10/10 Navy jets, Vic CRD, BC fish farm, Governors Pt., Grace Islet

Sun dog (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Navy raises number of jets proposed at Whidbey Island base, raising more East Jefferson noise issues
The controversy over the noisy jets at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island likely will soon grow in volume. U.S. Fleet Forces Command spokesman Ted Brown said this week that the Navy is looking at “the potential addition of up to 36 EA-18G Growler aircraft” at the station. An earlier proposal called for an additional 14 jets.  Mark St.J. Couhig reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Capital Regional District to consider First Nations representation
The Capital Regional District will consider giving First Nations a voice in CRD decision-making, despite concerns raised by Metchosin Mayor John Ranns that it could amount to “representation without taxation.” Directors agreed to a motion recommending the incoming board consider establishing a committee with First Nations representation. They also directed staff to report on options for more First Nations involvement. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Federal report on B.C. salmon farming delights industry
The B.C. aquaculture industry says new federal figures on the health of B.C.’s farmed salmon sends a positive signal about the industry’s performance. The information comes two years after Justice Bruce Cohen, in a $37-million report on the state of the Fraser River sockeye fishery, called on Ottawa to be more open with its scientific data. While one critic called the latest disclosure inadequate and misleading, the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association said it provides evidence that contradicts criticism from environmentalists about fish farming. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

125 acres of 'hallowed ground' on Puget Sound for sale, could fetch $19M
For the first time in more than half a century, a large Whatcom County property that juts out into Puget Sound is on the market. Brokers in the Seattle office of real estate company Cushman & Wakefield Commerce said they've been hired by the Sahlin family to find a buyer for the timbered Governors Island, which is actually a peninsula. Twenty-five houses could be built on the 125-acre property just south of Bellingham. Based on a price of $2,000 per lineal foot of shoreline, Governors Island could fetch $19 million, said Cushman broker Gary Danklefsen. Marc Stiles reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Owner of controversial Grace Islet in Ganges harbour drops trespassing lawsuit
The owner of a controversial island in Ganges harbour, where a luxury home is being built over a First Nations burial site, has dropped a trespassing lawsuit against protesters. Barry Slawsky, an Edmonton-based businessman, said in a statement through his Victoria lawyer that he was dropping his request for a no-trespassing injunction on Grace Islet, off Saltspring Island, because it no longer appears necessary. Sarah Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 10 2014
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 19 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/9 Bainbridge shores, Vic sewer, nearshore restoration, stormwater, BC LNG

(PHOTO: Lori Tingey/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Bird Is the Word 

Bainbridge hit with second legal challenge to SMP
A group of shoreline property owners announced they had filed a challenge to the city of Bainbridge Island's new Shoreline Management Master Program this week. Richard "Dick" Haugan, a founder of Preserve Responsible Shoreline Management and coordinator of the appeal, said the petition claims that the city's new plan violates the state's Shoreline Management Act and the updated SMP will hurt property owners with homes on the island's coast. The petition is the second legal challenge filed against the city's SMP this week with the state's Growth Management Hearings Board, a group set up by the Legislature to handle disputes that arise from the Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act. Brian Kelly reports. (Bainbridge Review)

CRD takes new tack on sewage treatment
A proposal to develop sub-regional plans for sewage treatment has been endorsed by Capital Regional District directors. CRD directors approved creation of a subcommittee with representatives from Colwood, Saanich, View Royal, Esquimalt and the Songhees First Nation. With CRD assistance, the subcommittee’s job will be to evaluate options and develop a sewage-treatment plan and resource-recovery plan in their region. The goal is to produce a conceptual plan for treatment and resource recovery by March 2015 that optimizes existing infrastructure, is environmentally sound and minimizes costs. The first step will be to consult residents. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Comment sought on $1.1 billion Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project
Deer Harbor Estuary on Orcas Island is one of the 11 sites in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Tentatively Selected Restoration Plan. The total $1.1 billion project will restore about 5,300 acres. The Corps and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials are seeking public comments on the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP) Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement. The 45-day public comment period runs Oct.10 to Nov. 24, 2014. Documents pertaining to the project are available for viewing online at bit.ly/PSNearshore. (San Juan Islander)

