Recent Lake Pleasant conditions/reports

[broncobowsher]

Since no one has updated this in some time...
Water is up. But not full yet. According to the lake management expect another 12' in the next month. They were moving the docks getting them ready for more water.
The spillway is still dry as is the lower spillway parking. But not by much. The water was almost to the lower parking lot.

Now for the water itself. 56° all over and very good vis. Almost as good as it gets. I've only seen it clearer a couple of times ever. Close to 50' or so. And lake traffic is still minimal even for a weekend. But the banks are lined with motorhomes.

 

[Jax]

Wow. That's a great report!

 

[Adam Grose]

Thanks, Bob.....

We need to go diving before the water starts going back down.

Adam

 

[broncobowsher]

Another update. Water isn't as good. Those big storms the other week, they dumped a lot of debris in the water. There is enough floating debris next to shore you can almost walk on it. With upwards of 2" of rain dumping down the rivers there is a good bit of silt in the water as well, so the vis is down. I went up to Flagstaff the day after the rains and the washes were running hard, never seen them run like that before. And it was all mud. I would guess the vis is half of what it was a couple weeks ago. Good thing is this is silt and not algae, so it should settle down over time. Water is between 54 and 57°. Didn't make it to the spillway, but I could see nothing was parked on it so guessing it is underwater now. With some luck we can have a good spring and get some clarity before the summer bloom kicks in.

 

[AlmightyApkallu]

Anyone have a recent report? Been over a month now...

 

[Adam Grose]

Anyone have a recent report? Been over a month now...

I was at Lake Pleasant last Saturday. Surface water temp was 60 degrees, temperature at depth (about 79 feet?) was 57 degrees. there was a strong thermocline at about 74 feet. visibillity was fair (5-7 feet). These readings were taken at Desert Tortoise.

Adam

 

[broncobowsher]

If anyone still reads this...

6/17/17
Water coming down. Spillway now accessable. 2 weeks ago it was nearly at the top. Guessing almost a 10' drop.
Top 25-30' is warm and getting green. 70's, comfortable swimming water. Vis in the 5-8' range. Expect this to get warmer and thicker real quick with the rising temps this week.
Drop below the thermocline and find low 60's and much clearer water. But that layer of green does block light. You will need light to see through the clearer water. By 80' it is pretty much a night dive in the middle of the day.
About 85-90' is another thermocline, this will get you into the upper 50's for water temp. And the water gets just a little clearer. Followed this down to 134' with no further changes. It is clear and dark down there.

 

[Jax]

Thanks, bronco!

Sigh. Either freeze to death or fry in the summer.

 

[broncobowsher]

Or both in the same day. The 59 was pretty nice in the drysuit. Surface was... lets just say a drysuit isn't the best choice. But really not as bad as it could have been.

 

[broncobowsher]

So no one has bothered to do any updates in a month?

Surface is 85. With all the stroms and the heat the vis is garbage. Hot 30 feet and a strong thermocline but the vis still sucks. figure 5', feel good if you find 10.

Now drop below 70' and things get nice. Dark, all that stuff above you block the light. And a little cooler. You want a hood here, but you don't want one above the 30' mark.