10/5 Larch, Canada pipe spill risk, LNG Chinese steel, Kelvin wave, salmon return, Haida Gwaii swordfish, bald eagles killed, ocean monitoring, democracy watch.

Western Larch [Wikipedia]

Western Larch Larix occidentalis
Unlike most conifers, Larches are deciduous; the needles turn a golden color in the fall before they are shed. From the Cascades in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, its range extends eastward to the Rocky Mountains of B.C., northern Idaho and western Montana. Western Larch is a valuable lumber tree. It has the densest wood of the northwest conifers it is often used to make boxes and crates.  Another important economic product is Larch gum; it is similar to gum arabic and is used as an emulsifier or stabilizer in foods and medicine. (Native Plants PNW)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  The secrets of Salish Sea’s sixgill sharks

WA governor ‘disappointed’ Canada is fast-tracking new oil pipeline to B.C.
Ferguson says resources are insufficient to deal with supertanker spill. A WA congressman warns the project is ‘not ready for prime time.’ Jerry Cornfield and Tom Banse report. (Washington State Standard) 

Carney Fast-Tracks Oil Pipeline, Promises Environmental Protection
Announcing funding to prepare BC for oil spills is ‘a warning sign all on its own,’ UBCIC women’s rep says. Sarah Cox reports. (The Tyee) 

LNG Canada to use Chinese steel on $33B expansion project in Kitimat, B.C.
LNG Canada will once again use Chinese steel for the "specialized fabrication capability" it says it requires for its $33-billion Phase 2 expansion project in Kitimat, B.C.  LNG Canada will buy more components from the state-owned China Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. (COOEC), which also manufactured its first two liquified natural gas processing units, known as trains, now in operation. Janyce McGregor reports. (CBC) 

What to know about the Kelvin wave raising the sea level along the West Coast
Sea levels along the West Coast will begin to rise by up to a foot this month as a series of pulses of warm water called Kelvin waves hit the shoreline and move north, sparking concerns about beach erosion and flooding in areas already impacted by climate change and El Niño. (Associated Press) 

Pacific salmon are returning home to spawn. Here’s where to see them 
In October and November, pink, coho and fall chinook salmon come home to spawn. According to the USGS, they use the earth’s magnetic field like a compass, intuitively knowing their ancestral waters are the best place to spawn. Once salmon have located their home rivers, they use their sense of smell to find their way back to their home streams. Gavin Feek reports (Tacoma News Tribune) 

A swordfish was found on Haida Gwaii. Will more follow?
The discovery of a decaying swordfish off British Columbia's North Coast could be a sign of things to come as ocean temperatures rise, a researcher specializing in global fisheries says. The fish was found by filmmaker and outdoorsman "Captain" Quinn Barabash while out with his oldest son and some friends on Sept. 27. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC) 

WA man pleads guilty to shooting 2 bald eagles 
A man pleaded guilty Thursday to criminal charges after being found with a dead bald eagle in his vehicle. Joel David Ridley, 39 years old and a member of Lummi Nation, was arrested in February after law enforcement responded to reports of shots fired and encountered the man with the eagle in his vehicle. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times) 

After Outcry, Monitors the Trump Administration Tried to Scrap Return to Sea
Under pressure from Congress, a network of ocean monitors that provides vital data to meteorologists, climate scientists, oceanographers and the fishing industry is being restored. Eric Niiler reports. (NY Times) 

Democracy Watch

• New monument to Japanese Canadians reminder of dark period in B.C.’s past (Times Colonist) 
• Pete Hegseth to launch new Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs (AP) 
• Trump directed use of taxpayer money for ads praising his presidency (NY Times) 

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Here's your tug weather— 

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  207 PM PDT Sun Oct 4 2026    
MON  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W 4 ft at  11 seconds.  
MON NIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: W  4 ft at 11 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato.  To subscribe? Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.org. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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