Salish Sea News and Weather

Thursday, August 4, 2022

8/4 Solomon's seal, Growlers, Fraser sockeye, Columbia dams, Six Nations, ship breaking, Skagit Amazon, harlequin ducks

Solomon's seal {Borealis55/WikiMedia]

Solomon's seal Polygonatum multiflorum
Solomon's seal is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe and temperate Asia. It is valued in cultivation for its ability to colonise shady areas, and is suitable for a woodland style planting. The specific epithet multiflorum means "many-flowered." (Wikipedia)

Judge rejects Navy environmental review of Whidbey Island Growler jet expansion
A U.S. District Court judge ruled Tuesday that the Navy violated federal law in an environmental study of expanded Whidbey Island jet operations that failed to quantify the noise impacts on classroom learning as well as other shortcomings. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones’ brief decision comes in response to two lawsuits by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the Citizens of Ebey Reserve that challenged a major expansion of the training of noisy, often low-flying Growler jets. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Sockeye salmon returns look promising
Commercial fishermen in B.C. who have been shut out of the Fraser River sockeye fishery for the last three years are gearing up for what could be a decent harvest. Nelson Bennett reports. (BIV)

How a federal agency is contributing to salmon’s decline in the Northwest
Damming the powerful waters of the Columbia River was a boon for cheap, clean electricity. But the fish that swam those waters are dying out. And the agency in charge isn’t stopping that. Tony Schick reports. (OPB)

Wet'suwet'en chiefs arrive in Six Nations for 'landmark discussions,' starting 18-day tour
Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chiefs weren't surrounded by the towering pine trees and snow-capped mountains found in northern B.C., but they still found a feeling of familiarity while standing outside a traditional longhouse on Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario on Tuesday. The traditional chiefs met with Haudenosaunee Hereditary Chiefs to discuss common ground and spread awareness about their battle for land sovereignty back in B.C. Bobby Hristova reports. (CBC)

A BC Ship Breaking Firm Lands in Court
Details about a ship breaking operation being taken to court by a regional government on the east coast of Vancouver Island are shedding light on how potentially harmful industries elbow their way into ecologically sensitive areas in B.C. Michelle Gamage reports. (The Tyee)

Amazon distribution facility nearing completion
In the past few weeks, Skagit County has completed various inspections on the new Amazon distribution facility west of Burlington... The Amazon facility, which is on Bay Ridge Drive east of Skagit Regional Airport, has been in the works since late 2020. It had an original estimated completion date of spring 2022. Racquel Muncy reports (Skagit Valley Herald)

Harlequin Ducks
David Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "Few ducks are more lovely or striking than the male Harlequin in breeding season. Their bluish black head is garnished by a chestnut stripe, two white dots that give the appearance of ears, and two white patches, which, when viewed straight on, look like a clam grabbed the bird’s head. A similar set of colors grace his body such that he looks like a can of paint magically spilled in geometric gaudiness. The name harlequin, in fact, comes from a clown character in Italian comedy who “usually wears particoloured bespangled tights and a visor,” or so opines the OED..."

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 250 AM PDT Thu Aug 4 2022
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt easing to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.

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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

8/3 Isopyrum, WA polluters, Mukilteo research center, Skagit R debris, Mount Polley mine, whale watch distance

Enemion [WikiMedia]

Queen Charlotte Isopyrum Isopyrum savilei (Enemion savilei)
Delicate, hairless perennial from rhizomes. Found in moist, shady cliffs, talus slopes near sea level; scattered, locally common on the Queen Charlotte Islands, northwestern Vancouver Island (Brooks Peninsula) and Porcher Island, south of Prince Rupert. I. savilei was named for D.B.O. Savile, a Canadian search botanist in Ottowa and collector of plants in the Queen Charlotte Island. Ispyrum is from the Greek isms ("equal") and pyros ("Wheat") in reference eat the grain-like fruit. (Plants of the Pacific NW Coast)

41 large polluters to get free passes in Washington’s carbon trading market
Washington is required by law to eliminate or offset all of its greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. But generous exemptions for more than 40 of the state’s biggest polluters in a forthcoming carbon market could push that goal beyond reach. In January, the state Department of Ecology will roll out a cap-and-invest program through which 99 of the state’s largest emitters must incrementally reduce emissions or pay to continue burning fossil fuels. While the list will be finalized later this year, as it stands, 41 large emitters will be allowed to pollute at little to no cost for at least the next 12 years. Nicholas Turner reports. (Seattle Times)

