Whitewater Wash Warning Issued

It may be inviting, but the Whitewater Wash can be very deadly. The Desert Water Agency and the Coachella Valley Water District are warning residents to stay away from the fast-flowing and dangerous water near Interstate 10 and Windy Point.

Experts say the flow rate in the channel this summer will range from a trickle to more than 600 cubic feet per second. It’s equivalent to 600 basketballs moving past a given point every second.

It’s illegal to be in the closed-off portions of the wash. If you’re caught you could get slapped with an $865 fine.

“The currents are down from last year; it was up high,” said Chalo Gomez. He was playing with his family inside the restricted area.

Last August, 51-year-old Richard Snyder died in the Whitewater Wash when a strong current knocked him over. His body was found a half-mile down stream.

A safe alternative is the Whitewater Preseve just five miles north of the Interstate 10 and Whitewater exit. It’s free to the public and open every day of the summer. It is family oriented and a good 10 degrees cooler than the Coachella Valley.

There are only 50 parking spots, so get there early.

For more information about the Whitewater Preserve, go to http://www.wildlandsconservancy.org/preserve_whitewater.html