Salish Sea News and Weather

Friday, April 7, 2023

4/7 Clara Butt tulip, Lummi reefnet, land-based fish farm, 'Chainsaw,' WA water, week in review

Clara Butt tulip

Clara Butt tulip (1889)
Once the world’s most popular tulip, gracing hundreds of catalog covers, this willowy, shell-pink beauty was lost to gardeners in 2007 when the last US grower finally gave it up. To save it, we sent 100 bulbs from his last harvest to our friends in Holland, and now there’s enough to share! Though bred from antique Flemish stock, ‘Clara’ was the prototypical 20th-century tulip – not feathered or flamed, not short and bright, but tall, late, pastel, and lovely. (Old House Gardens)

Sustainable salmon fishing the Lummi way
Reef netting is an integral part of Lummi culture that was once widely practiced. But shortly after the Point Elliott Treaty was signed in 1855, everything about how Indigenous people fished — from their waters and catch limits, to the land where they processed their catch — was forcibly taken away until the practice nearly died out. The Lummi have spent more than 100 years trying to claw their way back to it. Jackie Varriano reports. (Seattle Times)

WA’s DNR pivots to fish farms on land after net-pen controversy
...The state Department of Natural Resources this week signed an agreement with Sustainable Blue, a Nova Scotian Atlantic salmon farming company, to identify state lands that could support a fish-farming facility and to eventually negotiate a lease. The agreement is not binding. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

Famous killer whale ‘Chainsaw’ returns to Salish Sea
A local celebrity killer whale has returned to the Salish Sea, the Pacific Whale Watch Association said on Thursday. T63, known as Chainsaw for his jagged fin, is a member of the coastal Bigg’s killer whale population. He was first spotted on Tuesday morning in Boundary Pass near Washington’s San Juan Islands. Julia Dallas reports. (KIRO)

Experts have ‘serious drought concerns’ for WA this summer. Here’s why they’re worried
Much of Washington is entering spring dangerously close to drought conditions, and the low snowpack in the Cascades and throughout eastern Washington isn’t doing much to alleviate conditions. Shauna Goodman reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 4/7/23: Beaver Friday, Snake R dams, disaster lessons, dissolved oxygen, bat fungus, plastic fish, green crabs, Willow drill, BC water levels, WA water

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

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 400 AM PDT Fri Apr 7 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY W wind to 10 kt becoming SW 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 5 ft at 9 seconds. Showers likely in the morning then a chance of showers in the afternoon.
TONIGHT S wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. SW swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening then rain likely after midnight.
SAT SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the afternoon. W swell 10 ft at 8 seconds. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 7 to 9 ft. W swell 9 ft at 10 seconds becoming S 8 ft at 14 seconds after midnight.
SUN SE wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 6 to 8 ft building to 8 to 10 ft in the afternoon. SW swell 10 ft at 14 seconds becoming S 8 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon.

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Thursday, April 6, 2023

4/6 Bridesmaid tulip, cruise ship plug-in, whales v crabbers, BC low water, Willow drilling, unsilent Spring

Bridesmaid tulip

Bridesmaid tulip (1900)
With an unusually long, slender shape this lovely broken tulip was introduced by the legendary bulb-house of Krelage and Sons. In 1907 the Peter Henderson catalog praised it as “brilliant cherry rose flushed and striped with scarlet, violet, and white, very distinct.” Aka ‘Maid of Holland.’ (Old House Gardens)

BC to pay $9 million for cruise ship shore power in Victoria
The province is contributing $9 million toward detailed engineering designs for shore power at Ogden Point, so visiting cruise ships can turn off their engines and plug into the local power grid. Karla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

For Whales and Crabbers, Finding Balance Is Getting Harder
As climate change causes more marine heatwaves, finding space for both is getting even more difficult. Jesse Kathan reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Low water levels in lake and rivers across B.C. have some worried
Snowmelt and spring rain could turn around a situation that looks ominous with many B.C. lakes and rivers at unusually low levels for this time of year. Glenda Luymes reports. (Vancouver Sun)

In Pristine Alaska, ConocoPhillips Prepares to Drill for Decades
Scientists say nations must stop new oil and gas projects to avoid climate catastrophe. But after the Biden administration greenlit the $8 billion Willow project, ConocoPhillips is racing ahead. Lisa Friedman and Clifford Krauss report. (NY Times)

Not So Silent Spring
David B. Williams in Street Smart Naturalist writes: "Coming home late the other day, I was startled by sound as I crossed Interstate 5 on a pedestrian bridge north of our house. Of course there were the mellifluous rhythms of traffic but rising above that din was a sonic riot of Pacific tree frogs, also known as Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla). They have the classic ribb-et, or krr-r-r-eek, call of a wild batrachian in love, or at least interested in mating. (Street Smart Naturalist)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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- 313 AM PDT Thu Apr 6 2023 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft. SW swell 10 ft at 9 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT SE wind 15 to 25 kt becoming SW 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after midnight. S swell 10 ft at 10 seconds building to 12 ft at 11 seconds after midnight. Rain.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

