Salish Sea News and Weather

Friday, August 18, 2023

8/18 Hawthorn, saving salmon and steelhead, ocean videos, Samish Crest, week in review

Washington hawthorn [F.D. Richards]

Washington hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum
Crataegus phaenopyrum is a species of hawthorn commonly known as Washington hawthorn or Washington thorn. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant, and can reach 10 m in height. The small red berry-like fruit grow closely together in large clusters and are food for squirrels and birds. (Wikipedia)

Biden administration proposes $106 million for Western salmon and steelhead recovery
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is recommending sending $106 million to 16 salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in five Western states, the federal agency said Thursday. NOAA and the Department of Commerce recommended grants to state agencies with salmon protection missions, tribes and tribal partnerships in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard)

The Ocean Is Big and Stuff Is Complicated. We’re Here to Help
Six short videos to educate, entertain, and make you insufferable at parties. (Hakai Institute)

Community Voices: Saving the Samish Crest
Commentary: The trails and views overlooking Bellingham toward the west can and should be saved for people. Stevan Harrell writes. (Salish Current)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 8/18/23: Helium, eelgrass wasting, Montana climate youth, avian flu, PFAS, carbon auction. saving salmon and steelhead.

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 250 AM PDT Fri Aug 18 2023
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft subsiding to 1 ft or less after midnight. NW swell 6 ft at 9 seconds.
SAT E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds subsiding to 4 ft at 9 seconds in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft in the evening becoming less than 1 ft. NW swell 6 ft at 9 seconds.
SUN Light wind becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves less than 1 ft becoming 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. NW swell 6 ft at 9 seconds.

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Thursday, August 17, 2023

8/17 Aspen, culverts, BC-WA pollution, carbon auction, climate doom, tug sinking, BC fish farms

Quaking Aspen [Native Plants PNW]

Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides
Quaking Aspen is sometimes called Trembling Aspen. All of its names refer to how the leaves will quiver with the slightest breeze. It is the most widely distributed tree in North America. It is found sporadically in valleys west of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, often in association with Black Hawthorn, Crataegus douglasii. It is also found near the shores of Puget Sound and on southeastern Vancouver Island. (Native Plants of the Pacific NW)

WA, 9 other states get federal grants to replace culverts that can harm fish
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced nearly $200 million in federal infrastructure grants to upgrade tunnels that carry streams beneath roads but can be deadly to fish that get stuck trying to pass through.J eff McMurray reports (Associated Press)

Why is it taking so long to reduce cross-border water pollution from B.C.?
Water contaminated with fecal matter continues to cross into the U.S. after a problem identified at least a decade ago. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Extra cap-and-trade auction may net $62M for Washington
A special auction of pollution allowances on Aug. 9 likely generated $62.5 million for Washington, revenue that the state can funnel into programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. During the three-hour bidding window, all 1,054,000 allowances offered were sold at preset prices, the state Department of Ecology reported Wednesday. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Spreading climate doom may make it harder to halt global warming
Focusing too much on extreme weather could trigger a backlash against climate action in the mid-2020s, when global temperature rises are set to slow down as the El Niño climate pattern fades. Madeleine Cuff reports. (New Scientist)

Tugboat owners plead guilty to safety charges connected to fatal sinking near Kitimat, B.C.
The owners of a tugboat that sank in coastal waters south of Kitimat, B.C., causing the death of two mariners, have pleaded guilty to safety charges under the Workers Compensation Act. Wainwright Marine Services and James Geoffrey Bates, the president of parent company Bates Properties Ltd., were each charged in February with eight counts of violating occupational health and safety provisions, according to court records. (CBC)

B.C. First Nations coalition seeks leave to join case to support salmon farm closures
A coalition representing 19 British Columbia First Nations and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has applied jointly to the Federal Court to intervene in a case involving the closure of fish farms off Vancouver Island and the survival of wild salmon. A joint statement from the coalition says they are applying to the court out of their obligation to protect wild salmon for current and future generations. (Canadian Press)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 849 AM PDT Thu Aug 17 2023
TODAY NW wind to 10 kt becoming W 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 1 to 3 ft in the afternoon. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds building to 10 ft at 10 seconds after midnight.

