Public Safety Announcement: Deadly River Water 

May 12, 2023 - Placer County Sheriff's Office officials issue public safety announcement on waterway safety.

Hot temps begin this weekend, and we are making another plea for the public to stay out of the rivers in Placer County.

With the record-setting winter, snow melting from the Sierra down to our rivers is going to make for faster and stronger water flows – flows across the American River are expected to exceed 8,000 cubic feet per second this weekend – that’s about 64,000 pounds of force consistently flowing down the river! If you get swept in, there’s a great chance you won’t come out.

The snowmelt is also going to keep river water colder (40-45 degrees) for much of the summer. Spending as little as 15 minutes in river water is long enough to make your body hypothermic and seize your muscles, making you unable to stay afloat. Be river-wise, this year is different.

For more information on river dangers: https://www.placer.ca.gov/8920/Be-River-Wise.

Please watch the video above to learn why river water is so dangerous this year, or view video link here.

Source: Placer County Sheriff's Office