Date Published: 02/07/2020
ARCHIVED - Latest water quality measurements for the Mar Menor
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Salinity remains low but the transparency and turbidity have improved
The regional Minister for Water and Agriculture, Antonio Luengo, presented the latest water analyses relating to the physical-chemical parameters of the Mar Menor on Wednesday at a meeting of the Inter-administrative Forum of the Mar Menor, attended by the mayors of the municipalities bordering the lagoon as well as other bodies involved in the maintenance of Europe’s largest body of non-tidal salt water.
The latest measurements show, according to the minister, "a certain stability in values during recent weeks, although the temperature continues to rise and the salinity is still very low due to the continuous entry of fresh water from the ramblas and the aquifer”.
Transparency has risen back up to 4.03 meters, the turbidity at 2.29 FTU, chlorophyll at 0.71 micrograms per liter, salinity at 39.61 PSU and the temperature is 26.75 degrees, he stated.
Oxygen levels have risen slightly to 6.10 micrograms / litre as compared to 5.88 micrograms recorded in May, taking the lagoon out of the immediate danger of anoxia. A lack of oxygen in the water resulted in the deaths of thousands of fish from anoxia (lack of oxygen) in October of 2019.
The salinity levels at 39.61 PSU are below the 44 to 45 grams that would be habitual at this time of year, and still represent an “important risk” according to the scientific community overseeing the health of the Mar Menor, as “sweet” water is still running into the lagoon from the rambla del Albujón, diluting the salinity of the lagoon.
Technically, the water is safe for bathing on most of the beaches but the latest reports published which relate to samples taken on the 22nd June and published on the 29th June show that some beaches are not considered suitable for bathing. These are Playa Estrella de Mar and Playa Los Urrutias.
The waters are also described as “turbid” on Playa Villas Caravanning, Islas Menores, Manzanares and Espejo,although these are considered suitable for bathing.
All of the beaches around the Mar Menor were flying green flags on the first day of the summer season on 1st July, when the annual lifeguard and beach safety programme began yesterday.
Only 3 beaches in the region flew red, and these are the beaches of playa Carrión, La Concha and Manzanares, in Los Alcázares which flew red, advising against bathing, due to the presence of debris in the waters, carried in by the Gota Fría storms of September 2019 which the Mayor of the municipality is unwilling to open for safety reasons.
Cleaning of algae along the shoreline continues.
Join the Mar Menor group on Facebook for info about Los Alcázares, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar, Torre Pacheco, La Unión and Cartagena and keep up to date with all the latest news and events in the Mar Menor: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarMenorNewsAndEvents/