Record the Rain

Rain is very important to the Morro Bay estuary and the lands that surround it.

 

Every drop of rain that falls within the Morro Bay watershed can make its way into the bay through creeks and storm drains.

Rain helps plants grown on land. Rain is also important for plants and wildlife that live in the water. It ensures that fish can survive the dry season and balances out the salt in the estuary. Rain can also be destructive. When too much falls at once, it can lead to erosion and wash sediment into the bay, making it difficult for plants and wildlife to thrive.

Recording rainfall helps us understand what we can expect to see happening in the bay.

 

JOIN THE NETWORK

Join your neighbors to monitor rainfall in the Morro Bay watershed! 

  1.  Pick up your rain gauge from the Estuary Program office. (Or, use a rain gauge that you already have at home.)

  2.  Install your rain gauge in an open area away from overhangs, gutters, and runoff.

  3.  Whenever it rains, make a note of how much rain collects in your gauge. It is best to do this once per day.

  4.  Enter your rainfall totals for each day on this website. (You can enter your data whenever it rains, or keep notes on your measurements and enter them once a month or so. It’s up to you! Just make sure to select the correct date for each measurement.)

  5.  Watch your new data pop up in the Rain Gauge Network table below.

Watershed_Overview

WATERSHED SECTIONS (use the map above for reference):

North Morro Bay—Choose this section if you are in Morro Bay, north of the intersection of Highway 1 and Main St. This area drains to Estero Bay, outside of the Morro Bay estuary.

Morro Bay—Choose this section if you are located in Morro Bay, south of the intersection of Highway 1 and Main St. This area drains directly into the Morro Bay estuary.

Los Osos—Choose this section if you are located in Los Osos. This area drains directly into the Morro Bay estuary.

San Bernardo Creek—Choose this section if you are located closer to San Bernardo Creek than you are to downtown Morro Bay.

San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek—Choose this section if you are located near San Luisito Creek, Walter’s Creek, Chumash, Creek, or Pennington Creek.

Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek—Choose this section if you are located near Dairy Creek or Chorro Creek.

Los Osos Valley Road Corridor—Choose this section if you are located south of Highway 1 and outside of Morro Bay, Los Osos, and San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Obispo—Choose this section if you are located in San Luis Obispo.

 


RECORD YOUR DATA

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Morro Bay 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Past 7 days Past 30 days Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.00 1.72 1.18 1.10 1.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Morro Bay 0.27 0.63 1.04 0.84 0.56 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00
Morro Bay 0.10 0.00 0.42 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.28 0.00 0.45 0.00
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 2.23 0.20 1.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.25 0.25 0.00
Morro Bay 1.72 0.20 0.40 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 0.13 0.00
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 4.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.00 0.00 0.71 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.40 0.00
Morro Bay 0.30 0.00 0.65 0.55 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.00
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.27 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.85 0.58 0.65 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.93 0.73
Morro Bay 0.55 0.45 0.37 0.00 0.33 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.20 0.91
Los Osos 0.35 0.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.49 0.32
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.93 0.00
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Morro Bay 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.45 1.48 0.54
Morro Bay 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.15 0.63 0.25
Los Osos 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.42 0.42 0.34
San Bernardo Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
San Luisito Creek to Pennington Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Dairy Creek to Chorro Creek 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Los Osos Valley Road Corridor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.65 0.00 0.00
San Luis Obispo 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00