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

8/16 Dogwood, Gulf Is water, PFAS, dead birds, WA hybrid ferries, Saanich Inlet quarry

Pacific dogwood [Wikipedia]

Pacific dogwood Cornus nuttallii
Cornus nuttallii, the Pacific dogwood, western dogwood, or mountain dogwood, is a species of dogwood tree native to western North America. The common names comes from that of Cornus sanguinea, the hard wood of which Northern Europeans used to make nails ("dags") during the medieval era. (Wikipedia)

Gulf Islands' water woes an ominous omen for the rest of drought-prone B.C.
Wells run slowly or even go dry as summer droughts become a common feature of islands life. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us?
PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health — and what to do about them. Kim Tingley reports. (NY Times)

Birds Canada calling on British Columbians to help ID dead seabirds
Marine heat wave off Pacific Coast has scientists worried about mass deaths. (CBC)

Washington awards $150M contract to convert ferries to hybrid-electric power
Washington State Ferries announced Tuesday it has awarded a roughly $150 million contract to ship builder Vigor to convert up to three of the state’s largest vessels to hybrid-electric power. Under the deal, Vigor in September will start work on the Wenatchee ferry at its Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle. The Jumbo Mark II vessel, with a 202-vehicle capacity, is expected back in service on the Seattle to Bainbridge route next summer. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

Analysis on effects of quarry to be done, eventually
Province says cumulative effects analysis will be conducted for Saanich Inlet quarry, but there’s no time frame. Andrew A. Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 250 AM PDT Wed Aug 16 2023 TODAY Light wind becoming S to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at 10 seconds.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

8/15 Hawthorn, Montana climate change suit, marine heat wave, Skagit fire, bird flu, rockfish, SĆIȺNEW̱ SṮEȽIṮḴEȽ, local theater

Common hawthorn [Ben Legler]

Common hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Common hawthorn, also called English, one-seed or single-seed hawthorn, is an introduced tree that has naturalized in the Pacific Northwest. This small tree spreads readily by seed into woodlands and open fields, often creating a dense, thorny thicket. (King County)

Judge sides with youth in Montana climate change trial, finds two laws unconstitutional
Judge says failure to consider emissions, climate impacts violates state constitution. Blair Miller reports. (Washington State Standard)

Pacific marine heat wave has arrived in B.C. waters. Here's what it means for ocean life
Over recent weeks, surface temperatures in the warm water mass have clocked in at up to five degrees higher than usual, prompting the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to classify the heat wave as "extreme," the highest level of classification. Marine heat waves can cause extreme weather, fuel rising sea levels, and contribute to faster-melting ice caps — all while threatening marine life. Michelle Ghoussoub reports. (CBC)

Sourdough Fire consumes another 1,000 acres, cuts dam power to Seattle
The Sourdough Fire in the North Cascades grew more than 1,000 acres over the weekend. The growing fire forced Seattle City Light to disconnect the Ross and Diablo dams from the power grid that serves customers in the Seattle area Saturday night. A third Skagit River power source 4 miles downstream, the 99-year-old Gorge Dam, continues to provide hydropower to Seattle. John Ryan reports.(KUOW)

Bird flu outbreak stokes fears for Washington’s wild birds
A new strain of avian flu has killed dozens of birds on a small Puget Sound island. Cases have turned up elsewhere as well. Officials are trying to better understand the disease’s spread. Laurel Demkovich reports. (Washington State Standard)

Bad catch: the fish that’s threatened even if you release it
Scientists are concerned rules to protect bottom-dwelling rockfish aren’t always followed, leaving these long-living homebodies at risk of further declines. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Indigenous name for new school sign of reconciliation
The name, SĆIȺNEW̱ SṮEȽIṮḴEȽ, means “salmon children” in English and reflects important aspects of Sc’ianew culture. It is pronounced “schee-ay-nuh ska-leetk-luth.” Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Pandemic’s passed but local theaters are (cautiously) optimistic
Post-COVID theater attendance lags but new alignments and venues promise a brighter future. Matt Benoit reports. (Salish Current)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 249 AM PDT Tue Aug 15 2023 TODAY Light wind becoming SW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. NW swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 7 ft at 9 seconds.

