7/30 Thimbleberry, rare rain, SCL on the Skagit, Puget Sound sharks, Zim Kingston, wildfire smoke, island cougar, The Stranger

 

Thimbleberry [Native Plants PNW]

Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberries have a hollow core, like raspberries, making the berries easy to fit on the tip of a finger like a thimble.  Thimbleberry is native from southeast Alaska to northern Mexico; eastward throughout the Rocky Mountain states and provinces to New Mexico; through South Dakota to the Great Lakes region. (Native Plants PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Recognizing folk in the Salish Sea: Lopez Uncovered Music Festival / Contemplation on courage

Rare rain hits Washington ahead of 'intense and widespread heat' across the west
Washingtonians woke up to something quite rare Monday morning — rain. Sure, rainfall isn't exactly uncommon in the Northwest; however, rain on July 29 is very notable. According to the National Weather Service, measurable rainfall has occurred less frequently on July 29 than on any other day of the year (since records began in 1945) — only 5% of the time. The grand total rainfall for this day in Seattle has been .31 inches over the past 79 years. (KUOW)

A River of Deception
Historical documents reveal how Seattle City Light's dams deprived the Skagit River of fish, impacting the Upper Skagit Tribe's treaty rights for over a century. Rico Moore reports. (The Margin)

Two shark species documented in Puget Sound for first time by Oregon State researchers
Oregon State University researchers have made the first scientific confirmation in Puget Sound of two distinct shark species, one of them critically endangered. The presence of the broadnose sevengill shark and endangered soupfin shark in the sound, the southern portion of the Salish Sea, may indicate changes in what biologists in OSU’s Big Fish Lab describe as an economically, culturally and ecologically valuable inland waterway. Steve Lundeberg reports. (OSU Newsroom)

Safety board set to release report on Zim Kingston
The Transportation Safety Board plans to release a report this week stemming from its investigation of the Zim Kingston vessel, which lost 109 containers off Vancouver Island’s west coast and then caught in fire near ­Victoria in October 2021. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Wildfire smoke may be worse for your brain than other air pollution, study says
Wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other types of air pollution, according to new research linking it to an increased risk of dementia. At issue is fine particulate matter or PM2.5 – tiny particles about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and move to the bloodstream. This pollution – from traffic, factories and fires – can cause or worsen heart and lung diseases, and the new study adds to evidence it may play some role in dementia, too. (KNKX/Associated Press)

No need to panic? Cougar prowling Bowen Island has locals divided
Experts say people should be cautious about the island's latest visitor, and to keep pets and children inside after dark. Denise Ryan reports. (Vancouver Sun)

The Stranger newspaper sold to former state legislator Brady Walkinshaw
The Stranger, Seattle’s longtime alternative media outlet and self-proclaimed “only newspaper” has new ownership. Brady Walkinshaw, a former state lawmaker who represented central Seattle’s 43rd legislative district from 2013 to 2017, bought The Stranger and several other Index Media publications. Ashley Hiruko reports. (KUOW)

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Here's your tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  318 AM PDT Tue Jul 30 2024    
TODAY  SE wind around 5 kt, veering to S late. Seas around  3 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain. Patchy  fog.  
TONIGHT  W wind around 5 kt. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: W  3 ft at 8 seconds. Patchy fog.

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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 msato at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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