Salish Sea News and Weather: January 2024

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

1/31 Red squirrel, BC LNG, Snake R dams, protesters sued, BC old-growth, WA Indigenous curriculum, BC population

Red squirrel [jmarcinik/iNaturalist/CreativeCommons]

Red squirrel Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
The Red squirrel is about the same size as the Douglas squirrel and lives in coniferous forests and semi-open woods in northeast Washington. It is rusty-red on the upper part and white or grayish white on its underside.

Today's top story in Salish Current: High water in Whatcom ... and getting higher?

The door to B.C.’s liquefied natural gas export sector is about to open. Here’s what you need to know
As LNG Canada completes construction and prepares to bring operations online, the export facility could 'open a gateway' for other projects to proceed. But B.C.’s gas export sector faces stricter emissions policies, unpredictable market shifts and climate disasters as it tries to maintain its place in an uncertain future. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

Allegations of ‘secret’ deal to remove Snake River dams aired by U.S. House GOP
Republicans on a U.S. House panel blasted the Biden administration Tuesday for an agreement they said paved the way for removing four dams from the Snake River in eastern Washington state. The agreement to take steps to restore salmon populations in the Snake River that President Joe Biden announced in December with the states of Oregon and Washington and four tribes in the region would lead the way to removing four dams on the river. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard)

15 Fairy Creek protesters face civil suit from logging company
The suit says those named in the lawsuit have caused Teal Cedar a loss of profit and goodwill and damaged the company’s reputation. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Victoria Times Colonist)

B.C. counted poorly protected old-growth forests toward conservation targets, researchers say
The province counted most old-growth management areas towards its 30-by-30 conservation targets. A new report says a lot of that land isn’t actually protecting old-growth forests. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Speaking Lushootseed: WA’s Indigenous curriculum may be renamed
A bill would name the Native history program after the late advocate, longtime state Sen. John McCoy (lulilaš), who inspired its creation. Jadenne Radoc Cabahug reports. (Crosscut)

Washington lawmakers hope to tweak new wildfire protection rules for homes
Critics say updated standards set to take effect in March would drive up housing costs and are based on a map that overstates fire risks in many areas. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

BC population to hit 7.9 million by 2046, as growth rate soars: report
The new B.C. government report based on publicly available data predicts a 44-per-cent population increase compared to the 2023 population of 5.5 million. (Canadian Press)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 248 AM PST Wed Jan 31 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 7 ft at 12 seconds building to 9 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
TONIGHT E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 13 ft at 12 seconds becoming W 11 ft at 13 seconds after midnight. Rain in the evening then rain likely after midnight.

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 "Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email mikesato772 (@) gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.  

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Tuesday, January 30, 2024

1/30 Red-osier dogwood, J60 presumed dead, TM pipe delay, Sumas Prairie flooding, low snowpack

Red-osier dogwood [King Conservation District]

Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea
If you’re looking to plant in marshy or streamside territory look no further than Red Osier Dogwood. It loves to get its toes wet! This native shrub can be admired in its natural habitat along rocky Alaskan shorelines, as well as in streamside and upland forests stretching south through Oregon. This moisture-loving deciduous plant boasts uniquely attractive qualities year-round, flaunting brilliant red bark in the winter and then sprouting deep-veined oval leaves and frothy white clusters of flowers come spring. Cornus sericea’s blooms then give way to blueish-tinged white fruits gathered in berry-like droops which aren’t edible to humans, but are a great food source for wildlife. Fall ushers in stunning golden-red foliage before its leaves drop and the majestic cycle repeats. (King Conservation District)

Endangered baby orca J60 missing, presumed dead
On Saturday, a three-person team from the Center for Whale Research spotted most of J Pod in Washington’s San Juan Channel between San Juan Island and Shaw Island. J Pod is one of three extended-family groups that often travel together -- the other two are K and L Pods. They documented the orcas from their research boat, with telephoto lenses and a federally permitted drone, for nearly two hours and observed every member of J Pod -- except J60. The month-old male was the youngest member of the Northwest’s endangered population of salmon-eating killer whales, which often die before their first birthday due to toxic pollution and a lack of food. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Trans Mountain expansion hits 'technical issues,' possibly delaying completion
The Crown corporation building the massive project, which had previously stated it expected to have the pipeline in-service near the end of the first quarter, said Monday it has once again run into construction challenges in B.C. and pushed that date back. The company said the technical issues were discovered between Jan. 25 and Jan. 27 during construction work in the Fraser Valley between Hope and Chilliwack, B.C. Amanda Stephenson reports. (The Canadian Press)

Atmospheric river floods fields in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, farmers brace for more rain
A Fraser Valley farmer says his berry fields are flooded after heavy rainfall across much of southwestern B.C., as he and others in the farming community brace for more rain. Harry Sidhu, whose family owns a blueberry farm on the Sumas Prairie, says he is among those nervously watching the skies after an atmospheric river dumped up to 200 millimetres of rain on the South Coast over the weekend, according to the province's River Forecast Centre. Sidhu says farmers are still recovering from the catastrophic November 2021 floods that destroyed farms on the Sumas Prairie, a low-lying part of the Fraser Valley about 90 kilometres east of Vancouver. (CBC)

Low snowpack bad for ski hills, fire season
A particularly low snowpack on the Island and across the province could mean B.C. is in for another difficult fire season. A lack of snow means fuels such as trees and deadfall will likely dry out earlier, which typically leads to fires earlier in the year, said Armel Castellan, a warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment Canada. The provincial snowpack is “extremely low,” averaging just 56 per cent of normal as of the start of the year, according to the province’s Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin. Vancouver Island had 39 per cent of normal snowpack as of Jan. 1. Roxanne Egan-Elliott reports. (Times Colonist)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 207 AM PST Tue Jan 30 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY E wind to 10 kt rising to 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 12 ft at 13 seconds subsiding to 10 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain.
TONIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 7 ft at 13 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then rain after midnight.