4/5 Apricot Beauty tulip, ocean plastic, snailfish, dead whale, L Whatcom, green crab

Apricot Beauty tulip

Apricot Beauty tulip (1953)
“Delectable anywhere,” writes garden-guru Ann Lovejoy, “it should be planted by the bagful.” Lightly fragrant and winner of multiple awards including the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, this popular tulip has been celebrated for its dreamy and unusual color for over 60 years. (Old House Gardens)

How Plastic Opens Fish Up to Disease
Higher death rates, bigger viral loads, and more viral shedding—plastic causes big problems for rainbow trout trying to fend off a common disease. Elise Cutts reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Check out the deepest-swimming fish ever caught on camera
...Scientists working off the coast of Japan say they've managed to capture images of the deepest-swimming fish ever caught on camera. The unknown snailfish species, of the genus Pseudoliparis, was recorded swimming in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench at a depth of 8,336 meters — or more than 27,000 feet down. Jon Hernandez reports. (NPR)

Dead whale that washed up on Fox Island beach was hit by a vessel, necropsy shows
A gray whale that washed up on a Fox Island beach was most likely killed in a collision with a ship, a necropsy showed. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Lake Whatcom water quality shows signs of recovery, concerns remain
Water quality in Lake Whatcom has improved marginally in recent years, according to new data from Western Washington University researchers. Monthly sampling at four sites around the lake — which monitors algae, dissolved oxygen and phosphorus levels, among other things — shows very slow improvements in nutrient levels. JuliA Lerner reports. (CDN)

Shellfish growers in Northwest's oyster capital want 'blitz' against invasive green crabs
Shellfish growers in Willapa Bay in southwest Washington, the self-styled "Oyster Capital of the World," are alarmed by an invasion of potentially destructive non-native European green crabs. Some are asking for an all-out trapping offensive to corral the invasive species. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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- 314 AM PDT Wed Apr 5 2023 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING
TODAY SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 3 to 5 ft in the afternoon. W swell 2 ft at 6 seconds building to 4 ft at 7 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 7 seconds building to 10 ft at 8 seconds after midnight. Rain likely in the evening then rain after midnight.

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

4/4 acuminata tulip, Lolita, bat fungus, beach dogs, Columbia hatcheries

acuminata tulip

acuminata tulip (1816)
Anna Pavord calls this “spidery and mad.” Unknown in the wild, it’s probably the last survivor from the early 1700s when stiletto-petalled tulips like it were all the rage in the Ottoman Empire. (Old House Gardens)

Bringing Lolita home: How to release a long-captive orca?
An ambitious plan announced last week to return Lolita, a killer whale held captive for more than a half-century, to her home waters in Washington’s Puget Sound thrilled those who have long advocated for her to be freed from her tank at the Miami Seaquarium. But it also called to mind the release of Keiko — the star of the movie “Free Willy” — more than two decades ago. Keiko’s return to his native Iceland vastly improved upon his life in a Mexico City tank, but he failed to adapt to the wild and died five years later. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

Deadly fungus that has wiped out bat populations detected in B.C.
A fungus causing a disease that has wiped out bat populations across North America has been detected in British Columbia, the province says. A statement Monday said the fungus that leads to white-nose syndrome in bats was found in bat guano — or bat droppings — in the Grand Forks area of the Kootenays. (CBC)

Gone to the Dogs
Man’s best friend is a shorebird’s worst enemy. What will it take to control beach dogs—and, more importantly, their owners? Ben Goldfarb reports. (Hakai Magazine)

$50M isn't enough to save salmon hatcheries on the Columbia River
With facilities at risk of collapse under the strain of climate change, nations say much more federal funding is needed for upgrades and repairs. Tony Schick reports. (OPB/ProPublica)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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- 255 AM PDT Tue Apr 4 2023
TODAY SE wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. NW swell 5 ft at 9 seconds.
TONIGHT S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds.