Ahead of demolition, tribes lament loss of Mukilteo research center
Jason Gobin remembers scrubbing fish tanks as a high school intern at the Mukilteo research center on the shore of Possession Sound. Gobin, the Tulalip fisheries director, sang and drummed alongside other leaders from the Tulalip, Swinomish and Suquamish tribes Monday. It was a send off for the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research site of over 40 years, where gray paint is flaking off, some windows are broken and there are black stains where a fire burned through the center last year. Isabella Breda reports. (Everett Herald)

Skagit River debris still being removed after last winter's storms
Nearly nine months after November's widespread floods, workers are still removing logjams...This week, a team of workers with ropes and motorboats is on the Skagit River wrangling logs instead of livestock. For about three days the crew will work to take apart a 40-foot logjam that has formed at the river and the Highway 9 Bridge. Eric Wilkinson reports. (KING)

Will BC Let Mount Polley Mine Keep Pumping Waste into Quesnel Lake?
Eight years after a tailings pond disaster, critics say Imperial Metals should have come up with better waste plan by now and warn of risks. Amanda Follett Hosgood reports. (The Tyee)

Stay at least 100 metres away from whales: B.C. officials offer etiquette tips for summer recreation
As more people get out on the water and trails this summer, conservation officers and park managers are reminding boaters, kayakers and hikers about etiquette on and off the water. Out on the ocean, boaters are reminded to stay at least 100 metres away from any whales. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 547 AM PDT Wed Aug 3 2022
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 3 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 8 seconds. Rain likely in the evening.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

8/2 St John's wort, Nooksack dam, ferry crash, cleaner Duwamish R, Columbia Basin water, boreal forest, Queen Anne's lace

St. John’s Wort [Gardening Know How]

St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum
St. John’s wort is a plant with yellow flowers that has been used in traditional European medicine as far back as the ancient Greeks. The name St. John’s wort apparently refers to John the Baptist, as the plant blooms around the time of the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June. Historically, St. John’s wort has been used for a variety of conditions, including kidney and lung ailments, insomnia, and depression, and to aid wound healing. (NIH)

Two years ago a Nooksack dam was destroyed. Now, where are the salmon?
Two years after the $20 million removal of the Middle Fork Nooksack dam, salmon have safe passage through the river, but none have been seen — so now local tribes and wildlife officials are planning a monitoring program to find them. One of the major reasons to remove the dam was to restore the habitat of salmon and other fish species that once called the watershed home. Before removal, a computer model of the river estimated a 30% increase in Chinook salmon populations and the increased abundance of other fish species after the dam was removed. So far, monitoring efforts of the river have not shown evidence of fish passage or population increases. Zach Kortge reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Captain of wrecked WA ferry resigns
The captain of the Cathlamet ferry, which veered off course near West Seattle on Thursday and slammed into some pilings, resigned on Monday. David Kroman and Mike Lindblom report. (Seattle Times)

Envisioning a cleaner Duwamish River in South Park
The Duwamish River is one of the most toxic hazardous waste sites in the country and communities around the river have long been affected by higher rates of asthma and a lower life expectancy than residents of other Seattle neighborhoods. The Duwamish River People's Park and Shoreline Habitat is a model for what a less-polluted river might look. Libby Denkmann reports. (KUOW)

Rising temperatures will shift timing of water availability, amplifying vulnerabilities in Columbia River Basin over next 20 years
Anticipated future shifts in water supply and water demands will combine to create potential vulnerabilities related to water availability across many areas of eastern Washington, according to a new report from the Washington Department of Ecology, Washington State University, and the State of Washington Water Research Center. (Dept of Ecology)