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Monday, January 29, 2024

1/29 Rockfish, flood warnings, plastic bags, wildlife center, NOAA shoreline maps, SS Valenica

Vermillion rockfish [Chad King/WikiMedia]

Vermilion rockfish Sebastes miniatus
Vermilion rockfish occur from Prince William Sound, Alaska to San Benito Island, Baja California, Mexico but are most commonly found from central California to northern Baja California. They can be found from 12 to 478 meters (39 to 1,568 feet) deep, and mostly live on rocky reefs. They can live up to 60 years and reach maturity at 5 to 6 years old. Spawning occurs December through March. (Marine Species Portal)

Weather service issues flood warning for Whatcom County communities along Nooksack River
Communities along the Nooksack River from the South Fork Valley to the river delta at Lummi Nation are under a flood warning in the face of heavy rain that is expected to continue well into next week. (Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. River Forecast Centre issues flood warning for Sumas River, tributary of Fraser
British Columbia's River Forecast Centre has issued an upgraded flood warning for the Sumas River, a tributary of the Fraser River east of Vancouver, as the latest round of atmospheric rivers deluge the province's South Coast. (Canadian Press)

Plastic bag bans have already prevented billions of bags from being used, report finds
Over the past several years, U.S. cities and states have passed hundreds of policies restricting the sale and distribution of single-use plastic bags. A new report says these laws have largely succeeded in their goal of reducing plastic bag use. Joseph Winters reports. (Grist)

It’s free to visit this new Pierce County marine life center. They have a red octopus
The Skansie Interpretive Center in Gig Harbor will reopen in February as the Harbor WildWatch Marine Life Center. Harbor WildWatch is a nonprofit that provides environmental education to the community. They have been inside the Skansie Interpretive Center since 2014. Aspen Shumpert reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

NOAA releases high-resolution land cover data to boost coastal climate resilience efforts
The new data is 900 times more detailed than what NOAA previously provided. Local leaders have long wanted such data, which can be “prohibitively expensive,” NOAA’s administrator said. Download on NOAA’s Digital Coast website. Ysabelle Kempe reports. (Smart Cities Dive)

1906: The SS Valencia hits a reef and 136 people die
The disaster off the west coast of Vancouver Island is the third largest loss of life in a shipwreck in B.C. history. John Mackie writes. (Vancouver Sun)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 210 AM PST Mon Jan 29 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 8 ft at 12 seconds building to 11 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning then a slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain.

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Friday, January 26, 2024

1/26 Cormorant, rain, Boldt50, Brunaby refinery, glacier melt, Garry oak, Crofton mill, wind energy, week in review

Cormorant [Connie Gallant]

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Cormorants are aquatic birds that are known for their excellent diving and swimming abilities. They have long necks, hooked bills, and webbed feet, which make them well-adapted for catching fish underwater. Cormorants can often be seen perched on rocks or tree branches with their wings outstretched to dry after a dive. They winter along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to Mexico, along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from North Carolina to Belize, and inland in ice-free areas along large rivers and lakes.

Storm bringing rain to Whatcom mountains, raising flood fears (Bellingham Herald)
Atmospheric river to bring heavy rains to B.C.'s South Coast (CBC)

How an Indigenous rights battle in WA changed tribal law, from fishing to culverts
Fifty years ago, a landmark federal court case brought against Washington state reaffirmed the treaty rights of Native Americans to fish in traditional waters and shorelines. From culvert rehab to dam removal, 1974's "Boldt Decision" has expanded far beyond fishing to legally empower tribes' ability to protect natural resources. Libby Denkmann and Alec Cowan report. (KUOW)

Burnaby, B.C., fuel refinery to be shut for 4 weeks after smoke, odour
Parkland Corp. says it has temporarily shut down fuel processing operations at its Burnaby, B.C., refinery three days after an issue with one of its processing units led to a strong odour over Metro Vancouver. On Sunday, the refinery in north Burnaby experienced an issue that led to a "temporary increase in odour, smoke and a flame from the unit's chimney stack," prompting the Metro Vancouver Regional District to issue an air quality bulletin. Akshay Kulkarni reports. (CBC)

As glaciers melt, potential salmon habitat collides with outdated mining laws
As human-caused climate change points a giant hair dryer at Western North America’s glaciers, melting them ever more rapidly, potential Pacific salmon habitat is opening up. New river systems are starting to flow, and rain and snowmelt will keep many running even after the ice disappears. In some, salmon are appearing for the first time. But mining companies are homing in, too. Maya L. Kapoor reports. (High Country News)

