That\u2019s because drinking can impair judgement and turn an already dangerous situation into a deadly one, Spencer said \u2014 plus a day out on the river can lead to dehydration quickly. Drink water instead, experts advise.<\/p>\n
Spencer said the majority of water rescue calls his department receives are along the El Manto, also known as Clay Banks, area of the American River,<\/a> where the water is deep and the currents can be tricky.<\/p>\n \u201cThe current runs in almost a circular motion and it can suck you down under the water,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s where we have most of our drownings.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s also where the ranger boat is out on the weekends patrolling, and \u201cif you have any concerns, you can wave them down,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n To mitigate your impact on the South Yuba\u2019s ecosystem, Elkin also asks visitors to wear reef-safe sunscreen<\/a> to protect the waterway and pick up and pack out your trash. You should also be aware of fire safety, as a fire in the canyon would be \u201cdevastating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cKnow that the Yuba has been very impacted lately \u2014 there have been a lot of visitors to the state park,\u201d he said. \u201cSo it\u2019s not quite as calm and serene as it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Before heading out to any local river, you can check websites Dreamflows <\/a>and American Whitewater<\/a>, which track the flow of any given river and offer weather and other condition reports for visitors.<\/p>\n You can also check Go Nevada County<\/a> for travel alerts in the area and the regional parks website for Sacramento County.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re the one in trouble<\/strong><\/p>\n If you do find yourself caught in the current, the best move is to float on your back and position your feet downstream, and \u201cdon\u2019t try to fight it too much,\u201d Elkin said. Then, attempt to paddle to one side of the river toward shore.<\/p>\n Yell for help if you can, and try to reach for any sort of flotation device or solid object like a branch or rock that may be nearby. Raising one hand straight over your head instead of two<\/a> can both help you stay afloat and visible while signaling to others on shore that you are in need of rescue.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/06\/RS66532_GettyImages-1307726709-qut.jpg\")
<\/a>How to check the safety conditions on the river before you go<\/h2>\n
What should I do in an emergency on the river?<\/h2>\n