On Friday, Dec 3, 2021, the City of San Diego will be releasing a visible red dye into Mission Bay at the Rose Creek inlet between Campland and De Anza Cove. The dye release may be visible up for approximately one week and is part of a study to better understand water circulation patterns within Mission Bay.
Please see the City's PDF below:
https://sandiego.surfrider.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Mission-Bay-Dye-Dispersal-Flyer-1.pdf
Is it Safe?
We checked with our national staff scientist re: any dangers to human or marine life, and at this low concentration, Rhodamine WT is generally considered safe for marine life.
However, no data was available regarding toxicity in humans, and Rhodamine WT is classified as a skin and eye irritant by the Hazardous Substance Databank. Therefore, we advise caution for those with sensitive skin and/or eyes and for anyone who would rather err on the side of caution.
Needless to say, it is NEVER a good idea to ingest water from the ocean or Mission Bay.
We test water quality weekly at the Rose Creek/Campland site where this study is being conducted, and our results show bacteria levels regularly exceed recreational water quality standards set by the California State Water Quality Resources Control Board.
We are a member of ReWild Mission Bay, a coalition campaign to restore more than 200 acres of wetlands to the bay that aims, among other benefits, to drastically improve water quality in the area. We appreciate the City's efforts so far in gathering information needed to support restoration options that improve the bay for all users and wildlife.
