Salish Sea News and Weather

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

11/1 Dead man's fingers, Capitol Lake, Indigenous 'Salmon Seas' proclamation, Skagit Farms fine, tribal food sovereignty, feeding the people, bats

Sea Sac [Seaweeds of Pacific NW]

Dead Man’s Fingers/Sea Sac Halosaccion glandiforme
Resembling clusters of inflated rubber glove fibers, the name 'dead man's fingers' is highly descriptive of this seaweed's shape. Sometimes the 'fingers' will be deflated but usually they are filled with water. This species varies in color from purple-red to yellowy-green or brownish. While it can reach 30 cm tall, it is more commonly found at half that size or less. The 'fingers' attach to rocks via small disc-shaped holdfasts. (Biodiversity of the Central Coast)

State announces its official recommendation for future of Capitol Lake
The state’s Department of Enterprise Services will recommend allowing Capitol Lake to revert to an estuary, its final Environmental Impact Statement for Capitol Lake says. It’s really the only choice, if the water is to ever meet state quality standards again, according to an Oct. 31 news release from the DES. Estuary restoration achieves project goals such as improving water quality and managing sediment better than the other alternatives, which were managing the lake as is or creating a hybrid of a lake and estuary. An estuary also will allow for more community use, with healthier waters for recreation. And it restores more than 80 acres of marsh habitat that once existed in the area. Ty Vinson reports. (Olympian)

Indigenous people of the ‘Salmon Seas’ sign proclamation at Woodland Park Zoo
Dozens of Indigenous knowledge keepers, leaders and fishers from around the Salish Sea, Southeast Alaska and the Sea of Okhotsk gathered at Woodland Park Zoo over the weekend. They shared ancestral knowledge, ceremony and strategies to protect salmon and the people who have cared for them since time immemorial. The goal was to reinvoke Indigenous knowledge in conversations about salmon recovery, Se’Si’Le co-executive director Kurt Russo said. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Settlement for unauthorized irrigation in Skagit Valley benefits salmon
Skagit Valley Farm has agreed to pay $138,500 toward salmon restoration efforts in the Skagit area as part of a settlement agreement with the Washington Department of Ecology over unauthorized irrigation. (Dept. of Ecology)

How tribes, local organizations are bolstering food sovereignty
The U.S. government weaponized Indigenous reliance on traditional foods. Now, food sovereignty movements are taking back agency and rebuilding access. Luna Reyna reports. (Crosscut)

Who will farm to feed the people?
Read Kai Uyehara's story in Salish Current about farm centers equipping and empowering a new generation of farmers as their predecessors age. Support independent, free to read, fact-based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. YOUR REGION. YOUR NEWS.

'Yogurt for bats': A new way to fight a deadly pandemic
A deadly disease spreads across the country. Millions die as scientists race to develop vaccines and medicines that can lower the death toll. Covid-19? No, this disease is called white-nose syndrome, and its victims are bats. The bat-slaying fungus has gotten a foothold, or winghold, in Washington state, but scientists are racing to outflank this fungal disease before it decimates bats in the Northwest as it has back East. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) See also: Forget Halloween — here's the scary story of a fungus coming for B.C.'s bats Georgie Smyth reports. (CBC)

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Independent, free to read, fact-based news free from advertising for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. This week: Cybersecurity threats, feeding people, policing on islands, letters, area news briefs. Catch the Current here. YOUR REGION. YOUR NEWS.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 244 AM PDT Tue Nov 1 2022
TODAY SE wind to 10 kt becoming NE 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms.
TONIGHT NW wind to 10 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers.

--
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Monday, October 31, 2022

10/31 Ghost shrimp, cedar, salmon water, leaded gas, rat poison, Lime Bay, Sue Gunn, Rodney Smith, BC dikes, beach trash, climate reality, drone reforestation, Salish Current

Bay ghost shrimp [Dave Cowles/WallaWalla U]

Burrowing ghost shrimp Neotrypaea californiensis
Fall’s chill is in the air (finally!), leaves are turning colors, and skeletons and spider webs are popping up in yards all over town. Meanwhile, under the mud of Puget Sound, there’s a strange critter that stays in its ethereal costume all year long – the burrowing ghost shrimp. (Dept. of Ecology)

