Allegheny River Water Safety: The Big Three Natural Hazards

It’s finally spring! With temps finally hitting 60 degrees, the phones at Allegheny Outfitters started ringing this last weekend with requests to get on the river. We thought this was a great time to talk a bit about the natural hazards that exist along the Allegheny River. In this video we run through the "big three" that exist on our local waterways.

As is the case every spring, we don’t plan to put folks on the river until water temps are safe (usually around mid-May) and right now they’re hovering around 39 degrees. Even though the air feels warm, the water is still really cold and the risk of hypothermia and cold water shock are very real. Please use good judgement if you’re heading out there. And remember, Pennsylvania State Law requires anyone, regardless of age, to wear a PFD from November 1st through midnight on April 30th. Let’s make this a safe 2019 paddling season!

Want to learn more about paddling safety on our local waterways? Join us for one of our safety workshops.

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