A rare urban Garry oak savannah brings biodiversity to suburban sprawl
Washington is home to only one species of native oak tree. Its habitat is increasingly rare. The flat and relatively open woodland prairies where they once thrived often attract development, against which they have no protection. Scientists estimate that only 3% of their original ecosystems still exist. But pockets of Garry oak – also known as Oregon white oak – still exist. And one of them, in Pierce County south of Tacoma, recently received a big grant from the state Department of Natural Resources for urban forestry. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

Paper operations indefinitely halted at Vancouver Island mill, company says
Pulp and paper giant Paper Excellence announced Thursday it will indefinitely halt paper-producing operations at the Catalyst Crofton facility on Vancouver Island. The announcement comes just over a year after the mill, located in Crofton in the North Cowichan region, received $18.8 million from the provincial and federal governments to resume pulp and paper operations. Approximately 75 employees are affected by the indefinite curtailment. Akshay Kulkarni reports. (CBC)

How US Protectionism Is Hindering Offshore Wind Ambitions
The United States has big plans for wind energy—but a 1920s law is getting in the way of the rollout. David Jen reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/26/24: Lego! cormorant disaster, salmon B1, Indigenous planning, pay to pollute, WA port pollution, ancient kelp, Cherry Point green hydrogen, seal v octopus, Boldt50.

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 227 AM PST Fri Jan 26 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft after midnight. Mixed swell W 4 ft at 12 seconds and NE 7 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.
SAT SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. Mixed swell W 5 ft at 12 seconds and NE 4 ft at 9 seconds. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 8 ft at 15 seconds.
SUN SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds.

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  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Thursday, January 25, 2024

1/25 Purple finch, green hydrogen plans

Purple Finch [Steve and Dave Maslowski]

Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus
The Purple Finch is the bird that Roger Tory Peterson famously described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice.” For many of us, they’re irregular winter visitors to our feeders, although these chunky, big-beaked finches do breed in northern North America and the West Coast. Separating them from House Finches requires a careful look, but the reward is a delicately colored, cleaner version of that red finch. Look for them in forests, too, where you’re likely to hear their warbling song from the highest parts of the trees. (All About Birds)

Green hydrogen plans take shape for former Alcoa site at Cherry Point
Renewable power supply and tribal consultation could present hurdles for dreams of green power and local jobs. Tom Banse reports. (Salish Current)

Salish Sea News and Weather will return tomorrow.

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 104 PM PST Wed Jan 24 2024
THU SE wind 15 to 20 kt becoming S 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft in the afternoon. W swell 11 ft at 15 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
THU NIGHT S wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 14 seconds. Rain.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

1/24 House finch, seal v octopus, port emissions, kelp forest fossils

House Finch [Martha Nordstrand]

House Finch Haemorhous Mexicans
The House Finch is a recent introduction from western into eastern North America (and Hawaii), but it has received a warmer reception than other arrivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow. That’s partly due to the cheerful red head and breast of males, and to the bird’s long, twittering song, which can now be heard in most of the neighborhoods of the continent. If you haven’t seen one recently, chances are you can find one at the next bird feeder you come across. (All About Birds)

Watch: Divers capture dramatic battle between seal and octopus
Maxime Veilleux and Matteo Endrizzi were finishing their sunset dive off Nanoose Bay on Sunday and heading to the shore when something unusual caught their eyes. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Ports take steps to reduce emissions with $12M infrastructure grant
Northwest Ports are working to phase out emissions from seaport-related activities by 2050. Seattle and Tacoma now have a $12-million-dollar federal infrastructure grant that moves them closer to that goal, with a focus on short-haul trucking. Currently, about 4,500 heavy-duty diesel trucks haul cargo from the ports of Seattle and Tacoma to nearby warehouses, with emissions that pollute nearby neighborhoods and warm the climate. Those emissions also pollute the immediate environment of the drivers while they’re on the job. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

New fossils suggest kelp forests have swayed in the seas for at least 32 million years
The kelp forests that hug the Pacific coastline are an underwater jungle. They're a thicket of colossal algae intermixed with a pageant of life that includes snails, urchins, sea lions, sea otters, and a host of seabirds. A study published in PNAS https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2317054121 presents new evidence that the first kelps were much older than we once suspected, dating back 32 million years — well before the arrival of many of their present-day animal inhabitants. Ari Daniel reports. (NPR)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 223 AM PST Wed Jan 24 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft in the afternoon. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 13 seconds building to 10 ft at 15 seconds after midnight. A chance of showers in the evening then showers after midnight.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

1/23 Sapsucker, Skagit gas spill, dredging B'ham Bay, Indigenous stewards, steelhead season, wolf killing, polluter pays, WA bill tracker

Red-breasted Sapsucker [Grace Oliver]

Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
The Red-breasted Sapsucker cuts a dramatic profile with its brilliant scarlet head and dapper checkerboard pattern on the back. Sapsuckers are named for their habit of drilling rows of shallow wells in shrubs and trees, and then lapping up the sap with their brush-tipped tongues. Sapsuckers are important members of their ecosystems, because many species of insects, birds, and mammals use the sapwells to supplement their own diets. (All About Birds)