Has this iconic Northwest tree reached a tipping point?
Diebacks have felled countless trees throughout the region but, according to emerging research, perhaps never so prominently among Western red cedars or in such noticeable concentrations west of the Cascades. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Heavy rain boosts water levels for salmon seeking to spawn
Rainfall, which is expected to last until Monday in some areas, will be heavier than the season’s initial atmospheric river on Thursday that knocked out power to more than 18,000 homes and caused dangerous driving conditions. But it’s good news for salmon that are starting to mass in estuaries of Island rivers, eager to spawn. Darron Closter reports. (Times Colonist)

Where leaded gas still flies in the United States
The United States banned leaded paint and leaded gasoline decades ago, but many floatplanes and other small aircraft still run on leaded fuel...Small airplanes are the largest source of lead pollution in the air of Washington state, pumping about 17 tons of the brain-damaging substance into the air each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This month, the agency said that leaded aviation fuel endangers public health, especially that of children living or attending school near airports that dispense the harmful fuel. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

B.C. permanently bans use of rat poison
The province of B.C. has decided to make a temporary ban on the use of rat poison permanent.The permanent regulatory changes announced Friday will ban the widespread sale and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which the province says risk the secondary poisoning of animals who consume poisoned rodents. (CBC)

Surf smelts spawning again in Lime Bay, after restoration project
Four surf smelt eggs have been found in Victoria Harbour’s Lime Bay, where habitat was recently restored to lure the silvery fish back. It’s not many, but it was enough for biologists to celebrate. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Former Port of Olympia Commissioner Sue Gunn is dead at 74
Sue Gunn, a committed environmentalist who set out to shake up the status quo when she served on the Port of Olympia Commission from 2013 to 2015, died this week in Seattle. Gunn was 74...Friend Cynthia Stewart described her as a brilliant woman who cared passionately about a lot of things, including the environment. Stewart said Gunn had most recently served on the board at the Center for Sustainable Forestry. She also was an avid hiker, camper and kayaker and had earned a doctorate in geology. She moved to Bellingham in 2019, Stewart said. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

Washington renames Mason County swamp for Black pioneer whose home was known by racial slur
The state's Department of Natural Resources has renamed an 18-acre Mason County swamp for a Black pioneer whose homestead there was branded as a racial slur for decades after his death. Rodney White Slough will honor a man born into slavery in Missouri who farmed a property near the Tahuya River until his death in 1913, DNR's Washington State Committee on Geographic Names announced Thursday. The slough had been formerly known by the N-word because White lived there. Josh Farley reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Enough reports, start fixing the dikes, say B.C. dairy farmers
After the release of another report calling for increased flood protection in B.C., Fraser Valley dairy farmers says it’s important to start the physical work needed to do just that. After the catastrophic flooding in B.C. last November, a Senate committee on agriculture and forestry recently called on Ottawa to work with the B.C. government and municipalities to develop a comprehensive plan for flood control in the Fraser Valley. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Researchers complete study on trash found on beaches
Over the course of five years, citizen scientists throughout Oregon and Washington collected data on the distribution of garbage found on beaches. Scientists at the University of Washington analyzed the data to look for trends, and published their findings in the Marine Pollution Bulletin in August. Surveys from Anacortes beaches contributed to the data from beaches in the Puget Sound. Scientists compared Puget Sound data with beach surveys on the coasts of Washington and Oregon. Maddie Smith reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The New World: Envisioning Life After Climate Change
Not very long ago, scientists warned that this could cause four or five degrees Celsius of warming, giving rise to existential fears about apocalyptic futures. But in just the past few years, the future has begun to look somewhat different, thanks to a global political awakening, an astonishing decline in the price of clean energy, a rise in global policy ambition and revisions to some basic modeling assumptions. David Wallis-Wells reports. (NY Times) See also: Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View David Wallis-Wells reports. (NY Times)

How drones are replanting B.C.'s burned forests
With promises to rejuvenate forests from the air, tree-planting start-ups are looking to supplement shovels and long days of labour with swarms of seed-bearing aerial drones. A growing target: B.C.'s burnt forests. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

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This week: Cybersecurity threats, feeding people, policing on islands, letters, area news briefs.
Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 241 AM PDT Mon Oct 31 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 14 ft at 15 seconds. A chance of showers.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 12 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of showers in the evening then a chance of showers after midnight.