Monday, August 14, 2023

8/14 Madrone, Skagit ag, marine heat, eelgrass wasting, sea rise, clean energy, Skagit dams

Pacific madrone [Ben Legler]

Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii
Pacific madrone, is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the western coastal areas of North America, from British Columbia to California. It is nicknamed the "Refrigerator Tree" due to the fact that its bark contains water, and it stays cool in the summer. (Wikipedia)

Finding happily ever after in Skagit’s ag zone
A proposal that would constrain Skagit farms in operating as event venues has prompted discussion on the future of the area’s sense of place. Adam M. Sowards reports. (Salish Current)

Significant marine heat wave expected to affect B.C. wildlife
Scientists are worried that a strong heat wave off the B.C. coast will lead to birds dying from disease or starvation. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Researchers examine eelgrass wasting disease in Padilla Bay
Labyrinthula zosterae, the pathogen that causes eelgrass wasting disease, is what is known as a marine slime protist. Protists are mostly simple organisms that are not plants or animals or fungi. Eelgrass wasting disease shows up as dark lesions with white centers on eelgrass blades. The white centers are dead tissue. Emma Fletcher-Frazer reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Sea level rise could squeeze young salmon out of places to live
Juvenile salmon already face pressure from human land use and development, and may be further squeezed out of their estuary habitat by climate change, as sea levels rise. Molly Segal reports. (CBC)

The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think
The United States is pivoting away from fossil fuels and toward wind, solar and other renewable energy, even in areas dominated by the oil and gas industries. (NY Times)

Power production resumes at Skagit dams near Sourdough Fire
Seattle City Light has resumed power generation at two dams on the Skagit River as the Sourdough Fire continues to burn in Washington’s North Cascades. The flames had come close enough to Diablo and Ross dams — and the transmission lines that connect them to Seattle electricity users — that Seattle’s power utility evacuated workers and took the dams offline on Aug. 2. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 310 AM PDT Mon Aug 14 2023
TODAY E wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds subsiding to 7 ft at 12 seconds in the afternoon.
TONIGHT NW wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 7 ft at 11 seconds.

Friday, August 11, 2023

8/11 Shaggy mouse, Seattle Chinook, Duwamish habitat, Fairy Cr protesters, BC dought, WSF fares, refinery safety, Columbia R treaty, bunny virus, Hwy 20, week in review

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch [Zoe O’Toole]

Shaggy Mouse Nudibranch Aeolidia loui
Specimens in our area were formally recognized as A. papillosa but are now classified as a new species, Aeolidia loui. It is found on rocks, or may be on floats or docks. Often it is found near its preferred prey, anemones like Anthopleura elegantissima. (Walla Walla U.)

Treaty tribes haul in Chinook bounty on Seattle’s Elliott Bay, Duwamish
As other fragile Chinook fisheries shutter this year to protect future runs, the salmon were a welcome sight. Surveys in July revealed what appear to be some of the best numbers of Chinook seen in nearly two decades. They still likely pale in comparison to the runs their ancestors harvested from, as the watershed continues to lose habitat to development. But it was a promising sign for fisheries managers who have gone to great lengths to rebuild the run. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

King County shows off salmon habitat where once stood a hotel
The project started as a rundown hotel in a sea of asphalt. Now Chinook Wind is a wetland, a restored salmon habitat and a hook-shaped estuary where waters rise and fall with the tides and native plants blanket the shore...A few feet upstream is Duwamish Gardens, another restored salmon habitat and reminder of how the Duwamish River used to look over 150 years ago, before industrialization. Amanda Zhou reports. (Seattle Times)

Cases dropped against 146 Fairy Creek protesters over RCMP's failure to read full injunction at arrests
Prosecutors in B.C. have withdrawn cases against nearly 150 protesters who were arrested for participating in a blockade around old-growth logging on Vancouver Island after a judge this year found Mounties did not read the full text of a court order to the group. Rhianna Schmunk reports. (CBC)

Canada’s wettest province faces historic drought — and a precarious new future
From grasshopper infestations to water restrictions, B.C.’s drought is affecting all corners of the province in ways surprising and predictable. Is the government doing enough to lead? Arno Kopecky writes. (The Narwhal)