Monday, April 3, 2023

4/3 Absalon tulip, BC mineral rights, WA lege, climate disasters, SRKW grants, Snake dams, island farming, BS detection, Edmonds debris, two islands, boat birding

Absalon tulip

Absalon tulip (1780)
18th-century ‘Absalon’ is intricately patterned with swirling flames of dark chocolate and chestnut on gold. It’s a true broken tulip, a Dutch Bizarre from the Hortus Bulborum. (Old House Gardens)

First Nations' court challenge to B.C.'s mineral rights system begins today
A challenge by two First Nations against the way British Columbia grants mineral claims begins in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday morning, marking the first legal test of the province's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The Gitxaała and Ehattesaht First Nations have sued the province over its Mineral Tenures Act, which currently grants mineral claims for a nominal fee via an online system and does not include initial consultation with Indigenous people. (CBC)

Housing funds, public safety on negotiating table in final weeks of WA's legislative session
As Washington's legislative session enters its final weeks, key debates remain unsettled on public safety and health policies – as well as how much new funding the state will put toward affordable housing. Jeanie Lindsay reports. (KUOW)

Bracing for Disasters
Climate calamities will increase in BC. What can we learn from survivors? What must be done to help evacuees and save lives? A special Tyee series. Francesca Fionda reports. (The Tyee)

Another Casualty of Climate Change: Dissolved Oxygen
Vast oxygen-depleted deserts are an expected feature of our warming oceans. Lance Frazer reports. (Hakai Magazine)

NFWF Announces $1.1 Million in Grants from the Killer Whale Research and Conservation Program
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), together with program partners SeaWorld, BNSF Railway, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA today announced $1,129,000 in grants to increase the availability of priority prey (Chinook salmon), reduce sound and vessel disturbance in killer whale habitat, and to monitor the health of Southern Resident killer whales in the coastal waters of Washington. The grants will generate $1,327,000 in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $2.4 million. (News release)

U.S. House Republicans halt plans to breach WA's Snake River dams
Previous plans to help endangered salmon by removing four dams are likely on hold with Republicans in the majority. Nicholas K. Geranios reports. (Crosscut)

Back to the land in the islands — Part 2: Women who farm
Island farming is an experiment in sustaining a lifestyle — but much more, as young farmers look for ways to support and feed the community. Kathryn Wheeler reports. (Salish Current)

Review: The art and science of bullshit detection — skepticism in a data-driven world
A “badly needed” field guide and the subject of a free local presentation on April 13, “Calling Bullshit” primes readers with attitude and insights to help recognize what’s true and what’s not. Dean Kahn writes. (Salish Current)

Divers brave briny Edmonds entanglements to collect marine debris
Discarded fishing line, squid jigs and bait traps threaten underwater ecosystems. But this group of volunteers dove in to help. Kayla J. Dunn reports. (Everett Herald)

A tale of two islands
Eric Wagner writes: "Destruction Island in the California Current off Washington’s outer coast, and Protection Island in the Salish Sea off the north coast of the Olympic peninsula — and the thousands of rhinoceros auklets that bred on each island — roughly 13,000 on Destruction, and more than 70,000 on Protection — had indeed responded in their own ways to the northeast Pacific marine heatwave, known colloquially as The Blob." (Puget Sound Institute)

How to go birding by boat in Western Washington
...(Take) a boat birding trip from Anacortes to Vendovi Island, an island preserve located in Washington’s northeastern Salish Sea, between Lummi and Guemes islands. Naturalist and guide Stephanie Fernandez of Skagit Guided Adventures had planned our day and, over seven hours, would lead us birding while en route to Vendovi, where we could spend two hours traversing the woods, beaches and meadows across the 217 acres of this island gem. Bryony Angell writes. (Seattle Times)

Kelp Farming: Promises, Pitfalls, and What We Still Don’t Know
Seaweed farmers promise to feed people, combat climate change, support coastal communities, and restore ocean habitat. Can kelp do it all? On April 11, join Rebecca Martone, marine ecologist and executive director of the Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the Northeast Pacific, and expert panelists for a free, engaging discussion online on kelp farming, its promises and pitfalls. (Hakai Magazine)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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- 332 AM PDT Mon Apr 3 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY NW wind to 10 kt becoming W 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. W swell 8 ft at 5 seconds.
TONIGHT NW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 5 seconds. A chance of showers.

Friday, March 31, 2023

3/31 Western tanager, Tokitae return, GasLink arrests, MV Schiedyk cleanup, murder hornets, swimming wolf, shared strategy

Western tanager

Western tanager Piranga ludoviciana
A clear look at a male Western Tanager is like looking at a flame: an orange-red head, brilliant yellow body, and coal-black wings, back and tail. Females and immatures are a somewhat dimmer yellow-green and blackish. These birds live in open woods all over the West, particularly among evergreens, where they often stay hidden in the canopy. (All About Birds)

Miami Seaquarium announces new effort to return last captive Puget Sound orca
The new leaders of the Miami Seaquarium announced Thursday an effort to release orca Tokitae, also known as Lolita, to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest after she has lived in a small tank for more than five decades. The company said in a statement it is working toward relocating the orca, a likely member of the L pod of the endangered southern residents, in the next 18 to 24 months. Details of Tokitae's return home remain sparse, but the Miami Seaquarium has secured financial support from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay. Isabella Breda reports. (Seattle Times)

RCMP arrest five land defenders on Wet’suwet’en territory as Coastal GasLink construction continues
Police enforcement of a search warrant for theft under $5,000 led to five arrests for obstruction, including the arrest of the daughter of a Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

