NORTH COAST
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015
Orca calf, mom spotted in the river
EO Media Group
COLUMBIA RIVER —
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ing from a shrimp trip spotted
two orcas about two miles in-
side the Columbia River earlier
this week.
Clint Beasley, who operates
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and one small, rise above the
water.
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the orcas swam close to the
boat before moving on. Beasley
said he thought the orcas were a
calf and its mom.
NOAA’s Northwest Fish-
eries Science Center has been
tracking members of the South-
ern Resident Killer Whale
(SRKW) pods on the outer
coast since Feb. 17, when a
satellite tag was attached to
orca L84, an adult male. Later
in February, federal scientists
spotted a newborn calf, L121,
traveling with its mother, L94,
west of Westport, Wash.
NOAA’s most recent track-
Photo courtesy of Clint Beasley
This orca mother and calf were photographed two miles inside the Columbia River by a
shrimper returning from a trip earlier this week.
ing update on May 11 showed
that the tagged orca was off
the south entrance to Nootka
Sound, midway up the west
coast of Vancouver Island, after
departing Long Beach Peninsu-
la waters on May 4. Earlier this
spring, the tagged orca made
proving,” Borchert said.
The growers were told they
could resume normal opera-
WILLAPA BAY, Wash. — tions.
Though WDOH and the
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in Willapa Bay can breathe a Washington Department of Fish
sigh of relief: The threat of clo- and Wildlife will continue to
sure has passed for now as levels PRQLWRUWKHED\VKHOO¿VKJURZ-
of a harmful marine toxin con- ers likely don’t have to worry.
“At least at this time in the
tinue to drop in the bay.
The Washington Department coastal bays, and at Willapa Bay,
of Health closed all recreational it looks like situations have im-
VKHOO¿VK KDUYHVWLQJ LQ :LOOD- proved,” Borchert said.
The same could not be said
pa Bay May 15 after detecting
rising levels of domoic acid, for coastal beaches.
a marine toxin produced by a
species of marine diatom, a mi-
High levels persist
croorganism that has occasion-
A recent sample at Long
DOO\ EORRPHG LQ 1RUWK 3DFL¿F Beach, revealed levels of domoic
waters since 1991. It can cause acid were at 57 parts per million.
serious illness and even death in Last week, they had only been in
humans.
the mid-20s. At Twin Harbors,
&RPPHUFLDO VKHOO¿VK KDU- levels were at 39 parts per mil-
vesters, meanwhile, were put on lion, also an increase over previ-
standby and advised not to sell ous samples.
manila, or steamer, clams.
The razor clam season will
At the time, levels of domo- not be reopening and the bloom
ic acid in manila clams in the could affect future digs.
“Over the years we’ve
bay were at 10 parts per million
and rising quickly, according to learned that razor clams seem
Jerry Borchert, marine biotoxin to be number one at picking up
coordinator with WDOH. The this toxin and holding onto it,”
department’s threshold is higher, Borchert said.
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at 20 parts per million.
Monday, the heath depart- manager at WDFW, said he has
ment sampled more clams and seen years where razor clams
saw that the levels were begin- pick up the toxin in the fall and
ning to drop. The highest level still have signs of it a year later.
On May 13, WDFW an-
was now only 7 parts per mil-
nounced the closure of recre-
lion.
“We consider that holding ational and commercial razor
steading and maybe slightly im- clam seasons on all coastal
By KATIE WILSON
EO Media Group
close approaches to Cape Dis-
appointment, but the satellite
never showed him within the
river itself.
Aside from members of the
three SRKW pods that primar-
ily based themselves in Puget
Sound, transient orcas also visit
the mouth of the Columbia and
its biologically rich plume that
extends many miles into the Pa-
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whether the mother and calf
photographed in the river this
week are resident or transient
killer whales.
beaches in Washington.
As of May 18, the Wash-
ington Fish and Wildlife De-
partment was beginning a stock
assessment of razor clam popu-
lations. The early closure of the
commercial razor clam season
affects some 60 license holders
though only about half of these
license holders dig seriously and
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Ayres.
“It’s small potatoes compared
to coastal crab or pink shrimp,”
Ayres said. Still, he added, the
clams have been fetching high
prices in recent years and, de-
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ery is comparable to salmon
gillnet operations on Willapa
Bay, bringing in several hundred
thousand dollars a year.
Other species
razor clams with high levels of
domoic acid.
WDOH and WDFW will
continue to monitor toxin lev-
els along the coast and in the
bays.
When blooms occur in the
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tend to hold onto the domoic
acid longer. One piece of possi-
ble good news is that this bloom
occurred during the spring.