It will cost more to travel on a state ferry in Washington this fall
The Washington State Transportation Commission on Thursday voted to increase fares for Washington State Ferries this fall. Commissioners approved a 4.25% hike for vehicles and walk-on passengers on Oct. 1 and another 4.25% on Oct. 1, 2024. A March revenue forecast showed a fare hike of the magnitude approved Thursday would net an additional $28 million for operations. But the latest forecast in June showed ridership not rising as fast as expected. As a result, the higher fares will only net $19.3 million, leaving the agency with an $8.7 million hole to fill. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard)

State proposes tighter safety regulations for refinery workers years after tragedy
Regulations proposed by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries in June would update the 1992 “Process Safety Management” guidelines for thousands of workers at Washington’s five refineries, including the BP and Phillips 66 refineries at Cherry Point. Julia Lerner reports. (CDN)

Canada, U.S. negotiate future of Columbia River in Seattle this week
For 60 years, the Columbia River Treaty has guided how water from British Columbia flows downstream in Washington and Oregon, for flood control and hydropower. Parts of that agreement expire next year. And this week’s negotiations may be the best shot yet to hammer out a deal. Gregory Scruggs reports. (Seattle Times)

State vet says bunny killing virus is 'here to stay'
The town of Langley on Whidbey Island has a unique tourist attraction — wild bunnies. But now, those bunnies are in trouble. An outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease has led to mass die-offs of the small mammals on the island. Libby Denkmann and Noel Gasca report. (KUOW)

Still-creeping wildfire again closes key mountain pass in North Cascades National Park
“SR 20 North Cascades Highway is closed between Newhalem at milepost 120 and milepost 146 for aerial fire operations. No ETA for reopening. Updates will be sent as available,” the Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 8/11/23: Elephant Day, BC drought, Columbia salmon recovery failure, WA carbon tax repeal, baby orcas, marine heat wave, TM pipe, Fairy Cr protest, refinery safety, Columbia R treaty.

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 217 AM PDT Fri Aug 11 2023 TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 10 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 seconds.
SAT W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.
SAT NIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 7 seconds.
SUN Light wind. Wind waves 1 ft or less in the morning becoming less than 1 ft. W swell 5 ft at 4 seconds.

Thursday, August 10, 2023

8/10 Fox sparrow, TM pipe, saving 'Luma,' Perseids in WA

Fox Sparrow [Ryan Schain]

Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
“Sooty” Fox Sparrows breed in deciduous streamside thickets (with willow and blackberry) along coastal Alaska and British Columbia from the Aleutian Islands to Washington, and winter in chaparral farther south along the Pacific Coast. Fox Sparrows forage on leaf litter and bare ground, usually under dense cover. During the breeding season they eat mainly insects—such as beetles, fly larvae, caterpillars, ants, bees, and scale insects. (All About Birds)

Canada to sell pipeline stake to Indigenous groups through special vehicle
Canada plans to sell a stake in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline to Indigenous groups through a special purpose vehicle that will allow individual communities to buy into the enterprise. The government will provide the groups with access to capital so they don’t have to risk any of their own money to participate, according to a letter from Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s office that was obtained by Bloomberg. The communities’ equity interest in Trans Mountain will provide them with cash flows and allow them to jointly exercise governing rights, according to the letter, which was dated Aug. 2. (Bloomberg News)

New deal saves Seattle's celebrity tree, 'Luma'
The tree in Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood that activists have named Luma, and which prompted a summer movement to save it, will be preserved. The owner of the property, the lender for the project, and the builder have begun work with the Snoqualmie Tribe to preserve the tree as a "culturally modified tree," a term Washington uses to note and preserve trees of significance. Amy Radiland Dyer Oxley report. (KUOW)

What you should know about watching the Perseids in Washington
Star gazers, the Perseid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak this year on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 but will remain visible through late August. To find a spot dark enough, stargazers may have to drive a while outside of the Puget Sound area. Here's what else you should know to catch the meteor shower. Helen Smith reports. (KING)

Have you read the Salish Current?
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Free to read, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 503 AM PDT Thu Aug 10 2023 TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.