Why Does the Water Look Different Around Ono Island?
Tea-colored in Old River, turquoise a few minutes away at Perdido Pass. Here is what is going on, and why it matters when you are choosing a home.
One island, several colors of water
Buyers often stand on a dock on Old River, sometimes called Ole River, look at water the color of strong tea, and then hear that the Gulf is a few minutes away and bright turquoise. They ask me if something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. It is simply how the water works around here, and once you understand it, you will read the island differently.
Ono Island sits between Old River on the south side, Bayou St. John on the north side, and the Gulf through Perdido Pass. Those are different kinds of water, and they change with the day.
Five things that change the color
Tannins
Rivers and marshes carry the color of leaves and pine needles, the way a tea bag colors a glass. It is natural, and it gives the water an amber, sometimes brown, look.
Sediment
Old River is calmer and shallower, with a soft, silty bottom and marsh along the edges. Stir that bottom and the water turns cloudy.
Tide
Water moves in and out through Perdido Pass. On a falling tide, darker back-bay water drifts toward the pass. On a rising tide, cleaner Gulf water pushes in. The same spot can look different in the morning and the afternoon.
Wind and boat wakes
A breeze or a string of boats churns shallow water and lifts sediment. Out in the Gulf there is far more depth and sand, so the water settles and shows its true blue-green.
Rain
Rain upstream sends tea-colored freshwater down the rivers, and it can take days to clear. Fresh water is also lighter than salt water, so it can sit on top and make a visible line where the two meet.
A note on the word
Tannins are the natural stain that plant matter leaves in water. Tea-colored does not mean dirty. It is the color of the marsh and the rivers.
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Why the Gulf looks so different
Shell Beach is the closest beach, just west of the pass entrance. That is open Gulf: deep, sandy, and moving. When the seas are calm and the tide is coming in, the color can be a striking turquoise, just minutes from tea-colored water in the river.
That is one of the things I love about Ono Island. You have quiet, sheltered water at the dock and open Gulf water a short boat ride away. Every waterway around the island has its own personality, and the island-wide access ties them together.
See the water on different days and tides
If you are considering a home here, please do not judge the water from a single visit. Come on a windy day and a calm one. Come at low tide and again at high tide. Look after a good rain and a few days after. I will happily walk with you and show you how the water behaves in each area.
While you are here, spend time at the clubs and amenities too. I wrote about that in Ono Island clubs and amenities and about how the island differs from the rest of the coast in why Ono Island is a different market. If you visit in the fall, keep an eye on the sky as well: monarch butterflies pass through the island.
Want to see it for yourself?
Tell me what you hope to do on the water and I will help you plan a visit that shows you the island at its different moods. Call or text me.
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If you would like to understand how the details in this article may relate to your property, your plans, or a Gulf Coast real estate decision, I would be glad to help.
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