6KHOO¿VK DUH FROGEORRG-
ed. In the warmer spring water,
their metabolisms are more ac-
tive and with healthy, non-toxic
algae blooms likely to follow,
WDOH expects the oysters and
clams (with the exception of ra-
]RUFODPVZLOOTXLFNO\¿OWHUWKH
domoic acid out of their systems.
But, Borchert cautioned, “it
may still take some time.”
In the days leading up to clo-
sure of the razor clam season,
levels of domoic acid were rising
and both WDFW and Depart-
ment of Health employees were
beginning to look at other spe-
cies, sampling oysters and other
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even tested Dungeness crab in
the ocean, according to Ayres.
“We have had issues with
Dungeness crab in the past,” he
said. “The only closure we’ve
ever had with Dungeness crab
occurred in 2002 in Willapa Bay
only.” The assumption at the time
was that the crab were accumu-
lating toxin from feeding on
many property owners in
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Property owners in premium reductions.
Golightly said he has
the Lewis and Clark Fire
District should see a sig- worked on the ISO rating
QL¿FDQW UHGXFWLRQ LQ WKHLU process for three years.
insurance premiums after His work on reducing the
WKH ¿UH GLVWULFW¶V UDWLQJ rate has included evalu-
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dropped.
Lewis and Clark Fire ment’s training and equip-
and Rescue Chief Jeff ment, water supply, the
Golightly said at the dispatch center and mutual
monthly Board of Direc- aid agreements with neigh-
tors meeting that the In- ERULQJ¿UHGHSDUWPHQWV
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set the rating at 3/5, down district property owners
to check with their in-
from 7/8.
Most insurance carriers surance agent to assure
base business and home- they receive the proper
owner rates on the ISO credit when their policies
ratings, Golightly said, so renew.
off the event, with the pre-
sentations to follow .
Pacifica Project, cele-
brating its 23rd year, is “a
service-learning
program
required of all graduating
seniors,” according to a re-
lease.
Students can work indi-
vidually or in small groups
and are required to volun-
Columbia Memorial to
host car show fundraiser
The Daily Astorian
Columbia
Memorial
Hospital is hosting its first
annual American Cancer
Society Relay for Life Car
Show fundraiser from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. June 6 on the
west side of the hospital
campus.
The event includes par-
ticipants from area car
clubs, including Lower Co-
lumbia Classics, Beach Bar-
ons and Clatskanie Cruis-
ers, but is also open to other
Relay for Life teams.
Prizes will be awarded
to the top three participants
For online updates:
www.dailyastorian.com
Astoria,
Oregon
2015
Tim May
Josh Reynolds
John Lawlor
EZ Marc Jean Mann
Prof Douglas Fraser
Carl Allen ...and many others!
WORKSHOPS for: tenor guitar mandolin & ukulele!
Up to date details at:
TenorGuitarFoundation.org
* A Day & Evening of Tenor Guitars
* Chicago tuning and ukulele day
* Backstage Pass Concert
* Tenor Guitar Luncheon
* Playing on The Trolley
* Play live on KMUN ..and more!
teer approximately 50 hours
of service for a community
need, project or organiza-
tion.
The presentations give se-
niors a chance to share testi-
monials about their projects
with the community. Seaside
High School instructors and
community judges score the
presentations.
CELEBRATING
VETERANS
CELEBRATING
FREEDOM
201 4 RAM
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Weekend
Raffle tickets will be sold
for the chance to help fire
Civil War cannons.
FORT STEVENS STATE PARK HISTORIC AREA
SATURDAY & SUNDAY,
MAY 23 & 24 • 11AM-4PM
Ft. Stevens State Park, Hammond, OR
email: foofs@teleport.com Click on: www.visitfortstevens.com
1863
1947
OREGON’S DEFENDER
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F RIENDS OF
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Follow the Old Soldiers
Trail and learn the story of
Fort Stevens the Defender
at the River of the West.
in a viewer’s choice award,
and 94.3 Hits FM will be on
site to provide musical en-
tertainment.
Car show registration
forms are available at
Lum’s, Ocean Crest and
O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in
Warrenton, and Napa Auto
Parts in Astoria. The en-
trance fee is $30 per vehicle
or Relay for Life team par-
ticipant, and checks should
be made payable to the
American Cancer Society/
Relay for Life.
For information about
the event, contact Ivan Sul-
tan at 503-338-4005.
th
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Seaside High Schoolhosts
its annual Pacifica Project
presentations 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday at the Seaside
Civic and Convention Cen-
ter. The public is invited to
attend to support the gradu-
ating class of 2015.
A keynote session kicks
Lewis and Clark Fire
District insurance
premiums drop
The Daily Astorian
6KHOO¿VKWR[LQOHYHOVGURSLQ:LOODSD%D\
The Daily Astorian
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