Canada's great expanse of boreal forest is changing due to climate change. But not all hope is lost
It's the world's largest forest of least disturbance. A stretch of trees sweeping around the globe, accounting for a third of the Earth's forested area. We're talking about the boreal forest. The planet's coldest forest – a massive store for carbon accumulated over thousands of years and a thriving ecosystem for plants and animals. In Canada, over 300 million hectares of boreal forest stretches from Yukon all the way through the northern half of the provinces, east towards Newfoundland. The boreal forest is home to half the nation's species of birds, and 3.7 million people. As our climate changes, this great expanse of cold forest is getting warmer. Average temperatures across the Prairies are 1.9C warmer since the mid-20th century, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Christy Climenhaga reports. (CBC)

Queen Anne's lace
A reader responded to yesterday's item on Queen Anne's lace that the claim. "many people have died eating what they thought was the carrot-like root of Queen Anne’s lace plant," is undocumented and that "such abstract, unverified assertions become a basis for a greater danger: the rampant use of chemical sprays that we KNOW can be toxic under some conditions." The reader recommends removal of the plant by hand-pulling, taking care to avoid the sap.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 319 AM PDT Tue Aug 2 2022
TODAY E wind 5 to 15 kt becoming N in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 5 ft at 7 seconds. Patchy fog in the morning.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. NW swell 3 ft at 7 seconds.

Monday, August 1, 2022

8/1 Queen Anne's lace, Terry Williams, Sacred Earth Fair, Jim Creek, Fox Is, Fraser dikes, atmospheric river, Ocean Cleanup, Fiero's octopus, net pens, Joseph Hazelwood

Queen Anne's lace

Queen Anne’s lace herb Daucus carota
Queen Anne’s lace is said to have been named after Queen Anne of England, who was an expert lace maker. Legend has it that when pricked with a needle, a single drop of blood fell from her finger onto the lace, leaving the dark purple floret found in the flower’s center. The name wild carrot derived from the plant’s past history of use as a substitute for carrots. The fruit of this plant is spiky and curls inward, reminiscent of a bird’s nest, which is another of its common names. There is a similar-looking plant, called the poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), which is deadly. Many people have died eating what they thought was the carrot-like root of Queen Anne’s lace plant. (Gardening Know How)

Correction: Last Friday's item about the deer tick confused Ixodes scapularis aka black-legged tick with Ixodes pacificus, the Western black-legged tick, which is the principal vector of Lyme disease on our west coast.

‘Way ahead of all of us’: Mourners remember Tulalip’s environmental champion
Hundreds flocked to the Tulalip Gathering Hall to reflect on the life of Terry Williams, who died last month at 74. Jake Goldstein-Street and Isabella Breda report. (Everett Herald)

Faith communities ally for climate justice; to hold Sacred Earth Fair
A grassroots multifaith network is seeking to increase awareness of — and action to address — climate change issues through its Sacred Earth Fair July 31. Clifford Heberden reports. (Salish Current) Also: First Sacred Earth Fair draws hundreds of visitors for climate justice Julia Lerner reports. (CDN)

Jim Creek harbors endangered wildlife and Navy secrets
...Tucked above a quiet U.S. Navy recreation facility that’s used for camping and fishing sits a 1 million-watt radio transmitter nearly a mile wide that can communicate with submarines thousands of miles away in the depths of the Pacific Ocean... Jim Creek is also a lovely place with salmon-laden streams and centuries-old forests where cute, mysterious seabirds known as marbled murrelets build their nests and raise fluffy little chicks. Andrew Engelson reports. (Crosscut/Kitsap)

A $2.5 million Fox Island deal would mean more shoreline access. Here’s how PenMet voted
The Peninsula Metropolitan Park Board approved a $2.5 million purchase of land on Fox Island, including property next to the DeMolay Sandspit, July 25. According to the special meeting agenda documents, in spring 2022, the property owner notified Peninsula Metropolitan Parks of its interest in selling the properties. Fox Go Bye Bye, LLC, of Tacoma, owns the two parcels of land, located at 52 and 58 Island Boulevard. The purchase price would be $2.5 million. Aspen Shumpert reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Half of BC's Fraser River dikes would overtop in repeat of 1894 flood
An analysis of new information suggests higher dikes needed as climate change increases odds of flooding. Hoekstra and Nathan Griffiths report. (Vancouver Sun)

Feds say it's 'premature' to create atmospheric river ranking system promised by B.C. after floods
Environment Canada says there is still no timeline for creating a system to rank atmospheric rivers. (Canadian Press)

How the Ocean Cleanup hauled plastic from the Pacific Ocean
An environmental group dedicated to removing plastic from rivers and oceans recently hit a milestone by hauling more than 100,000 kilograms of plastic out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization based in the Netherlands, launched an expedition a year ago from Victoria’s Ogden Point to test a system designed to gather floating garbage from the patch, located between California and Hawaii, and haul it onto a ship using a net.

