Gulf of Alaska Online Coastal Guide

Terry Johnson, an Alaska Sea Grant marine recreation and tourism specialist, has completed an online guide for recreational boaters interested in the central and western Gulf of Alaska coast.

Johnson compiled information for navigating, anchoring, handling typical weather conditions and other challenges over several years, while operating a variety of recreational boats from a 40-foot tri-cabin trawler to a 15-foot Runabout.

The guide is appropriate for adventurers, fishermen, sailors, and recreational boaters. Although vessel traffic is sparse, communities are few and exposure to the North Pacific is challenging,

“it is a spectacular trip in good weather, with opportunities to experience the scenery, the solitude, geology, human history, wildlife and excellent angling,” said Johnson.

The guide begins at Cape Spencer near Glacier Bay and runs west along the coast all the way to Homer, Alaska.

The Gulf of Alaska Coastal Travel Routes website includes maps, photos, location information, and basic safety tips.


For more information, visit https://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/2016/03-09-16-coastal-guide-online.php

Ontario Maple Syrup Season

As winter gives way to spring, Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is encouraging consumers to take a trip to a local maple syrup producer to try sweet, local, and delicious maple syrup.

With the variety of maple products available, there's a maple syrup colour and flavour intensity to please everyone's taste.

During Ontario's maple harvest season, mid-February to early April, more than two million litres of syrup is produced.

Maple Syrup Facts

Maple syrup is made from the sap of primarily sugar, black, soft and red maple trees

Maple syrup is a natural product with no additives, and is a source of several vitamins and minerals.

Each spring Ontario Maple syrup festivals offer fun, family activities.

Ontario Maple Weekend will be held April 2 - 3, 2016 (www.mapleweekend.ca).

On January 1, 2016, amended maple regulations came into effect on how maple syrup is graded, classified and labelled.

source: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

January 2016 Atlantic Coast Blizzard

The January 22-24 blizzard, which dumped heavy snow from the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England has been rated as a Category 4 or “Crippling” winter storm on NOAA’s Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, also known as NESIS.

The storm ranked as the fourth most powerful winter storm to impact the Northeast U.S. since 1950.

The snowstorm covered about 434 thousand square miles and impacted about 102.8 million people. Of those, about 1.5 million people had over 30 inches of snowfall; almost 24 million had over 20 inches.

The storm was given a variety of names including Jonas, snowzilla, and others.

Record Floods on USA Rivers

In the final days of 2015, record floods threatened communities throughout the Mississippi River Basin.

In late December, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) field crews recorded 18 preliminary record-high flood measurements along the Meramac River. Additional historic peaks were expected throughout the southern part of the state.

The National Weather Service reported that major flooding was occurring or forecast on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and tributaries in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, and the Arkansas River & tributaries in Arkansas.

In response to dangerous flooding, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued river closures on the Upper Mississippi River between mile markers 184 and 179 and the Illinois River between mile markers 0 to 50. In other areas, high water safety advisories and high water towing restrictions were in effect.

Floodwaters were predicted to downstream, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January.