Tippets: Lake Okeechobee Satellite Images, California’s Striped Bass and Salmon, Saving “The Blue Heart of Europe,” Recent Rulings in the Pacific Northwest

July 10, 2016 By: Erin Block

  • An algae bloom in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee has been captured by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite. “The conditions that gave rise to the bloom have persisted into July, and have been blamed for affecting water quality downstream all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.” Via NASA Earth Observatory.
  • Lawmakers are targeting striped bass to protect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta’s salmon. However, environmentalists cite other factors as well, including “low flows, warm water, pollution and loss of spawning habitat to dams.” Via The Modesto Bee.
  • The Vjosa river runs through southern Albania and is one of the last free-flowing rivers in Europe. However, it is now threatened by a proposed series of hydro-electric dams. Vanessa Buecher writes about the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign, which is working to fight the construction. Via Adventure Journal.
  • Two recent rulings have brought new hope for Pacific Northwest salmon. A federal court in Seattle ruled in favor of Native American tribes and that their fishing rights had been compromised by culverts, roadways and infrastructure. Another federal court in Portland ordered a revision of aggressive plan to stave off extinction for 13 salmon and steelhead species in the Columbia River basin. These “are well-timed reminders of the obligations to both nature and treaty law that must not be sacrificed along the way.” Via The New York Times.