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According to Santa Margarita Water District officials, the recent cold weather spell has affected the Upper Oso Reservoir.

During the summer the lake splits into two layers of water.  The top layer is warmer during the summer and maintains adequate levels of oxygen, but at the expense of the bottom of lake.  The bottom of the lake has cooler water and stays isolated with low levels of oxygen.  During autumn, the upper layer of water gets cold, and eventually sinks to the bottom, raising the bottom water.

This year the recent cold spell came with strong winds that mixed the water suddenly creating conditions that caused an algae bloom which used up the oxygen which resulted in odors.  The District has responded by adding additional equipment in the lake to help return the oxygen levels to normal. The situation does not pose any health risks and the reservoir should return to normal within the next several days. 

For further updates and questions, please check with the Santa Margarita Water District – http://www.smwd.com/algae-bloom-info.htm