling gasoline into a nearby ditch and creek and closing an elementary school. The Olympic Pipeline leaked on the north side of Highway 534 in Skagit County, and the highway is closed from the Interstate 5 offramp to Bulson Road, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. A vault connected to the pipeline spilled gas into Hill Ditch and Bulson Creek, and responders are recovering gas from the water. Lauren Girgis reports. (Seattle Times)

How WA’s king tides amp up flood risks amid global sea level rise
Last winter, when the king tide rolled in with heavy rains and an extreme low-pressure system, water from the Duwamish River rushed into Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, flooding homes, sparking broader evacuations and catching the city off guard. Decades ago that flood would have been thought unlikely, perhaps even statistically impossible, said Ian Miller, coastal hazards specialist at the UW’s Washington Sea Grant program. But no more. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington State residents ask: What is our wildlife agency for?
Public backlash over a new policy reveals a deeper divide over the future of conservation. Rebecca Dzombak reports. (High Country News)

Port Hardy First Nations request return of 17 masks
Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw hereditary chiefs say they are ready to reclaim their kikasu, or treasure boxes, in anticipation of the opening of their new bighouse in the summer. Michael John Lo reports. (Times Colonist)

Seabirds Can Help Predict the Size of Fish Stocks—If Only We’d Listen
The scientists who study terns, puffins, and other fish-eating birds are trying to get fisheries managers to heed their warnings. Abby McBride reports.  (Hakai Magazine)

Photos of bear eating a whale showcase 'important part of the local food web': DFO
Bears and gulls got an unexpected feast this week, after they found a dead whale that had washed ashore on Nuu-chah-nulth territories near Tofino, B.C.  David P. Ball reports. (CBC)

Near Mt. Index, Forterra secures key piece in conservation puzzle
The nonprofit has been acquiring land in the region for decades. Now the project is complete, with funding from the county. (Everett Herald)

A Quarter of Freshwater Fish Are at Risk of Extinction, a New Assessment Finds
A global update from the leading authority on the status of species shows that climate change is compounding other threats to plants and animals. Catrin Einhorn reports. (NY Times)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  256 AM PST Mon Dec 11 2023    
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell  5 ft at 11 seconds. Areas of drizzle in the morning. Areas of  fog.  
TONIGHT  SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. SW swell  4 ft at 10 seconds. Areas of fog and patchy drizzle after  midnight.

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