Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 14 June 2017

Rivers in U.S. West turn dangerous as days warm, snow thaws

SCOTT SMITH quoia National Monument
HALLIE GOLDEN in central California.
Associated Press At the Kern River in cen-
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, tral California, officials last
Calif. (AP) — Massive wa- month updated a sign
terfalls in Yosemite Nation- warning that that 280 peo-
al Park and rivers raging ple have died in it since
in mountains throughout 1968. The sign is already
the western United States outdated, with four more
are thundering with great- drownings since then.q
er force than they have And in northern Utah, a
for years — and proving 4-year-old girl playing at
deadly as warm weather the side of the Provo River
melts the deepest moun- fell from a boulder into
tain snowpack in recent the water last month. Her
memory. mother and a man who
Record snowfall on tower- was nearby jumped in to
ing Western peaks this win- try to save the girl. All three
ter virtually eliminated Cali- drowned, illustrating how
fornia’s five-year drought quickly one tragedy can
and it is now melting rap- multiply.
idly. “As little as six inches of
But it has contributed to at water can actually sweep
least 14 river deaths and an adult away at the rate
prompted officials to close of speed that the water is
sections of rivers popular In this photo taken May 25, 2017, the water in Bridalveil Creek rushes through boulders at Yosem- traveling,” said Chris Crow-
with swimmers, rafters and ite National Park, Calif. ley, emergency manager
fishing enthusiasts. Associated Press for the county where Park
In Utah and Wyoming, some Moose Mutlow of the Yo- people last year, when four Neng Thao drowned last City is located.
rivers gorged by heavy win- semite Swift Water Rescue people drowned. month swimming in the riv- In Reno, Nevada, rising
ter snowfall have overflown Team. “You step out in front So far this year, one 50-year- er during a picnic with his temperatures that have
their banks, and rivers in of it, it’s going to take you,” old man is believed to have family days before he was accelerated snowpack
Utah are expected to re- he said. “You’re not go- drowned at Yosemite after set to graduate as the vale- melting prompted officials
main dangerously swollen ing to stop that, and that’s falling into the Merced Riv- dictorian of his high school. to erect a sign next to the
with icy mountain runoff for what people need to get er from a winding trail. His And six people have died Truckee River warning peo-
several more weeks. their heads around.” body has not been found. in the rugged Tule River ple to stay away from it.
The sheer beauty of the Heavy storms this winter One of Yosemite’s deadli- south of Yosemite. Some In Idaho, snowpack at
rivers is their draw — and covered the central Sierra est days was in 2011, when drowned, but others suf- double normal levels have
represents a big danger Nevada mountains with three young church group fered injuries suggesting prompted warnings from
to people who decide to snow that remains at twice visitors were swept to their their bodies were beaten officials that densely popu-
beat the heat by swimming its normal level for this time deaths over the 317-foot to death by the river water lated areas near the Boise
or rafting with little aware- of year. (97-meter) Vernal Fall. slamming them against the River could flood.
ness of the risks posed by While officials celebrated Elsewhere in California, riverbed. And in Wyoming, officials
the raging water. an end to drought in much there have been at least “The force of that water have placed sandbags
This year’s velocity and of California, the snowmelt 11 drownings since the pounds people into rocks and flood barriers to pro-
force of the Merced River is so dangerous that park snowpack started melting and sends them over wa- tect homes and public in-
that runs through Yosem- rangers fear its impact on in May. terfalls,” said Eric LaPrice, frastructure from rivers and
ite Valley is similar to a the crowded park that At the San Joaquin River a U.S. Forest Service district streams swollen with the
runaway freight train, said drew a record five million near Fresno, 18-year-old ranger at the Giant Se- snowmelt.