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Up-to-date news coverage of
Mason County is available from
Mason County
Daily News am1030KMAS.
Road-work and budget information
is available from the
county.
(What's New)
Voter's guide, election information and results available from the
County Auditor. |
Recent Media Coverage of Dewatto
SPORT
CRABBING TO CLOSE; CATCH REPORTS DUE (KMAS
AM-1030 news release 1/1/2008)
All areas of Puget Sound will close to recreational crab fishing at sunset
Wednesday (January 2), after which all sport crabbers licensed to fish for
crab in the Sound will have 13 days to report their winter catch. State
fishing rules require that all sport crabbers submit catch reports for the
winter season to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) by
Jan. 15 – even if they did not catch any crab. The winter crab season runs
from Sept. 4 to Jan. 2. According to Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead
for WDFW, catch reports are an important tool in managing the Puget Sound
crab fishery and it is important that everyone report even those who didn’t
catch crab because that information is part of the equation in estimating
the annual catch. To submit their catch reports, crabbers may either send
their catch record card to WDFW by mail, or file their report on a special
webpage on the department’s licensing website. Catch record cards may be
mailed to WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. The
online reporting system will be available Jan. 2-15 at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/.
Sport crabbers who file their catch reports by the Jan. 15 deadline will be
entered in a drawing for one of 10 free 2008 combination fishing licenses,
which allow the holder to fish for a variety of freshwater and saltwater
species. The winter catch report is the second of two catch reports sport
crabbers are required to file this year. Summer catch reports – new this
year – gave fishery managers important information about the pace of the
recreational crab catch through Labor Day. Catch reports for the winter
fishery will provide data though the end of the season. |
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SPORT
OYSTER SEASON OPENS AT CUSHMAN PARK (KMAS
AM-1030 news release 12/30/2007)
The sport oyster fishing season at Cushman (Saltwater) Park will open
Tuesday. This oyster season at the saltwater park on the west side of Hood
Canal is effective until further notice. According to a news release, in
2007, the oyster season ran from March 1 through Dec. 31 and recent surveys
indicate that the oyster population will support a year-round season in
2008. Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license. Check the WDFW
“Fishing in Washington” rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and
regulations. Fishing regulations are subject to change. Call the WDFW
Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2
for recreational rules or check the WDFW webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm
for details on fishing seasons and regulations. For the Shellfish Rule
Change hotline call (360) 796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431. |
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CRABBING REOPENS THURSDAY
(KMAS
AM-1030 news release 10/31/2007)
Most waters of Puget Sound will reopen to recreational crab fishing
Thursday, based on summer catch assessments by the Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) that show more crab are available for harvest. At
sunrise, five marine areas, including Hood Canal, will reopen for sport
crabbing seven days a week through Jan. 2. Crab fishing will also remain
open seven days a week through Jan. 2 in marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu),
and 13 (south Puget Sound), where the fishery has continued uninterrupted
since June 18. The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab,
males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum width of 6¼ inches. In
addition, fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day,
provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Additional information
is available on the WDFW website:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crab/index.htm. |
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PORTION OF HOOD CANAL CLOSED TO OYSTER HARVEST (KMAS
AM-1030 news release 8/6/2007)
A portion of Hood Canal has been closed to the harvest of oysters. Oysters
harvested from the Canal have been connected to six cases of vibriosis in
California resulting in the closure of two growing areas at the southern tip
of the canal. The Department of Health has closed shellfish beaches in Mason
County from Miller Creek (north of Hoodsport) south and east to Sunset Beach
and across to Stimson Creek. The closed areas include both Potlatch and
Twanoh state parks. In addition, the department is asking the shellfish
industry to recall oysters from these growing areas. Consumers who may have
purchased oysters from these areas should check with the place of purchase
to see if they were harvested from the affected growing areas. Vibriosis is
caused by a naturally occurring bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Symptoms
include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever, and
chills and usually appear about 12 hours after eating infected shellfish.
The illness is usually mild to moderate and lasts for two to seven days; it
can be life threatening to people with immune dysfunction or chronic liver
disease. Unseasonably warm temperatures and afternoon low tides are thought
to be major contributors to this outbreak. The best way to prevent this
illness is to cook your oysters during the warm summer months. The bacteria
are killed when oysters are cooked to 145° F |
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BURN
BAN TO BE LIFTED FRIDAY
(KMAS
AM-1030 news release 7/26/2007)
Burn restrictions will be lifted Friday morning (July 27th). The State
Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with county fire marshals,
is removing the burn ban currently in effect in Mason, Kitsap, Pierce and
King Counties beginning at 8am Friday. The fire danger rating for the area
has been reduced to "low" because of recent rain but the threat of wildfires
still remains. Citizens need to follow all outdoor burning regulations and
permit requirements. If necessary, burn restrictions could be reinstated as
drier, hotter conditions return. Again the burn ban for Mason County will be
lifted at 8am Friday. Shelton residents are reminded that there is NO
burning in the City Limits regardless of the weather conditions. For more
information, call the Mason County Outdoor Burning Information Line at
427-7799 or
1-800-323-BURN (800-323-2876). |
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SPORT CLAM SEASON CLOSED AT WEST DEWATTO
(KMAS
AM-1030 news release 2/6/2007)
The 2007 sport clam season at West Dewatto in Mason County,
originally planned for January 1 to May 31, has been closed
for the entire year effective immediately. According to the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife the reason for
the closure is a significant decrease in the population of
legal-sized littleneck clams surveyed last summer. In
addition, the sport quota of clams was exceeded in 2006,
further reducing the 2007 sport share on this beach. A
closed clam season is necessary to avoid over harvest of the
2007 sport clam share, and to protect hatchery clam “seed”
recently planted on the beach. This closure is for all
species of clams except razor clams. The oyster
season at West Dewatto remains open year-round.
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Port
building gets new sign
Last spring, new port commissioners Sally Lambert and Lynn
McLean joined with several port members and port manager Chris Phalen to
install the brand new port building sign designed and built by Deanna
Saylor.
Click on any picture for a larger version.
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Bear Creek-Dewatto Road washed out October
20th, 2003.
Click on any picture for a larger version. |
More pictures
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| Commissioner Jon Byerly works
for DNR and sent the following pictures of the fire in Dewatto during
August, 2003. Click on any picture for a larger version. |
More pictures
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