Storm water cleaning system clearing Puget Sound of toxins
…. A cleaning system, now installed in Burien, is designed to take in runoff from parking lots or streets where water mixes with oil and other chemicals before flowing down storm drains. Burien, the state and the port authority are all working together on a special project at a city park not far from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway. Michael Konopasek reports. (KING)

B.C. LNG Alliance says LNG boom for B.C. 'not a foregone conclusion'
The head of an industry group representing six of the liquefied natural gas projects proposed in British Columbia says the industry is not a foregone conclusion, and the window of opportunity is closing. David Keane of the B.C. LNG Alliance says the provincial and federal governments will have to make some "difficult choices" if they want the tens of billions of dollars of investment. Keane told members of the Vancouver Board of Trade that the fiscal and environmental framework expected from both levels of government in the coming weeks will be the deciding factor. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 858 PM PDT WED OCT 8 2014
THU
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
THU NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 18 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/8 Elwha, big port, Bainbridge shore, Chinook smells, fish passages, artificial reef, microscopy

Mouth of the Elwha (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: The Peninsula keeps on growing: Stunning photo of new spits, sandbars at mouth of Elwha River
Silt released during the removal of the Glines Canyon and Elwha dams on the Elwha River continues to show up as new beaches and spits at the river's mouth as the river empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. (Peninsula Daily News)

Seattle, Tacoma link up to create North America’s third largest port
The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, after lengthy secret talks, plan to combine management of their marine cargo terminals and form a single Seaport Alliance, so Puget Sound waters can better attract marine cargoes that have a choice of destinations. The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments plus marketing, planning and operations, while existing government structures, taxing authority and ownership of assets remain in place.  For instance, the Port of Seattle will still own and run the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.com)

Environmentalist groups challenge Bainbridge's new Shoreline Management Program
A coalition of environmental organizations is challenging the city of Bainbridge Island's new Shoreline Management Program, and claims the updated rules open up the entire shoreline of Bainbridge to aquaculture. The groups — Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound, Association of Bainbridge Communities and Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat — announced Tuesday they would file a petition for review of the updated plan. "We have no alternative but to act to protect the shoreline environment, meet the [Shoreline Management Act] mandate of 'no net loss' and ensure the public’s right to the use of our public waters,” said Maradel Gale, a beach naturalist and member of the Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound. Brian Kelly reports. (Bainbridge Review)

Back In Lake Washington, Chinook Stop Feeding, Rely On Smells To Find Way Home
One of the most intriguing questions about Lake Washington chinook is the mystery of how they survived after we replumbed the region with the construction of the Ship Canal, which was completed in 1916. It dropped the level of the lake by nearly 10 feet and cut it off from what used to be its southern outlet, the Green River. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Army corps ordered to improve fish passages
Federal fisheries biologists told the Army Corps of Engineers it must improve dam operations on the White River to protect endangered salmon, a report released Tuesday shows. NOAA Fisheries found that too many migrating fish, including endangered Chinook salmon, can’t make it safely down the White River or to spawning habitat upriver above Mud Mountain Dam near Enumclaw, Washington. The agency is requiring the corps by 2020 to build new fish passage facilities near Buckley to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act. It said the current structures are outdated, unsafe and routinely injure and kill endangered salmon, steelhead and other fish. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Group against sinking ship to create artificial reef off Sunshine Coast files petition in court
A group opposed to artificial reefs has filed a petition in court in a bid to stop a group from sinking a 115-metre warship off Gambier Island on the Sunshine Coast. The petition, filed in B.C. Supreme Court Aug. 3, by the Save Halkett Bay Marine Park Society asks the court to stop the provincial government from issuing a permit that would allow the former Canadian warship HMCS Annapolis to be sunk off the more than seven-hectare park, located about 10 kilometres north of Horseshoe Bay. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

