Surging Seas: A Project of Climate Central

Surging Seas National Map An embeddable version of the Surging Seas map, starting with a national view. Users can explore sea level and coastal flood risk within the widget by panning, zooming, and water level controls; or jump to SurgingSeas.org for full-page map views and full functionality, by using the search function.

Surging Seas Local MapAn embeddable version of the Surging Seas map, starting with a local city view of your choice: just set city and state names within the snippet. You may also set the zoom level (6-16) using the data-zoom attribute. Names must match coastal cities as they appear in SurgingSeas.org.

Coastal Flood Risk LookupAn embeddable widget accommodating single-column width, that lets users jump to coastal flood risk map views for the cities, states or zip codes they type. 

Click this link to Explore the map.

Two Part Environmental Film Series

Parasite Loads an Underlying Cause of Salmon Mortality, Linked to Land Use Changes

ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2011) — A recent study suggests that parasites in fish, including threatened species of Oregon coho salmon, may have more profound impacts on fish health than has been assumed, and could be one of the key mechanisms by which habitat and land use changes cause salmon mortality.

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New Soft Shore Stabilization Poster Unveiled

Michelle McConnell and Shannon Glass unveil the new poster: "Soft Shore Stabilization: The Natural Alternative to Bulkheads" at the Watershed Stewardship Resource Center in Port Townsend.  A collaborative effort between the MRC and the Department of Community Development, the poster illustrates softshore restoration techniques that are preferred in the new Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program.

Erosion is a common concern among shoreline landowners and many turn to armoring as a solution. Often erosion is caused by upland drainage or unstable slopes, and not wave action. No type of shore defense is effective in this case. If shore defense is necessary, soft shore stabilization is preferred.  The poster explains the difference between structural armoring and soft shore stabalization and directs readers to websites where more information is available.  A "rack card" is available for visitors to the Watershed Stewardship Resource Center to take with them.

The MRC has plans for future collaboration with the Department of Community Development to illustrate other elemtns of the Shoreline Master program that address overwater structures and mooring buoys.

Point Whitney Olympia Oyster Survey

 Jefferson MRC chair, Michael Adams, conducted a population survey of the beach at Point Whitney using standard protocols. 48 locations were sampled with the highest numbers occurring under pacific oyster shell in the windrows where they could avoid predation. My highest count was 27 animals per 4 square feet; however, the beach overall averaged less than one animal per sq. ft.

Olympia Oyster Identification Training Workshops

Olympia oyster training workshops are being offered this spring and summer to teach people how to 1) find and identify Olympia oysters; 2) assess habitat conditions; and 3) report these findings to the State to provide more accurate information on current distribution.

Olympia oysters – the only oyster native to the West Coast - can be found throughout most of their historic range, but current populations represent less than 4% of historic core populations and are mostly limited to remnant aggregations where habitat characteristics remain favorable. The goal of Olympia oyster rebuilding efforts is to restore the ecosystem benefits associated with larger assemblages.

The first step to rebuilding native oyster habitat and restoring ecosystem services associated with dense, consolidated beds is to find remnant populations and identify the right habitat conditions. A comprehensive effort is underway to expand native oyster enhancement in the North Sound. The purpose of the workshops is to train and recruit a cadre of people who can conduct presence/absence surveys in specific North Sound embayments. The workshops are co-sponsored by Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Puget Sound Restoration Fund and the Northwest Straits Foundation (with funding from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation).

Schedule:
1. Bywater Bay Lagoon, Jefferson County May 31, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Meet at Seven Sisters Rd parking lot. From the Kitsap Peninsula, travel west across the Hood Canal Bridge and take the first right onto Paradise Bay Road. Proceed north for about three quarters of a mile and turn right onto Seven Sisters Road. Follow Seven Sisters Road to the parking lot at the end of the road. The access to the beach is at the east end of the parking lot. Wolfe Property State Park is to the left of the access and Shine Tidelands State Park is to the right.

2. Semiahmoo Spit, Whatcom County June 2, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Meet at Semiahmoo Marina, 9540 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine, WA 98230 http://semiahmoomarina.com/location.html

3. Fidalgo Bay, Skagit County June 14, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet at the March’s Point Park and Ride just north of Highway 20 and south of the refinery tanks on March’s Point. http://washington.hometownlocator.com/maps/feature-map,ftc,2,fid,2608134,n,march's%20point%20park%20and%20ride.cfm

4. Seal Rock, Jefferson County July 13, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. USFS campground located on the west shore of Hood Canal, 2 miles north of Brinnon, WA on U.S. Highway 101.

Registration:
To register for the workshops, please contact Tracie Johannessen with the Northwest Straits Foundation, (360) 756-5024, johannessen@nwstraits.org

Monthly Meeting - You're invited!

The Jefferson County MRC will meet 6:00-8:00p.m., Tuesday, May 3 at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend (map). The Committee will be updating its list of priorities for the Puget Sound Partnership, Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network.  Other agenda items include committee reports, and routine updates.  Download the complete agenda.