By Mike Busch 1-8-2020
I checked out Old Inlet for the first time since late November on Thursday, January 2nd at dead low tide. Water clarity was poor but the main channel and channels to the east looked very healthy. The channels on the west side appear to be in worse shape. This dynamic area looks different every time so it is almost impossible to take a guess on the overall status and how long it may remain open. Hopefully, Dr. Flagg of Somas will have an update soon and discuss the salinity levels in Bellport Bay, the best way to gauge the ocean and bay water interchange. Dr. Flagg’s took a flight in mid-December, click here for the link to those photos and an interesting video showing how the inlet changes over time.
One example of this interchange is a photo below that I took on New Year’s Eve at Howells Point in Bellport Bay. You can clearly see a line where clean Ocean water was mixing in with the Bay water, made brown from runoff from a large rain event the day before.
12-31-19
The photos below and on pages 2 and 3 were taken 1-2-2020
