Placer County warns visitors of fast, cold rivers ahead of warmer temperatures
AUBURN – A historic snowpack is raising concerns along popular rivers in Northern California.
A recent drowning in Nevada County has renewed calls to be careful during what is expected to be a longer snowmelt than usual.
At the confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River, the water invites visitors to marvel while it rages.
"It's so clear too," said Mimi, a hiker from Roseville. "It's way different than last year."
The Placer County Sheriff's Office, Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, and California State Parks conducted swift water rescue training together.
"This year is absolutely different in the fact that the hazards will be here way longer than anyone is used to," said Fire Capt. Nick Salas. He's a lead on one of the technical rescue teams.
There are new trouble spots where people can find themselves caught in the water, like in a tree.
At last check, the river is 44 degrees.
The rivers are not just higher and cold, they are also moving fast.
"The average river speed in California is about 2 to 3 to 5 miles per hour," said Caleb Funk, a swift water technician for the Auburn State Recreation Area. "Right now, from the amount of times I've been on this river, we're looking at five to 10 [mph]."
The Middle Fork of the American River is expected to almost double to 3,000 cubic feet per second by Friday.
But what is that exactly?
According to Sgt. Kevin Griffiths, who operates dive and swift water rescue team for the sheriff's office, imagine a basketball representing one cubic foot with eight pounds of water in it.
"That's 24,000 pounds of weight that's pushing up against a person if they're stuck in this water. And that's not just at that moment," he said. "It's every second."
Every second counts in a water rescue call.
The hope is people enjoy the views of the water for now.
Placer sheriff told CBS13 they lose three to four people to the river every year when the water flows are not so high.
If people do go in the water, they are encouraged to swim with others, wear a life jacket and thermal.