KERNVILLE, Calif. (KERO) — On Thursday, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office announced a closure of the Upper Kern River, including all river access areas for recreational use. The decision has left some residents and local business owners upset.
The water in the Kern River is moving extremely fast at this time, and TCSO says it poses a serious threat to inexperienced tourists. Local residents, however, say that limiting access to the river could be detrimental to the local economy in places like Kernville.
Since the order was first issued, TCSO has changed it somewhat. Instead of a blanket cutoff, the agency now says it will monitor the river's activity day-by-day to determine when it is safe for normal recreation for the public.
At the same time, the sheriff's office says the rules will be relaxed for experienced rafters and kayakers, but tourists who don't have whitewater experience should avoid swimming or tubing in the Kern River until further notice.
Among those who felt blindsided by the Kern Sheriff's announcement Thursday evening was Gary Ananian, the executive director of the Kern River Conservancy.
"We went through a drought. Then, we had big floods, and we had the closures in the forest while they're fixing all the flood damage, so then we're like, 'Alright, everything's opening soon…' Nope," Ananian said, audibly frustrated.
Ananian's frustration is because the residents in the area impacted by the closure were left out of the conversation about it.
"The sheriffs come out and say, 'No, we're going to close you down,' and that was unacceptable. There's no way. People are so invested in this community and their business to reopen and have all the crowds come back and experience Kernville," said Ananian.
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After a discussion with the community, Media Supervisor for the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Ashley Ritchie says the agency is relaxing restrictions and allowing experience rafters and local businesses dependant on the river to continue their operations.
Ritchie reemphasizes that the river poses serious dangers to inexperienced visitors.
"It concerns us because Mother's Day, Memorial Day weekend are all approaching, and those are all popular times to be out on the water, and we understand that and we related to that," said Ritchie. "We all want to be on the water as well, but it's just not safe."
Ritchie says frigid temperatures and fast-moving rapids bring dangerous conditions for tourists.
According to environmentalist nonprofit American Whitewater, the Upper Kern River ranges from Class 4 to Class 5 whitewater difficulty ratings, which are considered high and requiring an advanced or expert skill set.
Richie says the record rainfall and snowmelt heighten the risks, but explains that as long as visitors enjoy the river with experienced guides and the proper safety equipment, they can continue using the river.
"We can understand, especially in years of drought in the past several years, these businesses are already operating at a deficit, and we can understand the urgency to get onto the water, and so we want to work with them as much as possible," said Ritchie.
According to Ritchie, TCSO as an agency has a responsibility to both protect their citizens and support local businesses, as long as they operate safely.
Ananian agrees that this isn't the season for swimming or inner-tubing on the Kern River. Instead, he recommends enjoying the river with a whitewater rafting company with guides who are experienced in commercial rafting on the river.
"We're not here to tell people to stay home and not come to the Kern River Valley. We want you to come and enjoy this amazing resource that we have, but we want you to do it safely and responsibly, so you get to go home and tell your friends you had a great time in Kernville," said Ananian.
Water safety experts recommend wearing a Type 3 or Type 5 life vest rated for whitewater rafting if you're experienced enough to be out on the Kern River right now. Otherwise, they recommend inexperienced visitors stay out of the water.
Remember: Stay out, stay alive.