Work continues at site of gasoline spill near Conway
Work restarted last week to clean up the site of an Olympic Pipeline gasoline spill near Conway. The work was halted for several days because of below freezing temperatures. (Skagit Valley Herald) See: Update: Skagit gasoline pipeline spill cleanup still underway (Salish Current)

Cleaning up: Removing contaminated sediment at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal
Dredging of contaminated sediment is expected to begin later this month at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. With federal funding, the Port of Bellingham is making improvements to the terminal, including dredging about 22,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment to restore water depths for ship access. (WA Dept. of Ecology)

Learning to Plan for the Next 500 Years
A first-of-its-kind program at Vancouver Island University trains students to steward Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. Erin Blondeau reports. (The Tyee)

Steelhead season to open on Skagit and Sauk rivers
Fisheries managers with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and area tribes have estimated that about 5,215 wild steelhead will return this year to the Skagit River and its tributaries. Recreational steelhead fishing will be allowed Saturdays through Wednesdays Feb. 3 through April 17 on portions of the Skagit and Sauk rivers under catch-and-release regulations. Vince Richardson reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Washington’s wolf-killing policy gets fresh attention in Olympia
A new bill in the Legislature would make it easier for ranchers to take lethal action against the endangered animals in response to attacks on cattle. Meanwhile, environmentalists are pressing for tighter restrictions on the practice. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

Proposal would require oil handlers, transporters to prove ability to pay for spills
In 2022, the Washington Legislature directed Ecology to adopt rules regarding financial responsibility requirements for oil handling facilities and vessels. Financial responsibility for vessels would range from $500,000 to $1 billion based on vessel type and size. Financial responsibility for oil handling facilities – including refineries, terminals, and pipelines – would range from $5 million to $300 million. New regulations are now proposed by the Washington Department of Ecology. (WA Dept. of Ecology)

2024 Legislative Tracker for Washington State
This year's Washington legislative session is scheduled to end on March 7. Feb. 13 is the deadline for this legislative session’s policy bills to pass out of their house of origin. Feb. 26 is the deadline for bills to pass out of the opposite house committee. March 1 is the deadline for bills not related to the budget to pass out of both houses. (Crosscut)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 222 AM PST Tue Jan 23 2024
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. Showers likely in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Monday, January 22, 2024

1/22 Pileated woodpecker, whales, Nooksack flooding, Everett shores, cormorant disaster, salmon gondola, salmon B1,whirling disease, fashion rules, Rainbow Eyes, Vancouver snow

Pileated Woodpecker [John Piznuir]

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
A big, dashing bird with a flaming crest, the largest woodpecker in North America (except the Ivory-bill, which is almost certainly extinct). Excavating deep into rotten wood to get at the nests of carpenter ants, the Pileated leaves characteristic rectangular holes in dead trees. This species became rare in eastern North America with clearing of forests in centuries past, but has gradually increased in numbers again since about the beginning of the 20th century. Where unmolested, it even lives in parks and woodlots around the edges of large cities. (Audubon)

A tale of two kinds of whales
Commentary: Why we have two distinct populations of killer whales that frequent our local waters. Monika Wieland Shields writes. (Salish Current)

Nooksack flooding fear rise with rapid snowmelt in Whatcom
Approaching warmer weather could mean rapid snowmelt in the lowlands and the mountains, prompting fears of flooding across Western Washington, including the Nooksack River in Whatcom County. Ice has formed on the Nooksack River downstream from Ferndale after 10 days of arctic weather. As the ice melts, large chunks could damage the levee or create a ice jams that cause water to spill over the riverbank. Robert Mittnedorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

'An iron curtain': For a seaside city, beach access is sparse in Everett
Everett boasts 25 miles of shoreline. But only pockets of that are open to the public. Try getting to Pigeon Creek Beach, for example. Aina de Lapparent Alvarez reports. (Everett Herald) /

Fixing the cormorant disaster on the Columbia: ‘How could this have come out any worse?’
A colony of seabirds was shooed away from the mouth of the Columbia River, only to relocate to a bridge. That's when the problems really began. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

Salmon skyline: Fish gondola takes wild coho conservation to new heights
Volunteers with the Courtenay Fish and Game club transport live coho salmon out of the Trent River canyon on a makeshift fish gondola, which consists of a big, blue, plastic water-filled barrel suspended on a steel wire. A pulley and rope system powered by vehicles on the hilltop moves the cable car up and down the slope. Once they’re aboard, the system allows live salmon to soar above trees to the canyon top quickly, with as little stress possible. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer)

A new study finds a critical vitamin for salmon in rivers
From dams to drought, salmon face a lot of threats in the West. Add thiamine deficiency to the list. Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is critical for salmon health. Juvenile fish can die without enough of the nutrient. Justin Higginbottom reports. (Jefferson Public Radio)

Whirling disease confirmed in B.C. for 1st time, sparking fears for fish populations
A debilitating parasite that causes a fatal disease in fish has been confirmed in British Columbia for the first time, four months after a suspected case in the Rockies caused several bodies of water to be closed. David P. Ball reports. (CBC)

WA lawmakers seek to make fashion friendlier to the environment
House Bill 2068 and Senate Bill 5965 would require corporations with a gross income of more than $100 million worldwide to publicly disclose where they source and manufacture their products and set targets to reduce emissions to meet environmental goals. Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero reports. (Seattle Times)

