8/9 Bull thistle, Chinook, Chilcotin Plan B, glass-sponge reefs, Edmonds water, Padilla Bay, Point Roberts, week in review

Bull Thistle

 
Bull Thistle Cirsium vulgare
Bull thistle colonizes primarily in disturbed areas such as pastures, roadsides, and ditch banks as well as in hayfields, disturbed prairies and logged mountain areas. Bull thistle may outcompete native plants and desirable wildlife and livestock forage plants. It can invade most any disturbed habitat and grow in dense thickets. Hay price may decline with the presence of bull thistle. Bull thistle reproduces by seed and not by vegetative means. (WA Noxious Weed Control Board)

Today's top story in Salish Current: Going face-to-face at voter events in South Fork Valley

A new beginning for endangered Chinook
The Stillaguamish River is home to what may be the most endangered stock of Chinook salmon in all of Puget Sound. What scientists are learning here at the Stillaguamish estuary on Port Susan Bay could help turn the tide for these fish and other salmon around the region. Eric Wagner writes. (Salish Currents Magazine)

B.C. government considers 'Plan B' if salmon need help through Chilcotin slide zone
Plans to help migrating salmon make it up British Columbia's Chilcotin River to spawning grounds are in the works after a massive landslide breach created barrier challenges, but officials will wait to see if the water carves a new route for the  fish, says Nathan Cullen, the provincial water, land and resource stewardship minister. (Canadian Press)

B.C. fisherman fined $33K for harvesting in 'globally unique' glass-sponge reefs
he owner of a commercial halibut vessel in British Columbia has received more than $33,000 in fines for fishing in a marine protected area containing glass sponge reefs unique to the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says a provincial court judge handed down the fine in May to Brent Belveal, who pleaded guilty to offences under the Fisheries Act. (Canadian Press)

Edmonds school sparks concerns about wells
Madrona K-8 School’s stormwater system is designed to filter pollutants. But locals still worry chemicals will seep into an aquifer. (Everett Herald)

Why this WA research center is a nature lover’s paradise
At Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, you’ll find an active field laboratory working to preserve the eelgrass, the larger estuary and the planet. It’s also a birder’s paradise where thousands of annual visitors enjoy tours, miles of ADA-accessible trails, kayaking and more recreation opportunities to pair with educational ones. Corbin Reiff reports. (Seattle Times)

In Point Roberts, tourists' slow return prompts questions about the peninsula’s future
For decades, Point Roberts was a booming fishing town with busy coastal canneries. When the fish were gone and the canneries closed down, it became a tourist destination for Canadians. The peninsula boasts beaches along three sides, along with cheaper gas and grocery goods that are unavailable on the Canadian side. Americans here rely on border travel for Canadian goods and services, too. That back-and-forth system was upended in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut the border between the two nations. Alec Cowan and Diana Opong report. (KUOW)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 8/9/24: Nagasaki, SRKW, AK Chinook, Vancouver trees, tech farming, Chilcotin R slide, Willapa restoration, data center tax breaks, Burrard Inlet, Chilcotin Plan B.

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Here's your weekend tug weather—
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PDT Fri Aug 9 2024    
TODAY  W wind around 5 kt, veering to NW 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to  4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 7 seconds. Patchy fog this morning.  
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 15 kt, easing to 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas around 3 ft. Wave Detail: NW 3 ft at 5 seconds.  
SAT  W wind around 5 kt, veering to NW in the afternoon. Seas  3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 3 ft at 8 seconds.  
SAT NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 8 seconds.  
SUN  SW wind around 5 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft  at 8 seconds.

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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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