Whatcom County’s booming dairy and agricultural industry has cost Lummi Nation shellfish harvesters millions of dollars already, and a recent closure of shellfish beds in Portage Bay is adding to the tally. Manure from dairy cows is discharged either directly or indirectly into the Nooksack River, which flows into Portage Bay. In September, the tribe […]
High levels of fecal coliform prompted the Lummi Nation to close 335 acres of Portage Bay shellfish beds in September. The fecal coliform – mostly from livestock, human and pet waste originating upstream from the reservation – exceeds federal bacterial standards, meaning the shellfish could be unsafe to eat. The voluntary closure affects Lummi’s treaty-protected […]
The Kitsap Sun reported that shellfish beds in Port Gamble Bay are now open for harvest after 12 years of being closed because of high toxic chemical levels. From the story: A health assessment, completed earlier this year, concluded that toxic chemicals in shellfish from the area were below levels of concern for commercially grown shellfish, […]
The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal posted a story about Kitsap County purchasing 535 acres of forestland and 1.5 miles of shoreline on Port Gamble Bay for conservation. Initiated by the Kitsap Forest and Bay Project, this purchase is one of several forested properties in Kitsap that the group, which includes the Port Gamble S’Klallam and […]
Jay Julius, member of the Lummi Indian Business Council, addressed the impacts a proposed coal terminal would have on the environment and treaty-reserved fishing rights.
Maia Bellon, director of the Washington State Department of Ecology, addresses the Tribal Habitat Conference in Port Angeles, discussing the state’s role in toxic cleanups, water quality and human health indicators among other issues. Maia Bellon addresses Tribal Habitat Conference from NW Indian Fisheries Commission on Vimeo.
The Jamestown S’Klallam, Nisqually and Stillaguamish tribes are participating in the SoundToxins monitoring program to provide early warning of harmful algal blooms (HAB) and outbreaks of bacteria that could sicken humans. “We want to make sure shellfish are safe to consume, not just for tribal members, but for all seafood consumers,” said Sue Shotwell, shellfish […]
Treaty tribes in Northwest Washington are working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to use caged mussels to analyze toxic chemicals in Puget Sound. The National Mussel Watch Program, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has been monitoring toxic contaminants in lakes and coastal waters since 1986. The Washington Department […]
The Stillaguamish Tribe is testing ways to use mushroom spawn to improve water quality in agricultural areas. The process, called mycoremediation, allows contaminated water to filter through the fungus’ fibrous roots, which helps reduce fecal contaminants. “Mycoremediation could help improve surface water management on farms by getting rid of fecal coliform without having to excavate […]
Northwest Indian College students on the Tulalip campus are getting field experience monitoring water quality in their own backyard. A few years ago, the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department constructed a wetland adjacent to the parking lot that serves the college as well as the Boys and Girls Club. Engineered wetlands contain highly organic soil […]
