San Diego Lakes (2026)

01/03/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1511414263792662&id=100047723093637&mibextid=CDWPTG

11/02/2026

I just walked the shoreline of Otay reservoir and the tule were high and dry and so was the Alligator w**d.
I decided to test my knowledge on what I thought might happen if the lake comes up and floods all that area again and here's what AI had to say.

:
Great question — and yes, this has absolutely been studied in wetland ecology and limnology (lake science).

Let’s walk through it like a scientist.

🌿 The Scenario
A lakeshore has acres of dense tule (bulrush) growth.

Lake level drops.

Tules dry out and die.

Lake level rises again.

Dead plant material becomes submerged.

🧪 Possible Scientific Hypothesis
A clear testable hypothesis might be:

If a lake re-floods previously dried tule beds containing large amounts of dead plant biomass, then water quality will temporarily decline due to decomposition-driven oxygen depletion and nutrient release.

🔬 What Would Likely Happen?
When the lake rises and submerges all that dead vegetation:

1️⃣ Decomposition Explosion
Bacteria begin breaking down the dead tules.

That process:

Consumes dissolved oxygen

Releases nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus)

Produces organic acids and sometimes methane or hydrogen sulfide

2️⃣ Oxygen Levels Drop (Hypoxia Risk)
Because decomposition uses oxygen:

Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels may decline.

Fish and invertebrates could become stressed.

In severe cases → fish kills.

This effect is strongest:

In warm water

In shallow, poorly mixed areas

Where biomass is very dense

3️⃣ Nutrient Pulse → Algae Bloom Risk
As tules decompose:

Phosphorus and nitrogen are released.

These nutrients fuel algae growth.

This can trigger:

Green water

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae)

Harmful algal blooms (HABs)

This effect may occur weeks to months after reflooding.

4️⃣ Increased Organic Matter & Turbidity
Water may temporarily become:

Darker (tannins released)

Cloudier

Higher in biological oxygen demand (BOD)

5️⃣ Sediment Chemistry Changes
Submerged decomposing material can:

Create low-oxygen sediments

Release additional phosphorus from lake bottom sediments

Shift the system toward more eutrophic conditions

📊 Real-World Evidence
This phenomenon has been observed in:

Flooded wetlands

Reservoir drawdown and refill cycles

Agricultural floodplains

Drought-recovery lakes

Post-fire landscapes followed by flooding

It’s sometimes called:

Internal nutrient loading

Flood pulse nutrient release

Reflooding effect

Decomposition-driven hypoxia

🌊 Would the Effect Be Permanent?
Usually not — but it depends on scale.

Likely timeline:
Weeks: oxygen decline

1–3 months: nutrient release

1 season: potential algae bloom

1–2 years: system stabilizes

If biomass is extremely dense, the lake could shift toward:

More algae dominance

Less submerged vegetation

Higher long-term nutrient levels

🧠 A More Detailed Hypothesis
A refined hypothesis for research could be:

The re-flooding of desiccated tule stands will increase dissolved organic carbon (DOC), elevate total phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, and reduce dissolved oxygen in littoral zones compared to non-vegetated control areas.

That’s fully testable with:

DO sensors

Nutrient sampling

Chlorophyll-a measurements

BOD testing

⚖️ Could There Be Any Benefits?
Yes — temporarily:

Fish may use flooded vegetation for spawning.

Invertebrate production may spike.

Nutrient cycling may increase productivity.

Wetland systems evolved with natural water fluctuations — but large, human-driven fluctuations can amplify the effects.

🌾 Bottom Line
If acres of dead tules are submerged:

You would most likely see:

Short-term oxygen depletion

Nutrient release

Increased risk of algae blooms

Temporary water quality decline

The magnitude depends on:

Water temperature

Lake mixing

Biomass density

Water residence time

External nutrient inputs

If you’d like, we could turn this into:

A field study design

A citizen-science water testing plan

Or a simplified explanation for a community meeting or environmental board

This is exactly the kind of lake-process question that matters for water management.

01/01/2026

Maybe someone could do a deep dive to find out why the equipment rentals at the lakes are in such bad shape.
I started with the discovery of this,

Yes, Ortega National Parks (ONP) did acquire Rocky Mountain Recreation Company (RMR), with the acquisition of RMR by ONP's parent company, Nolan Capital, taking place around 2021, integrating RMR's operations into ONP's portfolio of parks and resorts.
Key Points:
The Buyer: Ortega National Parks (ONP), under its parent investment firm Nolan Capital, acquired Rocky Mountain Recreation.
The Acquisition: Nolan Capital acquired Rocky Mountain Recreation (Pyramid Enterprises Inc.) in May 2021.
Integration: This meant RMR became part of the larger ONP family, expanding their reach in managing public lands.