Friday, October 28, 2022

10/28 Pea crab, shellfish closure, DNR timber sales, Everett wastewater, Indigenous art, mola, week in review

Pea crab [Dave Cowles/Walla Walla U]

Pea crab Pinnixa faba
The pea crab lives symbiotically with clams, tube worms, sea cucumbers, and other fauna. Usually they feed on the results of their host's filtering, or in the case of sea cucumbers they live in the cloaca feeding off of the results of digestion and reproduction. They have no rostrum and no teeth between the eyes. (Wikipedia)

Shellfish contamination prompts harvesting closure off Vancouver Island's west coast
Canadian officials are warning the public not to harvest shellfish near Barkley Sound, off Vancouver Island's west coast, due to contamination. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) says intense rain following a lengthy drought in the area has created health and safety risks, including the possibility of paralytic shellfish poisoning. (CBC)

Court halts DNR timber sales in Jefferson County
A Jefferson County Superior Court judge has ruled against the state Department of Natural Resources in a case plaintiffs say will have broad implications for how the agency manages its forests. Superior Court Judge Keith Harper ruled Wednesday in favor of plaintiffs Center for Sustainable Economy and Save the Olympic Peninsula who argued Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had violated the state Environmental Policy Act by failing to consider the impacts of climate change from two timber sales in the county. Peter Segall reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Jefferson County considers carbon offset program (Peninsula Daily News)

State fines Everett $13K for incompletely treated wastewater
The state Department of Ecology fined Everett $13,000 for almost 10 million gallons of wastewater discharge that wasn’t completely treated in June. Most of the treatment process happened normally, except for a 19-hour failure of the pump to inject sodium hypochlorite, which is similar to concentrated bleach and sanitizes the wastewater before it enters the Snohomish River. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)

VCA offers exhibition of current work by Indigenous artists
Marking November’s designation as Native American Heritage Month, Vashon Center for the Arts (VCA) will present a month-long group show of Native artists from or working in the Salish Sea and Alaska regions, in collaboration with Seattle’s Stonington Gallery. The exhibit will have an opening reception at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, and run through Nov. 27. (Vashon Beachcomber)

'Surreal': Rare fish spotted in Alert Bay, British Columbia
As a whale scientist, Jared Towers is used to getting up close and personal with cetaceans on the coast of British Columbia and around the globe. But he was surprised this week when a giant sub-tropical fish from half a world away showed up just a few metres from his waterfront home in Alert Bay. The massive mola sunfish — two metres wide and three metres across, and a third of a metre thick — was basking and swimming in the calm bay just a stone’s throw from the front of his house. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 10/28/22: Lemur Friday!, drought salmon, BC island gems, Indigenous science, plastic recycling, BC spotted owls, fossil fuel revolving door, endangered Fraser, 'forever chemicals,' timber sales

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Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 303 AM PDT Fri Oct 28 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning.
TONIGHT SW wind to 10 kt becoming S 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 10 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of showers after midnight.
SAT S wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 10 ft at 13 seconds. Rain likely.
SAT NIGHT S wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 13 seconds.
SUN SW wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 7 ft at 12 seconds.

Thursday, October 27, 2022

10/27 False holly, wind&rain, Fraser R, 'forever chemicals, GasLink risks, kelp, animal ban, Eagle Wing, bubonic plague

False holly [MyGardenPlot]

False holly Osmanthus heterophyllus
O. heterophyllus blooms in late September and October, with intensely fragrant flowers that are mostly hidden by the foliage. They’re small, white, tubular, 4-lobed, and held in small clusters. Fruiting is uncommon. It grows at a moderate rate to about 8-10 feet in height, with an upright habit when young, spreading wider at maturity. In time, it can become treelike -- to 15 or more feet tall. Hardy to USDA Zone 6 (average winter temperature, -10 to 0 degrees F.), it’s widely planted in Japan -- both pruned as a hedge and as a specimen shrub or tree in a mixed planting, allowed to retain a natural form. It was first mentioned, in the 8th century, in Japan’s oldest surviving historical record, the Kojiki. (Corinne Kennedy/Seattle Japanese Garden)

Residents on B.C. coast warned to prepare for heavy wind, rain, possible outages after drought
Experts are warning British Columbians near the coast to be prepared for strong winds and heavy rain on Thursday as an atmospheric river packing "narrow bands of heavy precipitation'' heads west. (CBC)