Feiro gains a giant Pacific octopus
After five years with a mostly empty tank, Feiro Marine Life Center now has a giant Pacific octopus to dazzle visitors to the aquarium at Port Angeles City Pier. That is, when creature decides to show itself. Keith Thorpe reports (Peninsula Daily News)

Net Pen Aquaculture in Puget Sound? A Risk Too High
While most people would agree that feeding a hungry world is necessary and good, most would also agree that damaging or destroying natural ecosystems (or bending regulations) in order to do so is bad – and, with the aquaculture industry, completely unnecessary. Karen Sullivan writes. (Olympic Peninsula News)

Captain Joseph Hazelwood, Former Master of the Exxon Valdez, Passes Away
Captain Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood, the Master of the Exxon Valdez when it grounded in Alaska in 1989, has passed away, gCaptain can confirm. He was 75. The Exxon Valdez was carrying more than 1.2 million barrels of oil when it grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, near Valdez, Alaska on March 24, 1989. An estimated 11 million gallons were spill from the ship’s ruptured tanks, impacting over a thousand miles of shoreline and resulting in catastrophic impacts to fish and wildlife. Mike Schuler reports. (GCaptain)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 258 AM PDT Mon Aug 1 2022
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 7 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. W swell 5 ft at 7 seconds.

Friday, July 29, 2022

7/29 Deer tick, Richmond restoration, derelict vessel removal, GasLink cost, heat on birds, Cathlamet crash

Deer tick
[Scott Bauer/Ag Research Service]

Deer tick Ixodes scapularis
The deer tick or black-legged tick is a vector for several diseases of animals, including humans (Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus disease, etc.) and is known as the deer tick owing to its habit of parasitizing the white-tailed deer. It is also known to parasitize mice, lizards, and migratory birds, especially while the tick is in the larval or nymphal stage. (Wikipedia)

Richmond $61M biosolids facility will help reclaim bird habitat
Lands and lagoons previously used at the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant will be turned into ecological restoration projects. Valerie Leung reports. (Richmond News)

B.C. cleaning up 30 derelict vessels, 1,000 km of shoreline
Richmond-based non-profit Ocean Legacy Foundation will clear 400 kilometres of shoreline debris from North Vancouver Island to the south coast of the Sea to Sky region. Nono Shen reports. (Times Colonist)

Cost of Coastal GasLink pipeline leaps 70% to $11.2B as TC Energy settles dispute
The projected cost of the contentious Coastal GasLink pipeline spanning northern British Columbia has jumped 70 per cent to $11.2 billion in the wake of a freshly inked deal between operator TC Energy Corp. and the group building a liquified natural gas terminal on the West Coast. (Canadian Press)

Extreme heat a strain for birds already burdened by habitat loss
Habitat conservation and action on climate change are needed to lessen the threat to at-risk species. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Ferry crashes into West Seattle dock, disrupting service to Vashon Island
The MV Cathlamet crashed into the Fauntleroy ferry dock yesterday morning causing significant damage to the vessel and the ferry dock structure. (KUOW)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 7/29/22: Tiger, nix 'Audubon,' Terry Williams, Northern giant hornet, AK water warming, pathogens on plastic, pervasive plastic, bird heat strain

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 244 AM PDT Fri Jul 29 2022
TODAY 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. Areas of dense fog.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds. Areas of dense fog.
SAT W wind to 10 kt becoming NW in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. Areas of dense fog.
SAT NIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less. NW swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.
SUN Light wind. Wind waves less than 1 ft. NW swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. SUN NIGHT

Thursday, July 28, 2022

7/28 Cat flea, heat warnings, shellfish heat, microplastics, offshore wind turbines

Cat flea [U of Florida]