After 55 Years, B.C. Cleans Up the Wreck of the MV Schiedyk
More than half a century after the cargo ship MV Schiedyk sank on Canada’s west coast, 21st century technology and teamwork with First Nations helped to remove an oily hazard from the environment. (Marine Executive)

Do you want a job murdering ‘murder hornets’? Washington state is hiring
The state Department of Agriculture is looking to hire a giant hornet and wood boring insect trapper. Translation: Sherlock Holmes the heck out of the so-called “murder hornet” and terminate with extreme prejudice. Murder hornet is the name the news media has given to the invasive northern giant hornet from Japan that first appeared in Washington in 2019. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Wolf caught swimming off remote part of Vancouver Island
A B.C. woman was on a boat at the right time and managed to see a wolf swimming near Kyuquot Sound off the coast of Vancouver Island. Alanna Kelly reports. (Times Colonist)

Opinion: Protect Salish Sea with shared strategy between B.C. and WA
On March 8, the High Seas Treaty was agreed upon and signed by United Nations member nations, after nearly 20 years of negotiation. The historic treaty will provide a legal platform for establishing large areas of the high seas as marine protected areas. The intention is to gain stronger protection for marine life and biodiversity for the planet beyond national jurisdictions. This phenomenal agreement gives rise to the question: Can we also reach such an agreement between Canada and the United States to protect marine life and biodiversity of the Salish Sea? Given our history, it would seem more than achievable. Christianne Wilhelmson and Ginny Broadhurst write. (Seattle Times)

Salish Sea News Week in Review 3/31/23: César Chávez Friday, kelp forests, bad BNSF, orca prey, herring spawn, BC mining, Tokitae return.

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

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 228 AM PDT Fri Mar 31 2023
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY S wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 7 seconds. Rain.
TONIGHT W wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 10 seconds. Rain.
SAT W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 5 ft at 7 seconds and N 3 ft at 8 seconds building to 8 ft at 9 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
SAT NIGHT SW wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 10 seconds.
SUN S wind to 10 kt. Wind waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

3/30 Wilson's warbler, herring spawn, crypto mining, frog song, Seattle sewer, BC mining

Wilson's warbler
[Brad Imhoff/All About Birds]

Wilson's warbler Cardellina pusilla
Wilson's warbler is a small New World warbler. It is greenish above and yellow below, with rounded wings and a long, slim tail. The male has a black crown patch; depending on the subspecies, that mark is reduced or absent in the female. (Wikipedia)

Herring spawn off northern Vancouver Island dazzles residents and animals alike
Just off the coast of northern Vancouver Island, the ocean waters have turned a vibrant shade of turquoise as herring spawn in an area where they've never been recorded before. Port McNeill resident Jackie Hildering, who works with the Marine Education and Research Society, says the spawn has given her and her neighbours a "front-row seat to the importance of herring." Courtney Dickson reports. (CBC) See also: B.C. photos capture fantastic images of herring spawning (Times Colonist)

Where the PNW — and the rest of the U.S. — stands on crypto mining
As cryptocurrency mining draws increased scrutiny on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., some state legislatures are considering proposals to restrict the industry over growing concerns about its energy use. Other states, though, are advancing bills to protect cryptocurrency miners from such crackdowns, citing the economic potential of hosting mining operations. Alex Brown reports. (Stateline/Crosscut)

It’s ‘Ribbit, ribbit’ season in Washington. Just what are those frogs trying to say?
It’s spring — when a young frog’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. OK, we can’t say for sure if frogs have the same emotions as humans, but the chorus of croaks coming from the swampier areas of Pierce and Thurston counties are definitely mating calls. So says Max Lambert, an aquatic habitat research scientist with the state Department of Natural Resources. Craig Sailor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Work underway to ensure wastewater treatment plant can function even during 'disruptive events'
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks' Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) has begun the next step of a process to ensure backup power at its West Point Treatment Plant in Magnolia near Seattle. This week trucks are delivering and crews are pouring more than 1,600 tons of concrete as the agency builds a structure to house a massive battery that will provide power reliability for the plant, preventing wastewater and stormwater from being discharged into Puget Sound during disruptive events. Erica Zucco reports. (KING)

Biden and Trudeau agree to address mining pollution in B.C.’s Elk Valley — and it’s a big deal
Pollution from some of Canada’s largest coal mines has been getting worse for decades and is now spilling over into the U.S. As the two heads of state turn their attention to the growing conundrum of selenium in B.C.’s southeast corner, here’s what you need to know. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal)

Have you read the Salish Current?
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- 220 AM PDT Thu Mar 30 2023
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. A slight chance of showers.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 4 ft at 8 seconds. A chance of showers in the evening then showers likely after midnight.