DES MOINES — The Fourth of July weekend will bring thousands of paddlers to Iowa’s waters and with heavy rains in the forecast, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) advises paddlers and boaters to carefully watch water levels and increased traffic.
“While many rivers are at safe and optimal levels today, this may change as we have a chance of heavy rains through Thursday night and again on Friday,” said Todd Robertson with the DNR’s water trails program. “Levels will be a concern, and people must be aware that rain will raise water levels in mere minutes.”
Current stream flows are available at the U.S. Geological Survey website.
After heavy rainfall, people on the water should watch for debris causing hazards, Robertson said. Some log jams have already been reported, as at the Anderson Access on the Skunk River just below Story City. Paddlers will need to portage around this and similar large log jams.
In addition, Robertson said, the holiday weekend can also bring more boat traffic, more canoes and kayaks on the water, and more anglers. Boaters should also be familiar with Iowa’s boating while intoxicated laws.
