Things are getting back to normal on the Pueblo stretch of the Arkansas River, a river that is one of the most popular places in Colorado for rafting, tubing and other water recreation. Of course, getting back to normal can mean far different things when it comes to rivers across the state once the snowpack melts. And that is where we are today.
As of mid-June, Arkansas River flows are running at seasonal-high levels and officials say, are especially treacherous along the stretch of the river that cuts a path from Chafee on the west to Prowers County and the Kansas state line. It is a meandering water trail that cuts through roughly two thirds of the state. But some bends of the river lure more people than others and some of these spots can also be the most treacherous for anyone want- ing to cool off and recreate.
The river also feeds Lake Pueblo, southern Colorado’s pre- mier watering hole, drawing people from not just Colorado but surrounding states, as well.
All of the state’s rivers are now running at or near seasonal highs prompting officials to issue warnings that all safety measures need to be followed. It’s a no-nonsense edict. Since March, there have been 18 drowning deaths that have been recorded in Colorado waters.
Recently in Pueblo and Otero counties, public safety agencies and the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife restricted water sports in the Arkansas river due to its fast flow and near-record water levels.
Restrictions enacted by the Pueblo Sheriff’s Department and CPW forced a temporary ban on kayaking, canoeing, swimming along with air-filled devices including inflatable mattresses and inner tubes. Violators have also been warned they could be subject to fines.
Restrictions, said PCSO Public Information Officer Gayle Perez, lasted only a few days. But Perez says caution is still strongly advised. “Now that the restrictions have been lifted, we will continue to monitor the river conditions closely through regular inspections and coordinate with the Divisions of Parks and Wildlife and City partners.”
One popular section of the Arkansas River is Salida where river enthusiasts come from all over the world to raft. But current conditions have forced cancellation of some of events at the summer’s annual FIBArk festival. But for serious competitors everything remains a go.
Officials are warning anyone headed for the water at any place in the state that all safety warnings be taken serious. That includes wearing safety vests and remaining leashed when paddle boarding. Leashing, they say, provides extra insurance if you fall off your board. Without exception, the state mandates anyone in the water to wear a life jacket.
One Colorado woman, Pamela Barrett, whose son drowned in San Juan County’s Miramonte Reservoir, recently raised money to buy and donate life jackets for anyone using the reservoir.
Miramonte, like a number of other state locations for kayaking and boating, also sits at more than seven thousand feet in elevation. At that elevation, even in the hottest months, water temperatures rarely rise above seventy degrees. Falling in can quickly reduce body temperature creating a condition known as hypothermia, a contributing factor in many drowning deaths.
While late spring and summer heat swells the number of people in the state’s lakes, rivers and reservoirs, it also puts local rescue teams on high alert. “We’re always training,” said Pueblo Fire Department Public Information Officer Tim Trujillo, “because the Arkansas is one of the mostly highly rafted rivers in the country and runs through the heart of the city.” The same holds true for water rescue teams across Colorado.
In the last week, Otero County rescue teams say one man was rescued from the Arkansas River. But in a separate incident, the OCSO and the La Junta Fire Department say a 19-year-old man remains missing.
While so much of the attention on water safety is focused on rivers, lakes and reservoirs, a number of drowning deaths—especially those of younger children—occur in cities where gates to swimming pools are often left open and pools are left unattended.
While families are left devasted over the loss of children, there is also another, often unspoken cost. “There is an emotional toll,” said Trujillo. “Anytime you deal with a child’s death it’s hard on everyone, hard on first-responders seeing those things.”
Colorado state law also now mandates that anyone under age 14 may not operate “any motorboat or personal watercraft.” Anyone age 14-17 years of age must also pass a state boating safety exam to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft. Also, if stopped by a state official on the water, certification must be shown.
Because a high percentage of boating accidents involve alcohol, state officials say that the same regulations covering driving a motor vehicle apply to the waterways. Anything at or above a .08 blood alcohol level will result in a violation.