Green Party deputy leader Angela Davidson convicted of criminal contempt for Fairy Creek logging blockades
Davidson—also known as Rainbow Eyes—was arrested in May 2021, but broke bail conditions to protest at six more blockades, the court said. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver's attitude towards snow hasn't changed in over 100 years, says historian
Snow seems to bring out the worst in Vancouver, with stalled buses, spun out cars, and a city paralyzed by a few centimetres blanketing the ground. It's a phenomenon historian Blake Butler calls "the evergreen mentality," or Vancouver's lack of preparedness and denial of annual snowfall events. (CBC)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 241 AM PST Mon Jan 22 2024
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less in the afternoon. SW swell 4 ft at 10 seconds. Rain in the morning then showers likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. Showers.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Friday, January 19, 2024

1/19 Ladybug, Storming the Sound, Everett wetlands, Skagit gas spill, Oly oysters, restoring kelp, RCMP on trial, ocean climate, gneiss, week in review

Fourteen-Spotted Ladybird Beetle [Bird Watching HQ]

Fourteen-spotted Ladybird Beetle Propylea quatuordecimpunctata
This species was brought to North America to help control Russian Wheat Aphids. The Fourteen-spotted Ladybird Beetle is now widespread in Washington and continues to spread. This ladybug lives in several different habitats, including mixed forests, meadows, or fields. Look for this species at ground level in gardens and parks. Common sites include leaf litter, moss, compost piles, and plants. The Fourteen-spotted Ladybird Beetle is insectivorous and feeds on aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, larvae, and eggs of some beetles and butterflies. (Bird Watching HQ)

Storming the Sound for 25 years: what’s next for the grassroots event?
Founders and attendees of an annual Salish Sea environmental education conference are looking to the next 25 years. Rena Kingery report. (Salish Current)

In Everett wetlands, hunters and birdwatchers navigate a shared space
Restricted recreation areas can sometimes cause conflict. “We’re all birders,” said Tom Elliott, a Washington Waterfowl Association member. Ta'Leah Van Sistine reports. (Everett Herald)

Skagit gasoline pipeline spill cleanup still underway
By the numbers: 20-inch-diameter pipe; 3/8-inch pressure valve tube; 21,168 gallons gasoline spilled; 1,664 cubic yards of contaminated soil removed at spill site near Conway. Dick Clever reports. (Salish Current)

Olympia oysters thriving in Fidalgo Bay
In 2002, the Fidalgo Bay Olympia oyster population was about 50,000. In 2018, a baywide study found the recovering population had surged to 2.9 million. This summer, the first such survey in five years, found that the population had nearly doubled since 2018, reaching 5.5 million oysters. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley herald)

Tribe, partners preserving kelp for restoration needs
Researchers say they’ve seen an 80 percent decline. Tiffany Royal Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission writes. (Peninsula Daily News)

Audio Reveals RCMP Officers Laughed about Beating a Land Defender
C-IRG’s silver commander apologized for the comments while testifying during a BC Supreme Court hearing. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

The oceans are talking to us, and it's not a pleasant conversation
Oceans absorb 90% of Earth's excess heat. That will have long-term consequences
Nicole Mortillaro reports. (CBC)

Nick on the Rocks: The North Cascades' gneiss-est bedrock
The range’s oldest bedrock sits high in the mountains near Canada. But the yellow aster gneiss originated an ocean away 400 million years ago. (Crosscut)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/19/24: Dolly Parton, Boldt decision, BP land purchase, GasLink flooding, WA climate act, US agency regulations, TC Energy carveouts, Klamath dam removal, Crofton mill fined, RCMP bad actors.

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 242 AM PST Fri Jan 19 2024
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 6 to 9 ft with a dominant period of 11 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.
SAT SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 5 ft at 11 seconds.
SUN SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 5 ft at 12 seconds.

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  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

--
Mike Sato, Managing Editor
Salish Current (206) 229-2844
Real journalism. Local. Powerful.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

1/18 Ladybug, PSE Tacoma LNG, Crofton Mill fined, fake trees, RCMP trial

Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle [Bird Watching HQ]

Twenty-Spotted Lady Beetle Psyllobora vigintimaculata
This species is one of the smallest ladybugs in Washington. You can find the Twenty-spotted Ladybug on plants that are covered in mildew. They like to eat the mildew off the plants. Interestingly, they enjoy eating fungus rather than aphids, unlike most other ladybug species. Many times in spring, they will be on skunk cabbage plants or in shrubbery vegetation. Over winter, this ladybug gets together with others and forms small groups (aggregations) to hibernate under leaf litter.(Bird Watching HQ)

PSE withdraws plans for Tacoma shoreline permit revision
The City of Tacoma has announced that Puget Sound Energy had requested to withdraw its shoreline permit revision and cancel the associated building permit “for modifications to the TOTE fueling dock.” It added that the city “has no pending development permits for the PSE LNG site at this time. Work that was authorized under the original shoreline permit must be completed by May 2024.” Debbie Cockrell reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Island mill fined $25K for dumping highly toxic waste into ocean
Paper Excellence's Crofton mill has been slapped with a $25,500 penalty for releasing more than one million litres of toxic waste into the Salish Sea. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Can fake trees save real bats? Biologists get creative as B.C.’s old-growth forests vanish
The endangered northern myotis bat needs all the help it can get, as its habitat shrinks and a deadly fungal disease looms. In the province’s heavily logged inland temperate rainforest, artificial old-growth trees could provide shelter — for now. Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