High-powered Microscopy in the Palm of Your Hand
That smartphone in your hand acts as many things—a telephone, a computer, a calculator, a social media enabler and now, thanks to 3-D printing, it can also be a high-powered, high-quality microscope. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have used a 3-D printer to develop a sleek, inexpensive way to turn a cell phone’s camera into a microscope, for just pennies on the dollar…. The cell phone microscopes have also found a home at another PNNL facility, the Sequim Marine Research Operations (MRO). … [W]hen volunteers go out to collect samples, they can take photos of the phytoplankton blooms along their route. These images can be instantly sent back to the Sequim MRO lab, and the volunteers can carry on with quantifying and identifying changes in the marine area. Citizen science at its best. Michelle Taylor reports. (Laboratory Equipment)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 824 PM PDT TUE OCT 7 2014
WED
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE
 MORNING.
WED NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/7 Crude reporting, rail investment, Seahurst Beach, Hood Canal toxins

(PHOTO: Gene Blevins/Reuters)

Lunar eclipse tonight may highlight Draconid meteor shower
The full moon will darken and grow reddish tonight during a total lunar eclipse that may help a fall meteor shower shine. The edge of the Earth's shadow will begin to pass over October's full moon, traditionally called the Hunter's Moon, at 1:15 a.m. PT or 4:15 a.m. ET. It will cover the moon for a total lunar eclipse starting 3:15 a.m. PT or 6:15 a.m. ET and lasting 59 minutes. (CBC)

Rail industry pushes feds to drop crude-oil reporting rule
Two railroad industry trade groups have quietly asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to drop its requirement that rail carriers transporting large volumes of Bakken crude oil notify state emergency officials. The railroads have maintained that they already provide communities with adequate information about hazardous-materials shipments and that public release of the data could harm the industry from a security and business standpoint. But they haven’t been successful in convincing numerous states or the federal government. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

BNSF to invest $235M in Washington railroad system as debate over coal trains smolders
BNSF Railroad will invest $235 million in its system in Washington state this year, nearly double the amount invested in 2013. This suggests that the company is continuing to upgrade a system that supported $28.5 billion in state economic activity, according to a study released Monday. The investments are being made, and the report released, during a period of strong debate about the potential impact of coal export trains on the state's rail capacity, and its cargo-carrying capacity. Steve Wilhelm reports. (PS Business Journal)

Hundreds gather to celebrate reopening of Seahurst Beach in Burien
Hundreds of people gathered at Seahurst Beach this weekend for a public celebration of the park’s reopening after a major restoration project that spanned two years. Friday evening's Seahurst Beach Reopening Celebration was put on by the City of Burien’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department and sponsored by the Environmental Science Center, which is located at the north end of the park, and Burien Press, a specialty coffee shop in downtown Burien. Matt Wendland reports. (Highline Times)

Hood Canal beaches closed from Dabob to Mason County because of high levels of toxin
A portion of Hood Canal shoreline never before closed to recreational shellfish harvesting due to the potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin is now off limits. The state Department of Health has closed Hood Canal beaches from Dabob Bay south to the Jefferson County-Mason County line, Michael Dawson, water quality lead for Jefferson County Environmental Health, said Monday. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 835 PM PDT MON OCT 6 2014
TUE
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TUE NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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10/6 Seabird food, coal dust, Capitol Lake, First Nation land, cove beaches, stormwater, marine mammals

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

The Shape Shifters
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Maybe my imagination was running rampant that day, but when I stepped out of my kayak onto a beautiful little pocket beach, I saw what seemed like a trio of quirky faces at the head of the bay. When I looked back a bit later, they’d morphed into a large prehistoric fish looking out to sea – and by the time I left, I saw something else entirely. But of course, that’s the shape shifting nature of the sandstone rock that dominates our shorelines here in BC’s Gulf Islands…."

