About playing in the Rio Grande (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho: safe area, construction, gated)

[red46]

You've probably heard about yet another kid getting drowned in the Rio Grande. Where and how to get the message out there, I'm not sure but evidently somebody needs to speak up.

The Rio Grande is not like the river 'back home'. When the Rio is subsided, for the season, it's just as tame as a creek. Otherwise, it's a killer, if you don't know what you're doing.

There are sections of the river, in the Albuquerque area that can be navigated at certain times of the year. Those times have changed, evidently due to the changes in the weather.

In the old days, before 1990, it was predictable. It subsided in Dec. As the northern snows melted, in the spring, the river ran wild. About mid summer, it settled back to normal.

This last winter, I waited for the river to subside so that I could go out and collect clay. It never did. Which told me, it wasn't staying cold enough up north, to keep the snow where it landed. It was a constant melt.

So I'm guessing I need to talk about the Rio when it's running full and wild, as that's all I've seen all winter.

There are sections of the river, that split up. In those areas where it splits into at least 3 sections, it's safe to mess with it. Usually, it's the western most leg, that is the deadly one. There will be legs that are smaller and shallow and they can be safely crossed but don't ever mess with the deep leg. It's deeper than you think, in sections and odd things happen with this river.

One odd thing is changing speed. I mean, while it may seem tame where you are, you can very easily move over just an inch too much and find yourself in raging, rushing water the swirls up and down. This is how kids suddenly vanish.

Several people can be playing in the river, together. Where the group is, can be perfectly safe. When you're playing in the water, you're not paying attention to changes in the river's mood. Where they are playing may be mild, but move just one more foot in any direction and you can find yourself being swept out of control. The water at the bottom, rushing faster than the surface.

There is also something the old timers call 'quick sand'. The fact is, its not quick sand but it most definitely is a quickening sand. You may be wading across the river, in a shallower area and suddenly realize you're sinking into the bottom sand. What's more, there doesn't seem to be a bottom. It feels like rushing sand, oozing out from under your foot and I don't mean slowly.

There is a bottom but it could be anywhere from 1 foot to 4 feet down. Imagine a child, 4 feet tall, sinking into 2 feet of sand with the river level at 2 feet. Water 2 feet deep doesn't seem like a threat but if you suddenly are 2 feet shorter, what then?

The normal reaction is panic. A body will try to fight it too fast, lose their balance and fall down. That's when the river can claim a child.

Never let a child younger than 8, play anywhere near that river. They are too small to fight the traps.

From my own experiences, there is only one way to react to the quickening sand. Get turned around or finish your cross, as fast as you can move. It becomes and endurance test but if you keep pushing, you'll make it. Keep those feet moving, as fast as you can, until you're on solid ground again.

Here is the fact, about the Rio Grande. It's no place to play. You think you're safe. The river has secrets.

When I learned where this last child disappeared, I knew exactly where they would find him. It's the same area, every time. If north of the Alameda bridge, then the body will be found in the snags, under the old bridge, on the western side. It's the western leg of the river splits, that is the deepest and most treacherous.

Like I said, there are sections that can be safely crossed, at certain times of the year. Those certain times, happened more often before all these changes in weather.

The safe areas, that are easily accessible, are that section next to the Coronado Monument, and the section near Alameda. Even those areas need to be receded before tempting it.

Even the washes, Arroyos, ditches, running east or west, are all deadly potential death traps. It may not be raining, where you are, but if it's raining anywhere uphill from you, even miles away, a rush of water can come down on you, faster than your brain can keep up with. If you're from California, you may think it's an earthquake. If you happen to be walking in anything that looks like it was once a wash, and you hear what sounds like rushing traffic afar off, don't wonder about it, get the heck to higher ground.

Life around Albuquerque is much safer than it was in the old days (flooding and rushing water), since the construction of all those flood controls, but those concrete ditches don't cover it all. There are still arroyos with the potential to bring down your house, drown your kids, wash your car down to the river. It's no joke. How do you think all the rich soil, wound up down by the river?

While it's true, Alb. has spent a fortune on flood control, my advice is to trust no arroyo and do not trust the Rio Grande, with your kids. Always test that River cautiously. Never play around the River, when the northern snows are melting.

If this latest death, doesn't drive this message home, I don't know what it would take. Most likely, this child moved just one inch too far away from the rest of the group. The bottom of the river, can take you off your feet so fast, there's no fighting back.

Judy

[Poncho_NM]

There was a candlelight vigil for thirteen year old Corbin Hayes at the Rio Vista Park in Rio Rancho, NM. Corbin had been swimming in the Rio Grande last Thursday with his older brother and friends when he was swept away by the current near the north side of Rio Rancho. The river was running unusually high at the time of the incident. The water was moving at 4,000 cubic feet per second compared to the normal flow of 2,500 cubic feet per second this time of year. The search included helicopters, boats, ATVs, divers and 200 personnel which failed to turn up clues until Tuesday afternoon when a volunteer woman and her two children who were walking along the riverbank about 2:15 p.m. saw a body just north of the Alameda bridge on the east side of the river. Corbin might have been stuck elsewhere in the river and dislodged either when water levels rose or by searchers who were probing foliage with poles, The river levels had been lowed during the search to aid in the search. A family friend, Michael Cooke said the family wanted to thank Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez for keeping the search going.



Rich

[bradly]

All I have to say is....

Swimming in the Rio Grande in the spring is foolish.
Thank god for the dam at cochati lake.