[Water_news] 3. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: WATERSHEDS - 6/20/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

June 20, 2007

 

3. Watersheds -

 

 

OC's red tide disappears; ocean temps spike

Orange County Register – 6/20/07

By Gary Robbins, staff science writer

 

GOOD TIDINGS
Just in time for summer, which begins at 11:06 a.m. Thursday ....

 

The red tide that turned Orange County's near-shore waters the color of rust much of this spring has largely vanished due to a change in the weather. Surfline founder Sean Collins says onshore winds slackened, which led to an end to the upwelling that spawns plankton blooms, which in turn can become ugly red tides.

 

The lack of wind and an abundance of sunshine also has allowed coastal waters to warm up. I spoke to Collins by cell phone Tuesday evening while he was at San Onofre, where water temperatures ranged from 68-69 degrees. The readings were the same in San Clemente, and Huntington is up to 66 degrees.

 

Ocean temperatures are in the mid-70s off of most of Baja California, which isn't good news if you're hoping for surf from a hurricane off Mexico. Collins says Baja waters are too cool to sustain a hurricane moving up from southern Mexico. But that's likely to change.#

http://blogs.ocregister.com/sciencedude/archives/2007/06/ocs_red_tide_di_1.html