Authorities and festival organizers are on high alert as some sections of the Arkansas River remain at dangerous levels.

According to an announcement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Arkansas River is flowing at just over 4,300 cubic feet per second and is about 55 degrees, which can trigger hypothermic shock from sudden immersion if not wearing proper equipment. 

A 19-year-old man who was swimming in the river near La Junta on Wednesday is still missing, and an experienced kayaker died last week after getting swept up in a Class 5 rapid along the river north of Buena Vista. 

High water flows on the Arkansas have led to multiple flood warnings in several locations, including Cañon City and Salida. Authorities have reported dangerous, fast-flowing currents in some areas that are up to four times the normal rate.

On Friday, the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office lifted restrictions that had been in place this week for the Arkansas River from the spillway of the Pueblo Dam to the Pueblo-Otero County line after the water flow rate dropped to about 4,000 cubic feet per second.

Creeks farther north in Golden and Boulder have had restrictions in recent weeks for water enthusiasts.

While the restrictions in the Pueblo area were lifted, CPW’s park manager at Lake Pueblo said in the announcement that it isn’t a time for people to relax. The river still needs to be respected, and people need to take precautions such as wearing life jackets.    

What makes a river dangerous are strong currents, cold water temperatures and unexpected changes in depth. Tom Waters, CPW’s park manager for the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, added that the danger levels of the water depends on the river’s “character,” as well. The gradient, or the downhill slope, of a river and how narrow it is affects the danger.

“It’s kind of subjective, too. For a novice river user, it could feel dangerous to them but a veteran user may not feel that way,” Waters said. 

The Arkansas River stretches hundreds of miles in Colorado alone, meaning there are areas that are safer than others, said Bob Hamel, the executive director for the Arkansas River Outfitters Association. 

Hamel said the “beauty” in the river is its flexibility. 

While other rivers in the country are subject to extreme rapids and high- or low-water levels that make them dangerous to be in all together, Hamel said the Arkansas has multiple sections people of various levels of skill and ability can raft in Colorado.

“Very few rivers in the country have this ability to move trips around for the appropriate level of the commercial guest,” he said. 

Flow levels for the Arkansas are close to hitting records, according to Hamel. But the high-flow sections can be avoided. 

Right now, Hamel said the best areas to go rafting or kayaking are Bighorn Sheep Canyon and Browns Canyon. These places offer various sections with rapids that range from Class 2 to Class 4. 

Hamel said there are sections from Salida to Parkdale that are conducive for children who want to paddle raft, as well. 

Restrictions affect outfitters like Hamel, who understands that authorities want to be cautious, but also thinks it turns people away from being on the river in its entirety, when that doesn’t need to be the case. 

“You still can go rafting. Go with an outfitter, or at least call an outfitter and find out what the real story is. It’s not a marketing ploy to get people to still go. You can go on the river in a safe manner, you just have to go to the appropriate areas,” he said. 

For authorities in the river’s area, Hamel recommends referencing the section of the river they have jurisdiction over to make it clear what part of the river is dangerous and mentioning that the river is open upstream to go with a professional outfitter for safe trips when issuing restrictions or warnings.