Stealing Fish To Study Seabirds
Seabird populations in Puget Sound have declined since the 1970s and scientists believe pollution is partially to blame. But how do you prove that? Study what the seabirds are eating. A new paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin found that seabirds in Puget Sound are eating fish that are two to four times more contaminated than fish on Washington’s outer coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Coal dust seen as serious environmental threat: poll
The majority of Metro Vancouver residents polled in a new survey see coal dust as a serious environmental threat. The respondents are also concerned that coal dust from a recently approved loading facility at Fraser Surrey Docks will harm regional air quality, according to findings from an Insights West survey. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Dam malfunction causes Capitol Lake to suddenly drain
A computer malfunction at the Capitol Lake dam Friday night caused the lake to unexpectedly empty into Puget Sound. No damage to fisheries was reported, according to Jim Erskine, spokesman for the Department of Enterprise Services, the state landlord agency that oversees the dam and adjacent park. The north lake basin around Heritage Park retained water but water was significantly lower in a southern basin, which is fed by the Deschutes River. By late afternoon, rising tides were pouring salt water back through the dam into the lake. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Land development deal with B.C. First Nations launches new era
The precedent-setting deal the federal government and local First Nations reached on the Jericho military base and former RCMP headquarters in Vancouver will launch a new phase of land development in the region. But, experts say, unlike development on local reserve lands, cities will have direct control over this new wave of First Nations-involved development through their city zoning laws Aboriginal-law specialists, developers, commercial brokers and city planners say the ability for First Nations to come to agreements – not just with the federal government, but with each other – is unlocking potential for many other sites in the region. Frances Bulba reports. (Globe and Mail)

Port Angeles gains two cove-like beaches as waterfront improvement project continues
Construction of the city's new beaches is complete. But residents won't be able to gaze at Port Angeles Harbor from them until spring. The areas, called pocket beaches, are the first step in creating a new city park between the Valley Creek estuary to the west and the waterfront esplanade. Keith Thorpe reports. (Peninsula Daily)

New era in stormwater management is here
Ready or not, low-impact development is coming to a neighborhood near you. Some midsize local jurisdictions in Western Washington, including Thurston County, Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, have until Dec. 31, 2016, to change their development rules and regulations to require developers and builders to retain and treat on-site any stormwater their projects generate. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

B.C.’s bounty of marine mammals saved by ‘shift in attitudes’
Whale research in British Columbia has come a long way from the days when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mounted a 50-calibre machine gun at Seymour Narrows north of Campbell River with the aim of shooting Killer whales to save more salmon for anglers. That was back in 1960, but attitudes and practices towards marine mammals, especially whales, have changed greatly, said marine mammal scientist John Ford. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT SUN OCT 5 2014
MON
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE OR
 FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
MON NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/2 Orcas, humpbacks, First Nation land, Fremont toxics, OR seastars, oil trains, Duwamish, landslides

Pacific Wren (Julio Nulero/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: What the Pacific Wren Hears
What does the Pacific Wren hear in a song? It's a long story. What we hear as a blur of sound, the bird hears as a precise sequence of sounds, the visual equivalent of seeing a movie as a series of still pictures. That birds can hear the fine structure of song so acutely allows them to convey much information in a short sound. Pacific Wrens are found most often in closed-canopy conifer forests, nesting in cavities, usually within six feet of the ground. (BirdNote)

Killer whales expected to head south any day now
Chris Dunagan at Watching Our Water Ways blogs: "As chum salmon swim back to their home streams in Puget Sound this fall, three killer whale pods — the Southern Residents — can be expected to follow, making their way south along the eastern shoreline of the Kitsap Peninsula. These forays into Central and South Puget Sound could begin any day now and continue until the chum runs decline in November or December. The Southern Residents, which typically hang out in the San Juan Islands in summer, have not been spotted for several days, so they are likely somewhere in the ocean at the moment, according to Howard Garrett of Orca Network. (Kitsap Sun)

If you like to watch: Video: Splashing humpback whale in Howe Sound, near Horseshoe Bay
Former PNG photographer Stuart Davis’ video captured a stray humpback whale as it wandered around Howe Sound towards Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island, Sept. 29. Davis said he heard the fluke splashes and ran out to shoot the video from his the deck. (Vancouver Sun)

