BeRiverWise.org Our message to the public is simple: stay out of the rivers right now until conditions change. We care about your safety this spring and summer season.
As many of you know, we have had a record-breaking winter season – in fact, snowpack in the Sierra is over 200% of normal for this time of year. This means river water is going to be extremely dangerous! The river water is going to be colder (we’re talking 45 degrees and lower!) and stronger for an extended part of the summer. Even in 90-degree weather, river water temperatures will average about 44 degrees -- if you get swept away by the water, you will develop hypothermia in as little as 15 minutes.
This isn’t a scare tactic, it’s a fact.