(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Arkansas River flows at the highest levels seen in ten years on Monday, June 10. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says all recreational activities are banned along the waterway because of dangerous conditions.

The Pueblo Fire Department had to rescue a rafting group this weekend who found themselves stranded just south of the dam. Luckily those people are fine, but now officials are closing many access points to keep people away.

“We’re treating this as ‘we do not want the public in the river.’ If you’re close to the river, stay at least ten feet away from the moving water. The river right now, for recreational use, is closed,” says Capt. Nathan Schwalm with the Pueblo Fire Department.

PFD is warning people to avoid the Arkansas River below the Lake Pueblo State Park Dam as water levels are dangerously high.

They say the river is the highest it has been in nearly ten years.

“For this time of year, the river runs roughly around 2500 CFS (cubic feet per second), right now it’s approaching 6000,” added Schwalm.

They say anything above three-thousand CFS is a dangerous level and right now the river is more than double that.

“A bunch of the trail is impassable. It’s underwater. So, I had to cut back. I went across Eighth Street Bridge, went on the other side, got on Santa Fe, then pretty much went up so I could avoid that part and then come back over,” said Rocky Khosla a local biker.

It comes amid an alarming spike in water-related deaths here in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says there have already been 16 water-related deaths in our state so far, and last year, there were 32.

“With the dangers of the high water, a lot of times people aren’t wearing life jackets or the proper gear. Sadly, these rescues often become a recovery from where they have drowned, then we have to go in and recover the body,” added Schwalm.

The quick-moving water is also collecting debris like trees and other objects adding to the danger.

“It could happen right away before you know it, you could get struck by a piece of debris, or the river current is so strong right now, it would be hard to go. It’d be hard to self-rescue yourself,” says Schwalm.

Officials say to avoid the river until further notice.

“I think all I would say is just respect the river, respect the water, the volume of water, and the force is just incredible. If you think you’re going to outswim things, the water always wins. So, you know, please be careful,” added Khosla.

Authorities say when it is safe, bring a life jacket, waterproof phone bags, and a knife to free yourself if caught on something.

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