First Nations join Vancouver land deal valued at $307M
In a deal valued at just over $307 million, three parcels of land—in Point Grey, Cambie and West Vancouver—are now held in joint ownership by a coalition of B.C. First Nations and the Canada Lands Agency. The deal, announced Wednesday, makes the First Nations — the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh — 50 per cent owners of the land, with the nations given 28 per cent of the value as beneficial interest, and purchasing another 22 per cent for $68 million. (CBC)

Toxic Waste Cleanup Begins Following Fremont Fire
A large fire destroyed a manufacturing building in Seattle, sending a big plume of black smoke over the city and prompting an effort to contain toxic chemicals….The building houses two companies, Asko and Acu-Line. Asko provides metal finishing for the aerospace industry, and Acu-Line does metal etching. Both companies produce toxic waste. Both companies are considered a “large-quantity generator of hazardous waste,” state Department of Ecology spokesman Larry Altose said. That means the company falls under the category of manufacturers that produce 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste a month. Manuel Valdez reports. (Associated Press)

Starfish Nearly Vanished From Popular Destination On Oregon Coast
An epidemic of sea star wasting disease, which has spread along the West Coast during the past 15 months, wiped out most of the sea stars at Haystack Rock during the 2014 beach season, according to Haystack Rock Awareness Program Coordinator Samantha Ferber. Though she hasn’t finished analyzing the data, Ferber estimates that more than 90 percent of the total sea stars in the lower intertidal areas of Haystack Rock succumbed to the disease. Erick Bengle reports. (EarthFix)

Inslee: More needed to prevent oil train explosion
Citing deadly risks associated with increasing volatile shipments of crude oil through Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday said the state and federal governments need to take swift action to prevent and respond to oil spills. The governor likened an oil train explosion to "a bomb" going off, and said he's concerned that local emergency responders, particularly in smaller communities along rail lines, aren't adequately prepared to respond to accidents. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Green/Duwamish watershed projects receive $1.5 million in grants
Eleven projects aimed at improving water quality, protecting and restoring habitat, and supporting salmon recovery efforts in Water Resource Inventory Area 9 (WRIA 9) – which encompasses the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound watershed received grant funding from the King County Flood Control District this week…. The Flood District board of supervisors approved $1.5 million in Cooperative Watershed Management Grant funding for WRIA 9 to boost the clean water and salmon recovery efforts of local organizations. (Auburn Reporter)

Landslide Safety All Over The Map In Washington 
The Oso landslide devastated one stretch of one valley in Snohomish County. But Washington state is dotted with landslide-prone slopes. An investigation by KUOW and EarthFix has found that many local governments do much less than Snohomish County to keep people from building on dangerous ground.  It’s taken six months of work with heavy machinery to clean up the aftermath of the massive Oso slide. Washington’s Growth Management Act tries to steer development away from dangerous spots like this. But it’s local government that decides how to carry out the law. With the deaths in Oso still fresh in our minds, we wanted to find out how safe people are from landslides in the rest of the state. Apparently, nobody has tried to answer that question. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Ocean health forum is Oct. 7 at NWMC
Learn about the science of changing ocean chemistry and its effects on sea life, with examples of local efforts to combat the problem. The Northwest Straits Commission and Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) host a community forum on ocean health, 6:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water. Doors open at 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and all ages are welcome. To learn more about this event and the Jefferson County MRC, login here. (Port Townsend Leader)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT WED OCT 1 2014
THU
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
THU NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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10/1 Chinook threat, tidal power, fish consumption rules, state budget, water fights, ocean literacy, Shawn Yanity, Chesapeake

Ballard Locks (PHOTO: Eric Warner/KPLU)

