Kern River Conservancy enlists help to spread word on river safety
May 2—The Kern River is one of the most dangerous rivers in the United States with more than 315 lives lost in its swift and deceptive waters since 1968.
And this year's record snowmelt means the river has become even more powerful, its roaring whitewater resembling a boiling cauldron as it barrels down the V-shaped Kern River Canyon in its race toward the valley floor below.
"We know this is a huge spot for recreation, especially inner tubing in the summer, so we're encouraging people to get a trained whitewater outfitter instead of going out solo," said Ashlie Whitaker, communications coordinator for the nonprofit Kern River Conservancy.
And good-quality life vests should be worn by anyone getting in the river, she said.
It was a message repeated several times Tuesday morning as Whitaker and conservancy founder Gary Ananian brought together a wide range of uniformed individuals to videotape a number of public service announcements to help educate locals and especially visitors to the inherent dangers of the ancient river.
There was a Kern County firefighter and a Kern County sheriff's deputy on hand Tuesday. There was an outdoor recreation planner from the Bureau of Land Management's Bakersfield office and two employees from the U.S. Forest Service's Kern River Ranger District.
And there was Daneya Williams, an experienced whitewater adventure guide and manager at Whitewater Voyages in Kernville.
"There are three of us up here," Williams said of the three companies, or river outfitters, that offer guided raft trips down both the upper Kern and the lower Kern.
"We've all been here a really long time on the Kern River, so all of us have lots of experience," Williams said. "And we are also fortunate that this year we have a lot of returning guides who are already very seasoned ... they've been here through lots of big (water) years in the last 20 years."
This is the fifth year the Conservancy has produced PSAs as tools for educating visitors to the river, and potentially saving lives. They gathered Tuesday morning near the Slippery Rock boat launch off Keyesville Road, an area on the river well known for its tragic drownings of swimmers, tubers and other recreation seekers.
Kern County firefighter Kaylan Curtsinger was the first to read a public service message to those who may come to the Kern River this season for recreation. Later he spoke with this reporter about what he hopes will come of it.
"Right now we're down here to reach out to the public and give some safety advice and concerns they should be cautious about," Curtsinger said. "Especially with all the heavy flows this year, it's one of the most dangerous rivers in the United States."
The BLM's Brian Ludt was also optimistic about getting the message out to the public.
"I think the PSA is definitely going to help save lives," he said.
Kern County Sheriff's Senior Deputy Enrique Plaza said he's been present at the scenes of "too many" drownings along the river.
"We're all hoping members of the public listen to us and wear a flotation device," Plaza said.
"The river is going to be flowing pretty good and running pretty hard," he said. "Give yourself a chance and wear your life preserver."
Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.