BC's 'most endangered' Fraser River in dire need of protection: report
‘Eden in our midst’: Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. calls for urgent action to protect section of the river between Hope and Mission that faces threats from industry and climate change. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

'Forever chemicals' detected in almost all U.S. waterways
The new study, published last week by the Waterkeeper Alliance Initiative and Cyclopure, found that 83% of waterways in the United States are contaminated with PFAS, including several rivers and lakes in Washington...These forever chemicals, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are compounds found in everyday items, including laundry detergent, food wrappers, Teflon frying pans and even furniture and rugs. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN)

Confusion Swirls Around CGL’s Environmental Risks
BC ordered Coastal GasLink to ‘cease’ variations from approved work plans. The company insists it hasn’t broken any rules. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

With cash boost from government, Cascadia Seaweed dives into cattle feed
Sidney-based Cascadia Seaweed has been given $4.3 million by the federal government to establish a 100-hectare seaweed farm and agri-feed processing facility close to Prince Rupert. Cascadia, which combines cultivation expertise, First Nations partnerships and brand development, currently has about 26 hectares of seaweed under cultivation in waters off the province’s coast. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Everett eyeing bans on rabbit sales, peafowl and roosters
The city is considering several code changes that would ban peafowl and roosters, allow more neutered and spayed cats and dogs in a home, and prohibit rabbit sales among other modifications. Ben Watanabe reports. (Everett Herald)

Eco-tourism operator, schools join forces to teach kids about Salish Sea
Eagle Wing’s Exploring the Salish Sea floating classroom program combines classroom curriculum, on-water research, beach field trips and experiential learning to ignite kids’ passion for the ocean and its ecosystems. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Bubonic Plague in Seattle
David Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "Here’s today’s unpleasant thought. “Two rats are probably having sex fairly close to you and three weeks from now, she will give birth to between eight and ten pups. This time next year, your fecund neighbors might have 15,000 descendants.” I wrote those lines in 2004, for the opening of a review of Robert Sullivan’s Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants. Although those facts still disturb me, I thought I’d write about rats, as they seem an appropriate lead in to Halloween." (Street Smart Naturalist)

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There's a fresh newsletter out tomorrow. Check out "The Week." Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 338 AM PDT Thu Oct 27 2022
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY S wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. NW swell 5 ft at 7 seconds. A slight chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 11 ft at 9 seconds. Rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

10/26 Red octopus, Skagit carbon, dead humpback, fewer 'shrooms, climate pledges, oil gas revolving door

Red ruby octopus [Edmonds Underwater Park]

Red ruby octopus Octopus rubescens
The smallest of Pacific northwest octopus species. Like many octopuses, the red octopus makes its home in dens. They can be found in kelp beds, sandy mud bottoms, rocky areas, and under stones at low tide in the rocky intertidal zone of the Pacific northwest. The octopus can change its color and texture depending on the situation. When provoked, it can expel ink in defense to distract predators. The red ruby octopus hunts for crustaceans, fish, and mollusks at night, then returns to its den to feed. (Edmonds Underwater Park)

Skagit County sites considered for state Carbon Project
Five Skagit County sites are being considered for the next stage of the state’s Department of Natural Resources’ Carbon Project. The project is looking to set aside a total of 10,000 acres of state land for conservation and carbon sequestration. Racquel Muncy reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Female humpback whale found dead off B.C.'s Malcolm Island
Scientists are investigating the death of a juvenile humpback whale discovered off the north side of Malcolm Island. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Mushroom foragers, businesses in parts of B.C. lament low yield due to drought
Fungi flourish with moisture, but historically low rainfall means fewer have grown this year. Winston Szeto reports. (CBC)

Climate Pledges Are Falling Short, and a Chaotic Future Looks More Like Reality
Countries around the world are failing to live up to their commitments to fight climate change, pointing Earth toward a future marked by more intense flooding, wildfires, drought, heat waves and species extinction, according to a report issued Wednesday by the United Nations. Just 26 of 193 countries that agreed last year to step up their climate actions have followed through with more ambitious plans. Max Bearak reports. (NY Times)