Ballard Locks Poses Triple Threat To Returning Chinook
At the heart of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood is one of the most unique parks in the region. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks attracts tourists and locals alike. People line up to watch boats move up and down between Puget Sound and Lake Washington in a narrow concrete and metal channel that is, in effect, a kind of marine elevator. It was built with the Ship Canal that replumbed the region at the turn of the last century. The Locks opened in 1917. Along the south side is a fish ladder that has windows where you can see salmon as they migrate through. In the late summer and fall, especially when the tide is coming in, dozens of giant chinook salmon might be visible, along with sockeye and coho swimming upstream on their way to spawning grounds in Issaquah to the north, or the Cedar River to the south. But sometimes the ladder is eerily empty, as was the case one recent afternoon. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Tidal Power Project In Puget Sound Abandoned By Utility
A long-awaited tidal energy project in Puget Sound has come to halt. The project was set to generate electricity and connect it to the grid – the first project of its kind in the world. But it just got too expensive. The Snohomish County Public Utility District had hoped to install two underwater turbines in Admiralty Inlet near Puget Sound’s Whidbey Island. The pilot turbines would have generated enough power for about 200 homes and stayed in the water up to five years. The U.S. Department of Energy had said it would pay for half the project, but the department recently said it couldn’t keep paying after eight years of permitting and testing. Courtney Flatt reports. (EarthFix)

Draft of water rules released; tied to fish consumption
The state Department of Ecology on Tuesday released a draft rule that updates contentious water quality standards partly tied to how much fish people eat. Under the federal Clean Water Act, rivers and other water bodies must be clean enough so people can safely eat fish from those waters. The proposal dramatically raises the current fish-consumption rate to 175 grams a day, which would protect people who eat about a serving of fish a day. The draft rule, expected to be finalized next year, is tied to legislation Gov. Jay Inslee plans to propose in 2015 that would seek to reduce toxic chemicals from everyday sources. Tribes and conservation groups have criticized the governor's proposal as not protective enough. Meanwhile, businesses have worried too-strict rules will hurt economic development. The draft rules released Tuesday provide greater detail of the plan Inslee announced in July. It comes nearly two years after the state began an often-heated process of updating the clean-water standards. (Associated Press)

Inslee: Carbon regulation could fund education, flood control
Which sounds more unlikely: a bipartisan coalition raising revenue through carbon regulation or Republican lawmakers putting together a big-dollar water-projects bill in a cash-strapped budget year? Both were talked about Tuesday at the Chehalis Tribe Community Center, as Gov. Jay Inslee stopped by on his tour across the state to discuss climate change. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

Can we escape water fights in Puget Sound?
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways blogs: "It seems from my interviews that we should have enough water in the Puget Sound region to serve the needs of people while maintaining streamflows for fish and other aquatic organisms. It’s all about managing the resource... What isn’t so clear to me is what we need to do about water rights, and this is where the real hangup can come in. People, governments and developers are allowed to reserve vast amounts of water for various uses, then they simply need to “use it or lose it.” That does not encourage conservation. Water rights are considered a property right…. Christopher Dunagan blogs.

Interactive dives will promote ocean literacy
The Fish Eye Project, a non-profit group of diving enthusiasts, researchers and educators, will co-ordinate an interactive live-stream video feed for a dive exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Vancouver Island on Thursday. The Robert Bateman Centre, in the CPR Steamship Terminal at 470 Belleville St., will host the interactive public viewing from 9 a.m. to noon as part of its first Explore the Ocean Day. The dive can also be watched online. (Times Colonist)

Stillaguamish Tribe chairman named to Indian fisheries post
Shawn Yanity, chairman of the Stillaguamish Tribe, has been elected vice chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “I'm there for the commission to help carry the voice of the 20 tribes in their interests,” Yanity said. “It's a huge honor, and it's a huge responsibility.” The commission, based in Olympia, represents 20 tribes in the state, with a member from each tribe serving in the group. A chair, vice chair and treasurer are elected from among the commissioners. Kari Bray reports. (Everett Herald)

Good: sturgeon return. Bad: rockfish fall. Ugly: a killer plant comes back to the bay Darly Fears reports about Chesapeake Bay (Washington Post)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 1220 AM PDT WED OCT 1 2014
WED
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
WED NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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