Eops 2015 12_14

1. Surface ConditionsReport, December 14, 2015 Eyes Over Puget Sound Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Publication No. 15-03-079 Start here Up-to-date observations of visiblewater quality conditions in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca Marine Water Condition Index

2. Personalfield log p.3 There is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re preparedfor the worst. Climateconditions p. 4 Coastal oceanconditions andair temperatures are slowly cooling and downwellingis weak. Rivers flow are above normal in response to rain. Yet,at the equator, a large El Niño is brewing. Watercolumn p. 5 Fall temperatures are still at record-breakinghighs in Puget Sound. With recent rains the past few months salinity patterns are changing. At the Coast,temperature andsalinity are back to expectedconditions. Aerialphotography p. 9 Rivers transport large amounts of suspendedsediments into Puget Sound. Again, oil sheens in SalmonBay near the Ballard bridge. Continuous monitoring p. 29 Near-surface water onthe Victoria Clipper IV ferry route has become cooler,phytoplanktondeclined,andturbidity is elevatedin response to increasedsediments fromrivers. Streams p. 32 Incontrast to drought conditions insummer 2015, late autumn brought heavy rains and high streamflows to the Puget Sound Basin. LONG-TERMMARINEMONITORINGUNIT Skip Albertson Dr. Christopher Krembs Julia Bos Suzan Pool Editorial assistanceprovided by: Suzan Pool, Julianne Ruffner, CarolMaloy Marine conditionsfrom 12-14-2015 at a glance Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Mya Keyzers Laura Hermanson Jim Shedd

3. There is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst. (Stephen King) Personal Field Impression Field log Weather Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Personal Field Impression Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams The MarineFlightprogramused 2015to reassessflights through the lens of safety. I found myself strapped into a floating cockpit, upsidedown with only one big breath of air, water flooding my sinuses, no sight, and the eerie silence of underwater. The core flight team, Laura, Joe, and I (Mya) attended Egress Training with Bryan Webster fromAviation Egress Training Systems in Victoria, B.C. This training involved pool time with crash simulators. After the training, we felt empowered that if wefind ourselves having, in Bryan’s words,“a very bad day,” we would have a fighting chance at survival. We experienced firsthand how disorienting it is to be upside down in the water. We learned it is importantto maintain a point of referenceand how to exit the plane. I love flying and always feelsafeduring flights, but when it comes to survival, preparedness is a must. http://dunkyou.com Mya practicing 1,2,3,4 out the door on dry land. Studentspracticing egressin the small fuselage inthe foreground and large cabin inthe background. Float plane capsized,read more at: (Source: AvStop.com)

4. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Natural Influencesleadingto 12-14-2015 Climate and naturalinfluences,includingweather,rivers,and the adjacent ocean,canaffect our marine waters. Graphics are basedonprovisional data andare subject to change. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/mar_wat/weather.html,page 26. Putting the puzzle piecesof influencing factorstogether… lowerhigher expected No data*UpwellingAnomalies(PFEL) ENSO = El Niño SouthernOscillation * Summary: Air temperatures werebelow normal for November, which is a big change fromOctober. Precipitationlevels wereslightly abovenormal, particularly for South Sound. Onewet period occurred at the beginning of November, and the other mid- month. Sunshine was abovenormalin the Puget Sound lowlands. River flows weremostly above normal. Downwelling was much weaker than normal. ENSO and PDO remain in the warmphase.

5. We usea chartered float plane and boat to access our monthly monitoring stations. We communicate data and environmentalmarine conditions using: 1. Marine Water Condition Index (MWCI) 2. Eyes OverPuget Sound (EOPS) 3. Anomaliesand sourcedata Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Ourlong-termmarinemonitoringstationsinWashington Starthere Isl. .

6. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams ArePugetSoundconditionsarenormalizing? Year 2015 was a recordbreaker for water temperature inPuget Sound andfor global temperatures. Prematuremelting of the snowpack inearly summer causedinitially freshconditions. InJuly,unusually high salinities startedin response to drought andgenerally very low river flows. Fortunately,November brought rainand,as a result, estuarine circulation has increasedto renew the water withinPuget Sound. The Fraser River is the largestfreshwater sourcefor the Salish Sea, significantly affecting estuarine circulation. As of November 2015 (left),the Blobhas eroded away. El Niño is growingvery strongalongthe equator. Rivers are flowinghigher andincreasingwater exchange. This is an opportunity to bring cooler oceanwater into Puget Sound. Inwinter andspring 2015, the Fraser River and other rivers dischargedprematurely. Very low summer flows followedandinhibited the renewal of water inPuget Sound. Rivers are now normalizingfromrecent rain. Estuarine circulation is expectedto rebound. Source: http://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/index_e.html 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 Dec-13 Jan-14 Feb-14 Mar-14 Apr-14 May-14 Jun-14 Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Jan-15 Feb-15 Mar-15 Apr-15 May-15 Jun-15 Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Discharge(m3s-1) Higher than normal Lower thannormal Expected Credit: Christopher Krembs

7. Physical conditionstracked in historicalcontext Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Explore profiles at all stations Higher Temperature! ExpectedOxygenHigher Salinity Fall temperatures arestill at record-breakinghighs in Puget Sound.Drought effects (lower freshwater inputs) shiftedsalinity to higher than normal levels. Withrecent rains the past few months (data not shown)salinity patterns are changing. At the Coast,temperature andsalinity are back to expected conditions. Oxygenis mostly expected,withlocal variability.

8. a) PacificDecadalOscillationIndex(PDO,temperature) (explanation) b) UpwellingIndex(anomalies)(Upwelling,low oxygen) (explanation) c) NorthPacificGyreOscillationIndex(NPGO, productivity) (explanation) Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Theoceanaffectswaterquality: OceanClimateIndices NPGO(x10) PDO/UpwellingIndex Three-year running average of PDO, Upwelling, and NPGO indices scores . Ocean boundaryconditions are in transition: (a)water is warm (PDO), (b) upwellingoflow oxygen and high nutrient ocean water are expected (UpwellingIndex),and (c) higher surface productivityalongthe coast (NPGO) is expected. Where are we headingnext? What will El Niño bring? -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

9. Summary: Aerial photography12-14-2015 Rivers transportlargeamounts of suspended sediments into Puget Sound. Again, oil sheens in Salmon Bay near the Ballard bridge. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Start here Mixing and Fronts: Tidal fronts visiblein Drayton Passage, off Blake Island and Shilshole Bay. Debris: Occasionalfloating organic debris near Vashon Island. Visible blooms: Murky water precludes detection of blooms. Jellyfish: Murky water fromthe recent rain makes spotting jellyfish difficult. In Budd Inlet, wespotted patches. BloomDebrisFront Suspendedsediment: Very high sediment loads fromall major rivers and stormwater flows. Suspended sediment plumes extend far into the basins. Brown color suggests bank erosion and soil as part of the suspended sediment. Plume oil sheen stormwater Oil sheennear the Ballardbridge WashingtonConservationCore Intern Welcome to Mattie Michalek

10. Strait of Juan de Fuca San Juan Islands Padilla Bay Main Basin Hood Canal South Sound Whidbey Basin Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Observation Maps: Good visibilityin South and Central Sound. Flight Information: Aerial photography and navigation guide Central Sound South Sound 7 Flight route 9 3 2 4 8 Tide data (Seattle): Pred High/Low 12:08 AM -1.72 L 07:22 AM 12.42 H 01:06 PM 6.77 L 05:53 PM 10.01 H 6 1 10 11 12 14 5 15 13

11. Patches of moon jellyfishappear faint in water with suspended sediment and internal waves. Location: Budd Inlet (South Sound),2:10 PM. 1 Aerial photography 12-14-2015 Navigate Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams marker internal waves jellyfish marker Plume

12. 2 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Calm conditions in Dana Passage showing no signs of phytoplankton bloom. Location: Dana Passage (South Sound),2:18 PM.

