Potter County Sheriff Warns of Dangerous Conditions at Canadian River

0
1238
Canadian River water rises during summer of 2021

Last Updated on July 8, 2021 – 11:07 PM CDT

The Potter County Sheriffs Office posted a warning on social media Thursday about dangerous water currents at the Canadian River. Recent rainfall has increased the depth of the water substantially which causes strong currents and dangerous conditions.

The Potter County Sheriff said “Over the past few weeks we all know that we have received an abundant amount of rain…with rain comes some concern for the Potter County Sheriff’s Office and Potter County Fire and Rescue. That concern comes in the area of the Canadian River north of town… I want to share some concerns before anyone says “watch this”. In the past we at the Sheriff’s Office had an employee loose a loved one due to the rising, swift moving water, we have had others think they can kayak from point A to point B and then get stranded in between with no cell service and no way out. We have actually had to use the DPS helicopter fly to them to air lift them to safety.”

Water depth at the Canadian River bridge on US 87/287 – Source: USGS

The Sheriff’s Office says they have off-road vehicles but even with those vehicles they are limited on where and how they can respond. The water is rising at the Canadian river and moving swiftly with dangerous undercurrents.

Drone photo of the Canadian river bridge on US 87/287 shows increased water levels and swift moving water. Photo Credit: Potter County Sheriff’s Office