RCMP officers mocked people being arrested at Wet'suwet'en blockade as 'orcs' and 'ogre'
RCMP officers referred to First Nations pipeline opponents as "orcs" and "ogre" during a police raid at a blockade of Coastal GasLink pipeline construction in November 2021, according to audio recordings played in court Wednesday. Jackie McKay reports.(CBC)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 219 AM PST Thu Jan 18 2024
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY E wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 5 to 7 ft with a dominant period of 11 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT E wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 25 to 35 kt after midnight. Combined seas 4 to 7 ft with a dominant period of 10 seconds. Rain.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

1/17 Ladybug, snow, WA cap-and-trade, 'administrative state' suit, cold hummers, RCMP tactics, TC Energy carveouts, Klamath Dam removal, new BC ferries

Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetle [Bird Watching HQ]

Thirteen-Spot Lady Beetle Hippodamia tredecimpunctata
This ladybug is found primarily in wet meadows and marshes, lakeshores, and flood plains in Washington. The Thirteen-spot Lady Beetle is typically found on grass or small shrubs. This ladybug prefers to eat aphids off dry, rough vegetation. However, they also feed on reeds, rotten hay, and under peeled-off bark. Since they are a northern species, they are only active from May through September. (Bird Watching HQ)

Many schools closed, commuters warned to prepare as snow blankets southwest B.C. (CBC) Snow blankets lowland Whatcom County. Freezing rain is possible (Bellingham Herald)

Voters to decide on repeal of Washington cap-and-trade program
The fate of Washington’s primary program to combat climate change will be in the hands of voters to uphold or reject this November. Initiative 2117, certified for the ballot on Tuesday, would erase the two-year-old Climate Commitment Act. The law imposes annual limits on greenhouse gas emissions for major emitters, such as oil refiners and utilities, and requires them to buy allowances at state auctions for each metric ton of their pollution. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

This humble fish may help the Supreme Court weaken the ‘administrative state’
In a pair of cases involving herring fishermen, conservative justices could toss out the precedent known as Chevron, which gives power to federal government agencies. Ann E. Marimow reports. (Washington Post)

Extreme cold leading to 'dramatic increase' in injured hummingbirds, says rescue organisation
Bitterly cold temperatures in southern British Columbia have prompted a "dramatic increase" in the number of hummingbird admissions to the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. The association says 33 hummingbirds were admitted last weekend alone with injuries caused by the cold. (Canadian Press)

Dogs, Snipers and Axes: Inside the RCMP’s Actions in Wet’suwet’en Territory
RCMP officers considered shooting a security camera and sending a police dog to pull people out of a small structure as they moved to make arrests on Wet’suwet’en territory in November 2021, according to testimony in a B.C. Supreme Court hearing. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

This Canadian pipeline giant wants an exemption from climate rules
Internal government memos show TC Energy lobbied for carveouts exempting methane and LNG plants from one of Canada’s key climate policies targeting the oil and gas industry. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal)

No turning back: The largest dam removal in U.S. history begins
(Jan. 13) The largest dam removal in U.S. history entered a critical phase this week, with the lowering of dammed reservoirs on the Klamath River. On Thursday, the gate on a 16-foot-wide bypass tunnel at the base of Iron Gate dam, the lowest of those slated to be removed, was opened from a crack to 36 inches. Erik Neumann and Juliet Grable report. (Jefferson Public Radio, NPR)

Four more Island-class ferries to be built in Romania
B.C. Ferries has signed a deal with a Netherlands-based company to supply four new hybrid electric Island-class ferries by 2027. The ferries, the first in the fleet to rely fully on battery power, will be built in Romania by Damen Shipyards Group, which built the first six Island-class ferries, also at its Romanian yard. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 227 AM PST Wed Jan 17 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 to 2 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 3 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the morning then a slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. SW swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

1/16 Ladybug, Boldt at 50, BP land purchase, GasLink conviction, GasLink flooding, fishing reg power, BC invasives, fish songs, iron fertilization, evolution

Seven-Spotted Ladybug [Bird Watching HQ]

Seven-Spotted Ladybug Coccinella septempunctata
You will find this ladybug in many different habitats, including meadows, fields, gardens, and forests. Almost everyone loves the Seven-spotted Ladybug because of the massive amounts of aphids they eat. This makes them very useful in controlling the pest population of aphids in grasslands and farms. Surprisingly, this ladybug species is not native to Washington. They were introduced here from Europe as a biological control against aphids. Interestingly, while they are thriving in North America, Seven-spotted Ladybugs are declining in their native ranges in Europe. (Bird Watching HQ)

How the Boldt decision 50 years ago remade Pacific Northwest fishing
The Boldt decision of 1974 was the result of sacrifices made by Native fishers and their families who were jailed and beaten while defending their rights to fish. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