13. 3 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Large input of sediment from the Nisqually River extendinginto Nisqually Reach. Location: AndersonIsland (South Sound),2:23 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Plume

14. 4 Navigate Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Aerial photography 12-14-2015 Brown-colored Nisqually River plume suggests bank erosion and soil input from the river. Location: AndersonIsland (South Sound),2:23 PM. Oro Bay Plume Plume

15. 5 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Large input of sediment from the Nisqually River extendinginto Nisqually Reach. Location: AndersonIsland (South Sound),2:23 PM. Plume Plume

16. Distinct edge of the Nisqually River plume. Location: South of Anderson Island(South Sound),2:23 PM. 6 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Plume

17. Edge of the Nisqually River plume. Location: Balch Passage,Anderson Island (South Sound),2:27 PM. 7 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Plume

18. The wake of a barge shows the thin nature of the edge of the Nisqually River plume. Location: Steilacoom (South Sound),2:27 PM. 8 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Plume ferry barge

19. Flying across Tacoma into Commencement Bay to explore Puyallup River plume. Location: Commencement Bay,Tacoma (Central Sound),2:32 PM. 9 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams ship ship ship

20. 10 NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Brown-colored Puyallup River plume suggests bank erosion and soil input from the river. Location: Commencement Bay,Tacoma (Central Sound),2:32 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams barge ferry Plume

21. NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Suspended sediments of the Puyallup River reach partially intoBlair Waterway of the Port of Tacoma. Location: Commencement Bay, Tacoma (Central Sound),2:32 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams 11 Plume Blair Waterway HylebosWaterway PuyallupRIver

22. NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Large sediment inputs of the Puyallup River into Commencement Bay and Puget Sound. Location: Commencement Bay,Tacoma (Central Sound),2:34 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams 12 Plume barge barge ship ship

23. NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Distinct front between water located north and south of Blake Island show difference in sediment content. Location: Blake Island (Central Sound), 2:43 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams 13

24. NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Brown-colored Duwamish River plume with ferry tracks reveal the thin layer of suspended sediment across Elliott Bay. Location: ElliottBay,Seattle (CentralSound),2:46 PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams 14 ship ferry barge ship Plume

25. NavigateAerial photography 12-14-2015 Oil sheens betweendocks and sediment-richplume in Salmon Bay. Location: Lake WashingtonShip Canal and Salmon Bay,Seattle (Central Sound),2:48PM. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams stormwater 15 oil sheen

26. Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference Date: 12-14-2015 Central Sound Aerial photography observations in Central SoundQualitative aerial observer map during transit Navigate Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference North Sound/SanJuan IslandsNorth Sound/SanJuan IslandsCentral Sound 9 11 14 15 13 12 10 n.a.

27. Date: 12-14-2015 Qualitative aerial observer map during transit Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference Navigate Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams South Sound 1 2 3 4 5 6 87

28. Legendto map annotations Comments: Maps are producedby observers during and after flights. They are intendedto give an approximate reconstructionofthe surface conditions onscales that connect to and overlapwithsatellite images in the sectionthat follows. Debris: Debris canbe distinguished into natural and anthropogenic debris floatingat the surface sensu Moore andAllen (2000). The majority of organic debris in Puget Sound is natural and mixedwith discardedman-made pieces of plastic,wood,etc. Fromthe plane,we cannot differentiatethe quality of debris at the surface and therefore,call it for reasons of practicality just “debris”. S.L. Moore,M. J. Allen. 2000. Distribution of Anthropogenic and Natural Debris on the Mainland Shelf of the Southern California Bight. Marine Pollution Bulletin,40(1): 83–88. Navigate Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams

29. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Continuousmonitoring 12-14-2015 Summary of Victoria Clipper IVdata: Near-surface water onthe Victoria Clipper IV ferry route has become cooler and phytoplanktondeclined. Turbidity betweenNov 18 and Nov 23 is elevatedin response to increasedsuspended sediment fromWhidbey Basinthat extenddeep into Central Basin. The Victoria Clipper IV carries sensorsin its sea chest. The sensorsallow us to plot overtime transects of: A. Temperature B. Chlorophyll C. Turbidity D. CDOM Over time,we see the dynamic of these variablesin surface water betweenSeattle and Victoria,BC. A. B. C. D.

30. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Continuousmonitoring 12-14-2015 Victoria Olympic Peninsula Seattle Victoria Olympic Peninsula Seattle Victoria Olympic Peninsula Seattle Victoria Olympic Peninsula Seattle A. B. C. D. Figures show daily sensor data installedonthe ferry which measures near-surface water at 5-sec intervals while the Victoria Clipper IV transits between Victoria,BC andSeattle. A. Sea Surface Temperature: Water is isothermal inPuget Sound and the Strait of Juande Fuca. B. Chlorophyll: Concentrations are low,particularly in the Strait. C. Turbidity: Central Basinwas slightly turbid onDec 14. D. Colored Dissolved Organic Matter(CDOM): Particulates in the water were abundant in Central Basinandnearly absent in the Strait.

31. Check out our posters that we presentedat the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation conference in Portland, Oregon during November 2015. Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Continuousmonitoring 12-14-2015 Bos,J.,S. Albertson, C. Krembs,S. Pool,C. Falkenhayn Maloy,andB. Sackmann. 2015. EcosystemThresholds in SurfaceWaters of the Salish Sea usingContinuous Measurements fromFerry Sensors. Poster presented at Coastal Estuarine andResearchFederation2015 Conference,Portland,Oregon. WashingtonState Department of Ecology PublicationNo. 15-03-041. https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1 503041.pdf Pool,S.S.,C. Krembs,J. Bos,andB. Sackmann. 2015. Physical,Chemical,andBiological Conditions during Noctiluca Blooms inanUrbanFjord, Puget Sound. Poster presentedat Coastal Estuarine andResearch Federation2015 Conference,Portland,Oregon. WashingtonState Department of Ecology Publication No. 15-03-040. https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1 503040.pdf

32. SnoqualmieRiver goes throughextremes Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams In contrastto droughtconditionsin summer 2015,late autumn brought heavy rains and high streamflows to the Puget Sound Basin. Ecology’s Sarah Oxford indicates on the staff gage the normalwater level in contrastto the existing water level on August26. Snoqualmie River Falls on Aug. 26, 2015, a paltry 250 cubic feet per second(cfs). The historic median flow for August26 is 563 cfs. Snoqualmie Falls on December 9 flowing at about 48,000 cfs. Snoqualmie during minimum flows Snoqualmie flows now Ecology’s Kellie Gillingham explaining the details of the high flow event of November 13. Jim Shedd, Ecology Watch the video I was here

33. SnoqualmieRiver goes throughextremes Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams The graphic shows flows this year compared to historic flows at the USGS gage near wherethe photos on the previous page were taken. Note fromthe firstof May through the end of Augustnew record low flows wereset nearly every day. In Autumn, flows on the Snoqualmie River began increasing, culminating with near record setting high flows in November and December.

34. SnoqualmieRiver goes throughextremes Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Central andsouthPuget Sound basin snow water equivalencies are less than normal while the Olympic region is well above normal. Snow water equivalencies incentral andsouthPuget Sound Basins have improvedover November equivalencies as more snow rather thanrain has fallenin these areas recently. Does it rain? Does it snow? November monthly meanfor rivers andstreams in Washington,in water resourceregions,comparedto historic November flows. Flows are mostly normal to above normal,even much above normal inwesternWashingtondue to higher thannormal rainfall inNovember.

35. Accessmooring data: ftp://www.ecy.wa.gov/ea p/Mooring_Raw/Puget_S ound/ Continuous monitoring : Suzan.Pool@ecy.wa.gov Get data from Ecology’sMarine MonitoringPrograms Long–Term MonitoringNetwork Real–Time Sensor Network Accesscore monitoringdata: https://fortress.wa.gov/ec y/eap/marinewq/mwdata set.asp christopher.krembs@ecy.w a.gov Ecology’s long-termmarine monitoring stations Continuous track Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams Riverand Stream WaterQuality Monitoring http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/fw_riv /rv_main.html Discontinued (fundingcuts)

36. You may subscribe or unsubscribe to the Eyes Over Puget Sound email listservby going to: http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=ECOLOGY-EYES-OVER-PUGET-SOUND Many thanks to our business partners: Clipper Navigation,SwantownMarina,andKenmore Air. We are looking forfeedbackto improve ourproducts. Dr. ChristopherKrembs christopher.krembs@ecy.wa.gov Marine Monitoring Unit EnvironmentalAssessment Program WA Department of Ecology Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams

Eops 2015 12_14

Eops 2015 12_14

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Eops 2015 12_14