How oil and gas lobbyists build ‘very close relationships’ with politicians and governments
The relationship between governments and the fossil fuel industry in Canada is under the spotlight again after a high-profile staffer jumped straight from the Alberta premier’s office to one of the country’s most powerful oil and gas companies. Critics say the move by Brock Harrison to TC Energy — the company behind the Coastal GasLink pipeline and one of the firms that pressured RCMP to enforce an injunction on Wet’suwet’en territory — is the latest example of a “revolving door” culture between government and industry, one that is threatening climate progress. Carl Meyer reports. (The Narwhal)

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Interesting letters to the editor. Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 306 AM PDT Wed Oct 26 2022
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds. Rain likely in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

10/25 Opossum shrimp, David Eby, WDNR carbon storage, spotted owls, recycling plastic, community land trust, climate suits

Opossum shrimp [Vic High Marine]

Opossum shrimp Order Mysida
Mysida is an order of over 1000 species of similar shrimp-like crustaceans. The creatures get their name from the presence of a ‘brood pouch’ – an egg chamber attached to the female. This pouch gives the female Mysida a distinctive ‘bulge’, allowing them to be easily identified. While there are many types of Mysida that are pale, and even transparent, there are also varieties that have bold orange and brown colourations. Additional features include compound eyes protruding from stalks, and a rigid carapace that covers the creature’s head and the thorax. While very similar in appearance to shrimp, Mysida don’t have free-swimming larvae, and are hence classified differently. (Jamie Lenihan/Victoria High School)

David Eby’s Plan for BC
Before the NDP leadership race came to an abrupt end, Eby shared his plans for climate action, health care and housing with The Tyee. Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

State Department of Natural Resources proposes forest lands set aside to store carbon
A webinar is set for Wednesday on a state Department of Natural Resources proposal to add 7,500 acres of Western Washington state trust lands, including property on the North Olympic Peninsula, to a pilot project to set aside forest for carbon sequestration. In April, Hilary Franz, state Commissioner of Public Lands, announced the launch of what she said was the first-of-its-kind carbon project on state lands. The project committed to set aside 10,000 acres of state lands for conservation and carbon sequestration, and to generate revenue for state trust land beneficiaries through carbon markets. (Peninsula Daily News)

Rare spotted owls released into protected habitat in 1st stage of recovery program
The effort to revive one of Canada's most endangered species has taken flight. There is only one known northern spotted owl in the wild, according to the B.C. government — but three birds released into a protected habitat in B.C.'s Fraser Canyon on Friday bring the total to four. Ali Pitargue reports. (CBC)

Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
The vast majority of plastic that people put into recycling bins is headed to landfills, or worse, according to a report from Greenpeace on the state of plastic recycling in the U.S. The report cites separate data published this May which revealed that the amount of plastic actually turned into new things has fallen to new lows of around 5%. That number is expected to drop further as more plastic is produced. Laura Sullivan reports. (NPR)

Sound it Out: what is a community land trust?
Kathleen Hosfeld, the executive director of Homestead Community Land Trust, explained what a community land trust is..."This is not a 'land trust' that is a tax shelter. Nor is it a conservation land trust, which is primarily used to hold land to prevent it from being developed," Hosfeld explained. "A community land trust is a private, nonprofit, community governed and or membership corporation that exists to acquire, hold, develop, lease, and steward land for the benefit of low income households and communities." In other words, a community land trust builds and subsidizes affordable homes. The people who buy those homes own them, but the land trust owns the land those homes are on — the homeowners just lease it. Libby Denkmann and Jason Burrows report. (KUOW)

Climate Activists Are Waging a New Kind of Legal Fight
In the face of bigger wildfires, deadlier floods, and more extreme weather, plaintiffs around the world are taking up a new tactic: suing for the damage climate change has already wrought. Isabella Kaminski reports. (Hakai Magazine)

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News of the week that's free to read, free from ads. Read the weekly Current newsletter.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 253 AM PDT Tue Oct 25 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY S wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SE 20 to 30 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. W swell 12 ft at 13 seconds subsiding to 10 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning then showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

Monday, October 24, 2022

19/24 Pillars of Creation, seastar wasting, island gems, salmon drought, Quinsam R pumps, Sunshine Coast water, grizzlies, 'forever chemicals,' hydrofluorocarbons, indigenous science, BC fish farms, old growth, Salish Current

Pillars of Creation, 1995 & 2022 [NASA et al]

