If you spend any time in the Intracoastal Waterway you’ll notice huge changes in the water. Some days it’s gorgeous crystal clear blue water. Other days it’s murky. Still on others it looks like coffee. What’s happening?
The change in water color is caused by the tides. On an incoming tide, clear ocean water streams through the inlets, flooding parts of the Intracoastal Waterway. On an outgoing tide, brown water from inland canals and the Everglades is sucked out the inlets.
The brown water isn’t appealing, but it’s not dangerous. It’s brown because tanic acid is released from decaying vegetation. The shades of brown vary with rainfall. For several days after a major rain storm, darker canal water is released. This can vary the color of low tide Intracoastal Waterway water from light brown to coffee.
The blue water can vary in clarity depending on the Gulf Stream. If the Gulf Stream is close to our area, the water can even clearer than usual.
The best places to enjoy clear water are near inlets. Clear water will begin pushing out the brown water from about three hours before high tide until high tide. The clear water will begin to recede after high tide. Residual clear water should remain in the area for a couple of hours following high tide.
Many times the meeting point of blue and brown water is quite pronounced. You will see sharp “lines” form where the brown water meets the blue. You can see this in the photo below:
The "blue meets brown water line" is even more pronounced from the air.
See comparison photos of blue and brown water in the same area.
If you are flying out of Palm Beach International Airport, look at the Lake Worth/Palm Beach Inlet as you fly over. You will immediately know if the tide is going out. You will see a huge current of brown water getting sucked out to sea.
NOTE: Sometimes water managers release water from Lake Okeechobee through the Okeechobee Waterway and out the St. Lucie Inlet. Water from the lake can be heavy with pesticides and fertilizers. In the St. Lucie area, it’s best to avoid swimming during a Lake Okeechobee release.
original post: http://www.geocities.com/palmbeachboating/water_color.html
Fort Lauderdale Blog and Real Estate News
Rory Vanucchi
RoryVanucchi@gmail.com
http://www.lasolaslifestyles.com/
http://www.fortlauderdaleliving.net/
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