Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Establish Depth Benchmark Area -


Observation Date:12 March, 2012
Dive Team Members:Mike Soldwisch - Martin McClellan
Begin Time:10:00amEnd Time:11:45am

Weather Conditions:Clear with a slight breeze
    WindDirection : Swirling in Hurricane Bay but blowing N-NE
Speed: 5-10 MPH
Duration: Continued throughout the dive and increased in intensity throughout

Water Conditions 
    SurfaceRipple waves but no whitecaps
    Last 24 hrs:Calm in mornings and breezy in afternoons
    Temperature:Surface- 46f At Depth- 42f
    Visibility:Vertical- 35+ft could see boat anchors from surface Horizontal- 40-45ft
    Current:Direction- None Speed- N/A
    Site Depth Benchmark reading: No benchmark yet set

Animal & Plant Life 
    Fin FishDescription : 0 Quantity: 0
       CopepodEst. Density: Low
    Invasive SpeciesNone
       Mysis ShrimpEst. Density: None

Team Observations/Comments:  Today's dive by NMDE was to scout out a good location to place the Project Baseline depth benchmark and visibility station.  Traveling about 4500 feet along the shoreline in a north by north east direction, we scootered the 40 -70 foot depth column observing as we moved along.  There were several areas of heavy branch and leaves slowly deteriorating in the water just below areas of heavy aspen groves, creating an interesting shade/tint to the water of yellowish brown.  What was most dominantly noticed is directly in the shallows off the parking on HWY 89 was thick algae growth attached to the rocks in the 5-10 foot range and when viewed from approximately 30 feet this algae had an incredible fluorescent green tinge to it.  Something the team had never observed in 20 years of diving this site.