Cover Story
Local Refineries Affect Southern Resident Orcas
by Faith Owens The impacts of Whatcom County refineries stretch beyond local waters … Western Whatcom County is nuzzled by the Salish Sea at the broad intersection of the Strait of Georgia and Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is … Continue reading
Cover Story
Harris Avenue Shipyard Cleanup Project
by Luisa Loi The Port of Bellingham and the Washington state Department of Ecology are working together to clean up the Harris Avenue Shipyard, located at the foot of Harris Avenue in Fairhaven. The shipyard is one of 12 cleanup … Continue reading
Beaks and Bills
by Joe Meche Before we get too far along, I should say that summer is my least favorite season and the Fourth of July/Independence Day is my least favorite holiday. If I felt that everyone was thinking about the significance … Continue reading
Being Frank
Untangling Nooksack River Water Rights
by Lorraine Loomis The Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe are looking forward to the start of the process to untangle water rights and protect threatened salmon in the Nooksack River basin by finding out just how much water there is … Continue reading
Watching Government
Action Taken at June 7, 2021 Meeting Mayor’s Report The Bellingham library remodel is complete; it opened on June 7 with limited in-person services and 50 percent capacity limitation. The Port of Bellingham in partnership with the Bellingham Chamber of … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at June 1, 2021 Meeting Shall the council: 123. Authorize the executive to sign a ,000 contract (amendment #2) with the Northwest Workforce Council of Bellingham? The original contract was approved at the 10/27/2020 … Continue reading
Climate
The Heatwave Melted All the Nooksack’s Extra 2021 Snowpack
by RE Sources staff Snowmelt triggered by the heat wave wiped out any benefit that higher-than-average snowpack levels might have held for river flows in the summer dry season. If you were anywhere in the high country of the North … Continue reading
Community Service Providers
Our TreeHouse Helps With Grief
by Caitlin Koch Editor’s Note: There are over 100 organizations in Whatcom County working to provide supportive services to those experiencing chronic poverty and its associated effects: addiction, homelessness, incarceration, mental illness, and unemployment. Whatcom Watch believes these organizations often … Continue reading
Journalism
Whatcom Watch Series Wins Award
by Jennifer Karchmer To the Editor: Hello from Ithaca, New York. In May, I drove cross-country from Washington and landed in central New York’s Finger Lakes region. You may be wondering, why Ithaca? It’s my college town and I celebrate … Continue reading
poetrywatch
Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — … Continue reading
Salmon
Strong Run of Spring Chinook Salmon Predicted
by Alex Morris No word yet on actual numbers … To an outsider, the simple trailer sitting outside the Whatcom Creek hatchery in Maritime Heritage Park may not seem like much. Yet, inside, the renewal of the iconic Pacific Northwest … Continue reading
Twenty Years Ago
How We Can Save the Salish Sea
Since January 2014, Whatcom Watch has been rerunning articles from issues printed 20 years ago. The below article appeared in the August 2001 issue of Whatcom Watch. ______________________ by Robyn duPre I was recently asked to give the League of … Continue reading
