County Briefs

Matt Baide | Apr 13, 20230

Courtesy photo count

The Shelton Yacht Club's flag officers salute during the 2022 Daffodil Marine Festival hosted at the Tacoma Yacht Club.

Shelton Yacht Club in Tacoma festival

The Shelton Yacht Club will participate in the Tacoma Yacht Club's Daffodil Marine Festival at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

According to a news release, the annual decorated boat parade runs until 2 p.m. along the Tacoma waterfront and can be viewed along Ruston Way from restaurants and parking areas.

Boats will be decorated with thousands of daffodils and other flowers. The Shelton Yacht Club's boat will be Moneytaker III, owned by Bruce and Susan Moneymaker.

Shelton Yacht Club Commodore Al Schnittker will be on board with flag officers.

Salmon fishing seasons scheduled

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has tentatively set salmon fishing seasons for 2023-24.

According to a news release, the season recommendations now move to the National Marine Fisheries Service and final rulemaking. In Puget Sound, the Puget Sound pink salmon prediction is about 3.95 million and similar to the 3.77 million return in 2021. The Stillaguamish wild Chinook forecast is up from 2022 but remains at historically low levels and conservation limits constrain fishing opportunities. Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton) and Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) will open for the summer salmon season June 1, with many other areas planned for July or August.

Columbia River salmon fishing will be open from June 16 to July 31 from the Astoria Megler bridge up to the Highway 395 bridge in Pasco.

In Grays Harbor County, the Humptulips North Bay salmon season opens Aug. 1 for retention of hatchery Chinook and coho and East Grays Harbor planned fishery opens Sept. 16 for coho retention only. In Willapa Bay, the planned coho and hatchery Chinook season opens Aug. 1.

Neah Bay and La Push open for salmon retention June 17. Ilwaco, Westport and Ocean Shores all open June 24. All areas are scheduled to remain open until Sept. 30 or until quotas are met.

For more information about changes to fishing regulations of schedules, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/5n8t63es.

Major road work starts near Quilcene

The state Department of Transportation have begun construction at Leland Creek on U.S. Highway 101 north of Quilcene in Jefferson County.

According to a news release, construction began last week and travelers should expect one-way alternating traffic controlled by a signal on U.S. 101 that will allow crews to begin removing culverts under the road that are barriers to native fish. Crews will build a bridge on the highway just north of Rice Lake Road and install two larger box culverts at the north and south unnamed tributaries.

In July and August, WSDOT will fully close U.S. 101 for four weeks while crews construct the new box culverts. During the closure, traffic will detour around the project through Center Road. Freight haulers will detour through state Route 3 and state Route 104 due to weight restrictions on the Little Quilcene Bridge.

The construction is part of WSDOT's program to remove barriers to fish under state highways. Check for traffic updates on the WSDOT app.

Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council seeks members

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for the Sanctuary Advisory Council.

According to a news release, the council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent and hosts meetings every two months within the regions of the Olympic Peninsula and occasionally Puget Sound.

Sanctuary staff are accepting applications for the fishing alternate, the research alternate and citizen-at-large primary and alternative seats available. Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying. Applicants are chosen should expect to serve a three-year term. Applications are accepted through May 22.

For more information, contact Chris Butler-Minor at [email protected].