Clear Water On Galveston Beaches? Really?

GALVESTON, TX — The typically murky waters that Galveston beachgoers have been acustomed to for years seemed a lot less murky by the end of the Memorial Day weekend.

The chocolatey brown waters that, among other things, contain sediment carried into the Gulf from the Mississippi, Trinity, San Jacinto, and Brazos Rivers underwent a temporary metamorphisis transforming the typical Galveston surf into a lovely shade of blue.

It was pleasantly shocking, with some beachgoers comparing the water to what is seen in southern Mexico.

So why the change?

According to a KPRC report the recent Subtropical Storm Alberto may have played a role when the storm shifted course and brought a large swell of blue water to the Texas shore.

Call it Chamber of Commerce surf, if you want, and that's what everyone on Galveston beaches received, despite warnings of higher than normal fecal bacteria along some Texas beaches over the long weekend.

Although the water was clear for a time, there's a good chance that the murky waters that Galveston beachgoers know so well has already returned.

Image: Emily Leayman/Patch

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