Sierra&vallley runoff supercharging GG currents?

jpf18 · Joined: 13 Aug 2000 Posts: 347 Location: San Francisco

It looks as if all that water feeding into the Bay from the Sierras and Central Valley might be messing with the tidal currents here. At least right now and possibly into the first part of the season? Reason why I'm bringing this up: Saturday afternoon I was out riding the bike and noticed a massive plume of sediment rich, brown water miles out into the ocean. You could see that from one of the higher points in the Sunset (Qunitara). As I passed the span, you saw said brown water gushing out considerably faster than what you would expect to see for the (already respectable) 5kt ebb for the day. Sketch city if you were out sailing for sure. I am crossing the span ever so often, I can't remember seeing an ebb go out like this, not even close.
So I was wondering if that was a one time thing and we shouldn't really expect much impact beyond the norm, or if we're in for tame floods and monster ebbs early in the season. Anybody have any insights?

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

Google the Oroville Dam Situation.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Yeah, it affect's the ebb somewhat, adding like maybe 15% to it, so it's not really a huge effect.
What it really affect's is the lowest tides of the day. Like instead of a straight O.O low tide, the water actually can pile up to a 1.0, which is a lot bigger effect.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

ALL the reservoirs are full (not just Oroville) and dumping water as fast as they can to avert uncontrolled overflow during the next series of storms. Allot of it goes out the GG channel into the ocean. Plus it's still mid winter so there could be more to come. Zirtaeb says it adds 15%, not sure where that stat comes from. I can't find where it's actually measured, but would bet it's more than that at max ebb now, so be careful.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Experience.
Have played in the Bay since 1964, sailing, surfing, waterskiing, windsurfing, minus tides for tidepools and hotsprings, high tides for surfing, always needing to know the amount of water in the bay.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

Zirtaeb, there's no question you have more experience than almost everybody here.
But these dams haven't overflowed like this, relatively early in winter, in decades. Oroville never used the emergency spillway since it was built. I'm just saying a less experienced person than you, "windsurfing" Crissy "in the channel", may want to use caution due to increased current flow.
(not talking "waterskiing, surfing, tidepooling or hotsprings", they not done in the middle of the GG channel and are most likely safe)
Very Happy

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Crissy season doesn't really start for another two-three months or so.....
We've had record EARLY precipation. Doesn't mean it's going to rain the most of any year ever.
Plenty of rainy year's, close to records, in the past 30.
By mid Feb, around '96-97, snow in the Sierras were much higher than this year, yet nobody drowned windsurfing at Crissy by the late spring.
If you're going to panic just to do so, worry about the bacterial and chemical pollution of the bay from all the water running over land that was dry for 10 year's.
And of course, don't drink the water in the bay.

ctuna · Joined: 27 Jun 1995 Posts: 1126 Location: Santa Cruz Ca

I am hoping the rainy pattern doesn't extend into May
the season started pretty late last year. Wasn't due to rain
but it still was late and fluky.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Actually.....
Experience indicates that rainy year's, especially late rainy year's, tend to delay the start of the windsurfing season, yet also extends the time for NW winds well into June/July.
Drought years are the year's when the season starts early, possibly as early as late Feb for diehards.
Of course, the "start" of windsurfing season really depends on the individual, his schedule, and his stoke.
Several guys I know have logged in well over 20 days of solid planing since mid Dec., and I don't claim to know more than 15% of the windsurfer's in SF Bay Area.

Goodwind · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 323 Location: On water

Lots of water upstream of the bay right now. I was fishing at my Delta weekend home last Saturday and water level was like 3 to 4 feet below the levee top and some gangways leading down to floating docks were instead pointing skyward. I've never seen water level this high before. Kinda scary.