BP bought a sacred place. Now Lummi Nation is preparing again to fend off development
Tribal leaders opposed the $50 million sale, which came as a surprise to them. They want the assurance that Xwe’chi’eXen (pronounced wuh-chee-uh-kin), which for thousands of years has supported fishing, ceremony and social gatherings, would be protected in perpetuity. BP’s purchase wouldn’t be the first time Lummi Nation has seen a massive corporation keen on this land adjacent to a coveted deep-water cove. In 2016, Lummi Nation, with support from other Northwest tribes and nonprofits, prevailed in a yearslong battle to protect Xwe’chi’eXen from what would have been North America’s largest coal terminal by asserting their treaty-protected right to fish. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

BC Court Convicts Three Indigenous Land Defenders
Three Indigenous land defenders charged more than two years ago with defying a court order have been found guilty of criminal contempt in B.C. Supreme Court. Justice Michael Tammen, who delivered his decision this morning, will now consider an application by all three to stay the charges based on alleged misconduct by RCMP officers during the arrests, which occurred along the Coastal GasLink pipeline route in Wet’suwet’en territory on Nov. 19, 2021. Amanda Follett Hosgood (The Tyee)

‘No excuse’: feds withheld key information when a Coastal GasLink site flooded
Documents reveal Fisheries and Oceans Canada was aware of numerous issues at a pipeline construction site on Wet’suwet’en territory but did not disclose information to concerned organizations or the media. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

A Fight Over a Fishing Regulation Could Help Tear Down the Administrative State
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday over whether to overturn a key precedent on the power of executive agencies. Adam Liptak reports. (NY Times)

B.C. waterways under threat from invasive mussels and parasites
The B.C. Wildlife Federation is concerned about a lack of funding to prevent invasive zebra mussels and to monitor for whirling disease that can decimate fish. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Fish songs: Scientists race to capture ocean soundscapes before they're drowned out
The sounds fish make are poorly understood, but advances in passive acoustic listening could pave the way for understanding and managing underwater ecosystems like never before. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Iron Fertilization Isn’t Going to Save Us
The controversial geoengineering technique can defer, at best, a few years’ worth of emissions. And that’s ignoring the potential side effects. Jack McGovan reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Can Animals Evolve Fast Enough to Keep Up with Climate Change?
The world is always changing, leaving plants and animals everywhere to adapt to new habitats and living conditions. Evolution offers a pathway for life to adapt to these changes, but it takes time. So as human-caused climate change increases the rate at which the environment is changing, the big question is, can evolution keep up? Brian Owens reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 302 AM PST Tue Jan 16 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY E wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 5 ft at 14 seconds.
TONIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 3 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of rain in the evening then rain after midnight.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Friday, January 12, 2024

1/12 Mouflon, cold cold weather, tire chemical, gasoline spill cleanup, BC fast ferries, Bill Frank Jr. statue, week in review

Mouflon (Waggoner Guide)

Mouflon
The Mouflon is thought to be one of two original ancestors of modern-day sheep. They originated on the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Cyprus. Mouflon herds were introduced on the European mainland and continue to thrive. In 1969 the Spieden Development Corporation purchased the Spieden Island in the San Juans to create “Safari Island,” a game farm, resort and shooting preserve. The venture was short-lived, however, due to environmental concerns and the risk of errant bullets threatening nearby populated areas. While the north side of this two-mile long island is forested, the south side has beautiful open fields, where Mouflon Sheep graze on short grasses, heather, and shrubs. (Waggoner Guide)

Temperatures plummet across B.C., with province in the grip of Arctic air
Parts of province hit –45 C; Vancouver sinks to –12 C, feeling like –23 C with wind chill. (CBC) Western Washington wakes to extreme cold and ice throughout the region Temps range from 6° in Bellingham to 28° at Hoquiam. Wind gusts are in the 20 to 50 mph range areawide, but are the strongest in Whatcom County. (KIRO)

Scientists worldwide are immersed in studies of a deadly tire chemical
A tire-related chemical found to kill coho salmon and other fish has come under intense worldwide investigation ever since Puget Sound researchers isolated the singular compound three years ago from among thousands of pollutants residing in stormwater. The chemical, 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), was virtually unknown until its isolation in 2020. Now, it is recognized as one of the most toxic chemicals ever seen in the aquatic environment. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine)

Cleanup of gasoline spill site to be suspended because of weather
Cleanup of the gasoline spilled from the Olympic Pipeline near Conway will be suspended for four days as cold temperatures hit the area. The decision was made in the interest of the safety of personnel. (Skagit Valley Herald)

B.C.'s infamous fast ferries are on Facebook Marketplace, and if they aren't bought they'll be destroyed
They might be the most infamous ships in the history of British Columbia: three B.C. Ferries that were hundreds of millions of dollars over budget, couldn't run as fast or efficiently as promised, and were partly responsible for sinking the NDP government of the 1990s. And now, they're back. On Facebook Marketplace. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

Olympia gets preview of Billy Frank Jr. sculpture slated for Washington, D.C.
The Capitol in Olympia got a sneak preview this week of a small-scale sculpture of Indigenous rights activist Billy Frank Jr. when a a 4-foot-tall maquette — a model that is used as a reference to create a final sculpture- was unveiled. Mike Davis reports. (KUOW)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 1/12/24: Led Zeppelin Friday, winter drought, pipeline trial, Pebble Mine, hottest year, drinking plastic, tire chemical.

