Rain Comes to Morro Bay at the Start of a New Water Year

First rain of the water year Rain returned to the Central Coast this week, bringing precipitation totals between one third of an inch and six tenths of an inch within the Morro Bay estuary watershed. This storm came after a six-month break in significant precipitation and just after the October 1 start of the new, 2019 water year. A water year is a twelve-month period of time that begins October 1 of one calendar year and ends September 30 of the next. The reason that the water year differs from the calendar year is that, in many places, precipitation that falls …

Photograph Friday: Spring Rain in Morro Bay

March 30, 2018 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program drought estuary los osos MBNEP morro bay photographs precipitation rain rain gauge rainfall storm stormwater water Blog Posts

At the Estuary Program office, we are always excited to see the rain come down. When enough rain falls, creeks flow at adequate levels, giving fish and other aquatic wildlife a better chance to survive and thrive. On the other hand, rain can wash trash, sediment, and other substances into storm drains, creeks, and out into the bay. It’s important to make sure that we dispose of trash, pet waste, debris, and chemicals properly. so that they can’t catch a ride into our waterways. Today, we are sharing some of our favorite pictures of the most recent storm. If you …

Field Updates February 2017

March 3, 2017 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program eelgrass estuary field notes morro bay rain rainfall slo county storm Blog Posts

Carolyn does a test planting using bamboo garden stakes as an anchor and twine to mimic eelgrass.

Fulfilling our mission to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary for people and animals requires a lot of hard work in the field. Read on to see what our staff and volunteers have been up to during the month of February. Sediment monitoring February was a quieter month for sediment monitoring, compared to January. We monitored two storms on Walters Creek in February, and we spent plenty of time processing sample bottles at our lab at Cuesta College, trying to empty them for future rounds of monitoring. Karissa went out with Catie, our Communications and Outreach Intern, to pick up bottles from …

Stormwater Runoff and Morro Bay

February 10, 2017 Posted by Morro Bay National Estuary Program estuary hazardous waste disposal morro bay Mutts for the bay rain storm storm water stormwater wastewater Blog Posts

We’ve had a lot of opportunity lately to watch the rain come down. After it hits the ground, though, where does it go? Stormwater sometimes runs down a gutter before flowing into the street. It joins water that is running off other streets and sidewalks, and makes its way into a storm drain like this one. It picks up natural debris, like leaves and sticks, as well as anything else in its path. That water eventually drains out into Morro Bay. To keep yourself safe from fast-flowing water and higher bacteria levels, it’s a good idea to stay out of the …