Hubble's 1995 image of a star nursery was amazing. Take a look at NASA's new version
Nearly 30 years ago, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured the first image of the Pillars of Creation — the iconic star nursery featuring thick pillars of gas and dust. Now, the new James Webb Space Telescope has captured NASA's most detailed image of the landscape that is helping scientists better understand how stars form. Ashley Ahn reports. (NPR)

Devastating wasting illness of influential, iconic sea stars still a mystery
Sea star wasting syndrome still threatens area sea stars, but community scientists and researchers are helping to shed light on the mysterious illness. Rena Kingery reports. (Salish Current)

These Island gems are among B.C.’s seven biodiversity hot spots
They’re called “key biodiversity areas,” and seven swaths of land across British Columbia — including Tofino’s mudflats, the Trial Islands and Fort Rodd Hill — now have that international designation, which is meant to prevent the decimation of wild animal and plant species before it’s too late. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Through Pacific Northwest drought and downpour, what will happen to the salmon?
...After Western Washington saw the driest June to October on record, several storms were slated to soak the region beginning Friday. It’s a welcome sight for many, including fish stuck downstream. But it comes at the risk of scouring eggs already laid in vulnerable places throughout the Northwest. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Pumps installed to ensure water flow for spawning salmon on Quinsam River
B.C. Hydro says it’s the second time since 2000 that huge pumps have been set up in Upper Quinsam Lake west of Campbell River to ensure high enough water levels for hundreds of thousands of spawning salmon. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

9 things that could have been done to prevent the Sunshine Coast’s state of emergency
The severe drought on the Sunshine Coast is no surprise to many who have been trying to raise awareness about water issues for years. Here are some of the solutions on the table. Stephanie Wood reports. (The Narwhal) https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-drought-sunshine-coast-2022/

Drought conditions raise concerns for B.C.'s grizzlies
Low salmon returns amid record-setting drought could affect B.C. grizzlies. Nicholas Scapilatti, director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, says the drought is cause for concern as bears are dependent on the return of salmon this time of year. Priya Bhat reports. (CBC)

Heartache, anger in Central Washington over drinking-water wells tainted by 'forever chemicals'
In 2016, Brandi and Brad Hyatt purchased a three-bedroom home with sweeping views of the Cascades, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams....In February two U.S. Army representatives knocked on the Hyatts’ door to deliver cases of bottled water and a carefully worded letter that noted a “potential risk to human health.” The Hyatts’ well was one of 300 residential drinking water wells tested for contamination from two firefighting foam chemicals that seeped into groundwater flows from the Army’s Yakima Training Center. Hal Bernton and Manuel Villa report. (Seattle Times)

EPA to further slash emissions from climate super-pollutants
The proposal comes about a month after the Senate voted to ratify a global treaty that calls for gradually reducing the use and production of the chemicals. Allyson Chiu reports. (Washington Post)

First Nations fear feds backing away from fish farm plans
The federal Liberals' 2019 election platform promised "to develop a responsible plan to transition from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal waters to closed containment systems by 2025." First Nations fighting to get salmon farms out of the ocean say their hopes are fading after federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray’s recent B.C. tour to discuss a transition plan for open-net operations. Rochelle Baker reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Canada is 'weaving' Indigenous science into environmental policy-making
Research shows that Indigenous communities in Canada are at higher risk from climate-related disasters such as flooding. Myrle Ballard is setting out to make sure Indigenous people are also part of the solution to climate change. Ballard is the first director of Environment and Climate Change Canada's new division of Indigenous Science, a role in which she's tasked with raising awareness of Indigenous science within the department and helping the government find ways to integrate it into its policies. (CBC)

Advocates say loggers aren't doing enough to save old-growth forests near Revelstoke, B.C
The unique area is home to trees that are hundreds of years old and to threatened mountain caribou. Camille Vernet and Akshay Kulkarni report. (CBC)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Seastar wasting disease update, swimming on Lopez Island, On Watch for crows and ravens, 42nd District campaign fact-check, Healthy Children tax fact-check, letters to the editor, and more. Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads.
Catch the Current here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 254 AM PDT Mon Oct 24 2022
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY W wind 15 to 25 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt by mid morning. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds building to 9 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning then rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 9 ft at 15 seconds. A slight chance of showers.