Jan 24, 2020 Skagit Valley Herald
Mussels provide insight to marine water quality
“It is well known that stormwater — the rainwater that flows from hard surfaces including rooftops and sidewalks, parking lots and roads — carries chemicals and metals into streams and eventually Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea.”
Local people can learn about reducing the impact of stormwater and contribute by being more careful about using chemicals on their lawn, washing the car in the driveway, recycling motor oil, etc.
When the press ignores sewage treatment plant outfall people are left out on solutions to this problem.
Local water quality
Back in 2017, Island County Public Health posted a sign at the Coupeville Wharf about restrictions on recreational shellfish harvesting.
Several Island County beaches are now closed for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.
Sewage treatment outfall. Not stormwater.
This appears to be a routine/ongoing situation.
View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.
One or more sewage treatment plants are sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?
Coupeville
Love to see newspeople provide updated reporting on this:
“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”
Source: WDFW
North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing
“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”
Source: WDFW
Sounds like the sewage treatment plant is sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?
Stewardship is a priority:
Sign below educates the public on local waters. Have we ever seen anything related to these handsome signs in the news? Even one time?
Saratoga Passage Marine Stewardship Area
More here:
Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Safety Map
Plenty of brown shaded areas north of Coupeville.
Zoom in and click on any of those shaded areas for more info.
Went out to take a look
I saw no warning signs on 5/21/19 at Monroe Landing.
Image below taken on a March 24, 2019 Penn Cove site visit.
WDFW has posted a permanent sign indicating a dark shaded area in the eastern part of Penn Cove:
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of investigative reporting & newspeople asking questions.
Lack of News Reporting Hurts Newspaper Subscriptions?
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Photo at top of page:
Image taken on a March 24, 2019 Penn Cove site visit.
WDFW has posted a permanent sign indicating a dark shaded area in the eastern part of Penn Cove.
Newspeople remain silent.