A particularly worrisome mussel species has entered North America for the first time through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — sparking what many are calling an immediate threat to California’s most significant watersheds.Golden mussels, invasive freshwater bivalves that have devastated ecosystems and critical water infrastructure in other parts of the world, were recently discovered near the Port of Stockton. Limnoperna fortunei appear to have also found their way many miles downstream into O’Neill Forebay of the San Luis Reservoir, where officials in Merced County have been rapidly conducting genetic testing.“The species poses a significant immediate threat to the ecological health of the Delta and all waters of the state, water conveyance systems, infrastructure and water quality,” according to a public alert by the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “This discovery is the first known occurrence of golden mussels in North America.”These mussels probably infiltrated California by a ship traveling from an international port and are likely to spread throughout the Delta and through the water infrastructure associated with the Delta, officials said in a statement. “Without containment, golden mussels are likely to spread to other freshwater bodies in California, and to other ports and inland waters of North America, and abroad.”Keep Reading
Wave energy has been untapped so far, but an experiment could unlock its potential in the United States.NEWPORT, Ore. — At a moment when large offshore wind projects are encountering public resistance, a nascent ocean industry is showing promise: wave energy.It’s coming to life in Newport, a rainy coastal town of nearly 10,500 people located a couple of hours south of Portland. Home to fishing operators and researchers, Newport attracts tourists and retirees with its famous aquarium, sprawling beaches and noisy sea lions. If you ask anyone at the lively bayfront about a wave energy project, they probably won’t know much about it.And yet, right off the coast, a $100 million effort with funding from the Energy Department aims to convert the power of waves into energy, and help catch up to Europe in developing this new technology. The buoy-like contraptions, located several miles offshore, will deliver up to 20 megawatts of energy — enough to power thousands of homes and businesses.As federal officials look to shift America’s electricity grid away from fossil fuels, they are seeking alternatives to solar and wind, which can deliver energy only when the sun shines or the wind blows. Waves — constant and full of untapped energy — have emerged as a promising option. And because wave energy projects are relatively unobtrusive, they are far less controversial than offshore wind, which has generated fierce opposition on both U.S. coasts. In September, the Biden administration announced that up to $112.5 million would go toward the development of wave energy converters, the largest federal investment in marine energy.There is enough energy in the waves off America’s coasts to power one-third of all the nation’s homes, said Matthew Grosso, the Energy Department’s director of the water power technologies office.Keep Reading
On Thursday, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife pushed out crabbing season to mid-December in the wake of a dozen whale entanglements.Between May and October 2024, four humpback whales were entangled in California Dungeness crab fishing gear and eight were entangled in unidentified gear, prompting CDFW to delay the season, as it begins during a whale migratory period.The decision did not surprise the state’s commercial crab fishers or environmental groups lobbying for stricter protections for migrating whales.“I think what people would appreciate, what fishermen would appreciate mostly is for the Fish and Wildlife Department to just tell us well in advance what it is, if I’m supposed to be hurrying up now getting ready for December 15,” Mike Cunningham, a Eureka fisherman and crabber said.Given the delays that have happened with regularity over the past several years, Cunningham floated the idea that the season could just start on Jan. 1 after the threat of entangling or striking whales is reduced.Keep Reading
In September, a couple of rusty old trains, parked at the Balloon Track in Eureka for over two decades, were dismantled into heaps of scrap metal. On Monday, the company that owns the trains was fined for spilling diesel fuel and engine oil from the beasts during the operation.The notice of violation, issued by Humboldt County Environmental Health on Monday, said DEH staff responded to a report on Sept. 13 of hazardous materials released at the site.“Some of the diesel fuel and engine oil within the locomotives had been contained in four 55-gallon drums, but significant amounts of fluids remained within the locomotives during dismantling. Dieselmotive staff neglected to sufficiently remove these fluids or provide adequate containment to prevent releases directly to the ground,” the NOV said.Keep Reading
On Thursday, Humboldt County Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Development Director Rob Holmlund told the directors that right now, he’s pursuing several grants to fully fund the project and meeting with local stakeholders, such as Samoa residents and the area’s tribes.The offshore wind terminal project — which received $427 million from the federal government in January— could have massive reverberations in the local economy, but at the moment, it’s still seeking a litany of grants and stakeholder input. The grants — including a California Energy Commission Waterfront Facility Improvement Program Grant — the board is pursuing could help provide additional assessments of the potential impacts to the harbor, something several public commenters supported.Humboldt Waterkeeper Director Jen Kalt told the board about the Golden mussel, an invasive species native to China and Southeast Asia that was discovered last week for the first time in the Port of Stockton. If the bivalves catch a ride in the ballast water on ships that make it into Humboldt Bay, it could devastate the local oyster seed industry“The whole West Coast is reliant on the oyster seed coming from Humboldt Bay and … all it would take is one vessel with an oyster disease to destroy this industry that’s been thrilled for all these years,” Kalt said.Responding to Kalt’s concerns, Commissioner Greg Dale noted that the greatest current threat to fisheries is climate change. The wind farm is part of California’s goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, a goal they’re not likely to reach unless farms off the coast of California are built.Keep Reading