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 247 AM PST Fri Jan 12 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY E wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 7 ft at 10 seconds subsiding to 5 ft at 11 seconds in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 20 to 30 kt becoming 25 to 30 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 3 ft at 12 seconds.
SAT E wind 25 to 30 kt becoming 20 to 30 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 4 ft at 15 seconds.
SAT NIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 15 seconds.
SUN E wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 14 seconds.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Thursday, January 11, 2024

1/11 White-tailed deer, Arctic blast, Budd Inlet, drinking plastic, GasLink harm, pipeline trial, WSF big waves, hummer pix

Columbian white-tailed deer [Dave Wechner]

Columbian white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus leucurus
The Columbian white-tailed deer is listed as federally threatened along the lower Columbia River (Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties in Washington, and Clatsop and Columbia counties in Oregon). As of March 2020, an estimate of 1,200 Columbian white-tailed deer inhabit this area along the lower Columbia River. The diet of this deer consists of grasses, forbs, and browse. (WDFW)

Coastal B.C. set for Arctic blast, with outflow winds forecast to make temperatures feel as low as –30 C
Arctic outflow warnings in place across most of B.C.'s coast, as extreme cold grips swath of Western Canada. (CBC)

Cleanup process in Olympia’s Budd Inlet starts with sediment samples
A research vessel began taking the first of about 8,000 sediment samples from Budd Inlet, near Olympia, Wash., this week. It’s a significant first step in cleaning up the waters around the state capitol. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

When you drink bottled water, you're drinking lots and lots of plastic particles
New study finds most of the plastic comes from bottle itself, filtration. (Associated Press)

BC Warns Coastal GasLink about Streambank Harm
Construction is done but environmental compliance issues still plague the project. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

RCMP video footage of raids on Wet'suwet'en pipeline blockade shown in court
Police video shows three accused land defenders arrested. Jackie McKay reports. (CBC)

WA ferry struggles in gale force winds on way to Anacortes
As it made its way from Bainbridge Island to Anacortes on Tuesday, the ferry Issaquah found itself caught in gale force winds and enormous waves that washed onto the car deck and damaged at least one employee’s car. David Kroman reports. (Seattle Times)

UW researcher slows down hummingbirds to study them. What he found is amazing
Professor Alejandro Rico-Guevara uses high frame-rate cameras to record hummingbird action from 200 to 1,000 frames per second revealing new insight into the bird’s life. Libby Denkmann and Hans Anderson report. (KUOW)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 347 AM PST Thu Jan 11 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY NW wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. SW swell 11 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the morning. A slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NE wind 15 to 20 kt becoming E 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 3 ft building to 3 to 5 ft after midnight. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds subsiding to 9 ft at 10 seconds after midnight. A chance of snow in the evening. A slight chance of snow after midnight.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

1/10 Caribou, Delta oil, ferry oil, Puget Sound pilots, WA presidential candidates

Caribou [NPS/Matt Twombly]

Caribou Rangifer tarandus
Caribou and reindeer are the same species and share the same scientific name. Caribou are what the species is called in North America and reindeer are what they are called in Eurasia. All caribou are wild animals, whereas reindeer can be wild, semi-domesticated, or domesticated. (National Park Service)

Delta residents fear train derailment contaminated farms, waterways
A November crash of a BNSF train in Delta, B.C., spilled an estimated 8,000 litres of oil into a railway ditch following the crash, and BNSF has retained an environmental contractor and begun surface, soil, and water inspections and remediation but local residents are concerned the oil is spreading in the area. (CBC)

Truck fuel leak disrupts WA ferries in Anacortes
A small amount of petroleum spilled on the Washington State Ferries dock in Anacortes, canceling one sailing Tuesday morning. The leak occurred when the underside of a truck scraped the vehicle ramp at 10 a.m., as it was leaving the vessel Samish. A WSF rider alert glossed over the details, calling it “a safety issue at the Anacortes terminal due to an oversized vehicle issue.” Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

On Puget Sound, pilot boat captains ensure trade goes smoothly
Licensed Puget Sound pilots are required on all foreign-flag commercial vessels sailing those waters: freighters, tankers, cruise ships, container ships. Once a ship enters the Strait, that “tiny red dot” brings to the vessel a pilot to navigate the ship to port. Pilots have extensive knowledge of the depths and currents along the Sound’s 2,000-plus miles of shoreline; they’re familiar with weather patterns and tidal action at the various harbors, piers and docks. Mike Nolan writes. (Seattle Times)

Here are the candidates on Washington’s presidential primary ballot
President Joe Biden won’t be the only Democratic candidate for voters to consider in Washington’s March 12 presidential primary. Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson will be on the ballot too. Those are the three names the Washington State Democratic Party submitted to the Secretary of State on Tuesday. There will be five Republican candidates on the ballot: former president Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and investor Vivek Ramaswamy. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Have you read the Salish Current?  Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 315 AM PST Wed Jan 10 2024
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY NW wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 1 ft in the afternoon. W swell 17 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the morning.
TONIGHT NW wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 3 to 5 ft after midnight. W swell 11 ft at 12 seconds. A slight chance of showers after midnight.

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Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

  Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told 