Cat flea Ctenocephalides felis
The cat flea is an extremely common parasitic insect whose principal host is the domestic cat, although a high proportion of the fleas found on dogs also belong to this species. This is despite the widespread existence of a separate and well-established "dog" flea, Ctenocephalides canis. (Wikipedia)

Heat warnings cover most of B.C. as records set and risk of heat stress rises (CBC) Excessive heat warning remains in effect through Saturday (KUOW)

Low tides go out a bit earlier amid heat wave, endangering fewer shellfish
Some potentially welcome news for shellfish and their fans: While Puget Sound is having fairly low tides this week, exposing tidepool life to extreme heat, they're mostly morning lows — before the worst heat of the day — at least in Seattle and central Puget Sound. Low tides are predicted between about 10:15 a.m. and noon this week in Seattle, according to tidal forecasts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In south Puget Sound, the tides will go out about an hour later, as late as a 1:07 p.m. low tide on Friday in Olympia. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

From mountaintops to ocean bottoms, scientists are discovering just how pervasive plastic is
With a rising interest in microplastics research over the last decade, scientists are starting to understand where those pollutants come from, which can help guide decision-making and inform policy change. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Investigate West)

Offshore Wind’s Turbulent Future
The realization that turbulence created by deepwater wind turbines could upset the spring phytoplankton bloom has researchers warning the rapidly emerging industry to proceed with caution. Doug Johnson reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 240 AM PDT Thu Jul 28 2022
TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming NW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds. Areas of dense fog in the morning.
TONIGHT W wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 2 ft at 10 seconds.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

7/27 Blue dasher, wildfire smoke, Rock Bay land, BC ferries, Storm Petrel, Swiftsure, gray whale, pathogens on plastic

Blue dasher [Lea Maimone/WikiCommons]

Blue dasher Pachydiplax longipennis
The blue dasher is a dragonfly of the skimmer family. It is the only species in the genus Pachydiplax. It is very common and widely distributed through North America and into the Bahamas, and is found in many types of habitats of some kind of body of water, like a stream, river, or lake. (Wikipedia)

Wildfire smoke drifting into Western Washington from Canada amid heat wave
If a heat wave wasn't enough, here's another good reason to try to stay indoors today — smoke from a wildfire in British Columbia is now drifting south toward parts of Western Washington. The smoke is already drifting into Whatcom County, but Canadian forecasters say some smoke could reach as far south as Olympia by this evening. john Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Air quality advisory issued for eastern Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley
Metro Vancouver says ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to remain high for several days (CBC)

First Nations officially take over B.C. Hydro lands in Rock Bay
The chiefs of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations made official the purchase of 4.5 acres of their traditional lands in Rock Bay from B.C. Hydro on Tuesday, a land sale decades in the making. It started with conversations the chiefs’ late uncles, former Songhees chief Robert Sam and former Esquimalt chief Andy Thomas, had with B.C. Hydro years ago. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist)

Gulf Islands ferry cancellations linked to lack of affordable housing for ferry workers
Officials on Salt Spring Island and Quadra Island are concerned about ferry service, with each pointing out the need for affordable housing for ferry crew members. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

NOAA christens newest research vessel
A year after it was delivered to the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the 52-foot RV Storm Petrel was christened at the La Push Marina. The Storm Petrel replaces the 38-foot RV Tatoosh, which the sanctuary acquired in 1994. It was designed by Teknicraft in New Zealand and built by All American Marine in Bellingham. Brian Gawley reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Puget Sound Express launches new 149-seat whale-watching vessel
Whale-watching company Puget Sound Express has launched a new, custom-designed vessel – the M.V. Swiftsure – that will operate out of its Edmonds location. Designed by Teknicraft and built by All American Marine, Inc. in Bellingham, the larger 77-foot Swiftsure was modeled after M.V. Saratoga, which was launched in spring 2018. (MyEdmondsNews)

Scientists: Gray whale spotted at Mukilteo waterfront was a newcomer
The whale has lingered around Possession Sound. It’s unclear if it will join a group of regular visitors known as the Sounders. Ellen Dennis reports.

Human Pathogens Are Hitching a Ride on Floating Plastic
Studies show that various human pathogens cling to microplastics in seawater. Michael Allen reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 235 AM PDT Wed Jul 27 2022
TODAY W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming NW 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 3 ft at 9 seconds.