What is going on with lake 288 in Houston

[Texasguy]

Is it me or it has gotten really bad visibility wise? I heard it clears up in the winter but the reports I've gotten seem to indicate it is just as bad.

This summer it was as bad as never before. Last time I dove there in August and it was 0 visibility at 15 feet. Also, heard from some that they have moved to Twin Lakes to teach.
Have you been at the lake 288 recently? How is it?

 

[Sushi Boy]

Last time I was there was Jan 1st. Viz was 3-5', but it was a rainy day, so that certainly didn't help.

Here are some viz report from a few trips there over the past year or so:
Early Apr - 8-13 ft.
Early May - 15-20 ft.
Mid May - 10 ft, often less
Late June (after a few days of rain) - 3-5 ft
Early Aug - Up to 10 ft above the thermocline (at about 20 ffw), about a foot below it.
Early Oct - low

A friend's report from Twin Lakes in mid Feb had viz at 15-20 ft above the thermocline, gumbo below it.

From my experience, the two lake are close enough together that the viz isn't going to differ significantly between them. Both are susceptible to rain, runoff, and OW students' fins. But hey, they're there, and I'm going diving!

 

[Texasguy]

Just heard that 288 now seems to be the one with most viz. Got to check out.

 

[Sushi Boy]

Do dives at both of them on the same day & let us know if you see a noticeable difference in the viz!

 

[wraithshark]

I just finished Divemastering a OW class at Lake 288 on Sunday April 19. The vis was about 15 feet at 0730. We were the only divers there that early but the crowd grew as the day progressed. During our last dive, around 1445, there were three or four classes going on and a lot of non-diver traffic. The vis was still decent, around 13 feet on the platforms. Overall, not to bad.

 

[Texasguy]

Yeap, dove it last Sunday, was ok vis wise. Even still, I find it shocking how much less weed it has after a winter. Also, surprised that a bulk of the dive was about at 30 feet, during a summer, I rarely find myself at these depths, visibility wise.

Seen people diving wetsuits, got cold looking at them. Last year I did a 5mm about the same time, boy, was it chilly on the very bottom!

Because it was so bare, I found so many beer cans on the bottom. I wish I could turn them in for a reward towards the entry fee. Say, 2-3 cans for a $1?

 

[wraithshark]

I wish I could turn them in for a reward towards the entry fee. Say, 2-3 cans for a $1?

We could always ask the owner; he is a pretty reasonable guy.

 

[MMM]

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[Sushi Boy]

Thank you Marg. Moderating a forum can often feel like a thankless task, but know that it is appreciated!
:admingreet:

 

[Texasguy]

Dove 288 on May 17th, wow, it became different, very opaque. I dove also a week before, then one could see the bottom, poorly, but it was visible even with a cloud cover. Now water became so opaque that the light no longer penetrates to 30 feet. In fact, there is about 4 feet of thermocline that totally obscures the bottom. Once you penetrate the fog layer, it opens kind of a red-ish (mud?) layer of water near the very bottom. I'd say that below 26' the light stops penetrating. There are some kind of swampy semi-transparent particles in the water just hanging all around.

At the platforms, it is hard to see all the way through to see railing of the opposite side. I'd estimate the visibility at 6 feet around 20 feet of depth. Water is still rather cold even in a drysuit (don't know how those in wetsuits take it). I did 2 hours and it was more than enough to want to get out. However, mostly, it was the visibility. Murky and hard to navigate. Yes, one can use compass but now one has to look at it 70% of the dive, nothing is visible anyway, enjoyment level is not there. Therefore, this time it was by far not as fun as the visible circle around you is tiny. I actually had to sway my flash light in front not to run into things when diving close to the bottom. Now when you come over a wreck, you cannot see it in all its entirety, you get to enjoy it in pieces.

Not sure how instructors feel, I watched a few classes on the platform, it would take only a few seconds for a student to disappear in the fog.

I don't know if it is the nature of all texas lakes to get so in this time of the year. However, from what I remember about 3 years ago, scuba diving in June was not as bad as it is now, visibility wise. Therefore, I am concerned if 288 becomes a bit swampy over the years. The only difference I felt was the weird lack of hydrilla. About this time there were some forests of it here and there, for some reason, this year it is dramatically bold in places where I used to see it. Too early? I was thinking, I have not seen a catfish for about 9 months, are they still there?

I heard that Mammoth Lake is in a similar (or close) condition, but it was always bad, way worse than 288.

What is your take?