Low Water Levels Shut South Platte River Access This Weekend

LITTLETON, CO – Thinking of heading to South Platte River Park for some tubing this weekend? Think again. The portion of the South Platte River that flows through Littleton will be off limits to water recreation July 14, the city announced. The river will be closed to all activities that involve entering the water from Saturday at 12 a.m. through Sunday, July 15 at 6 a.m.

Littleton City Manager Mark Relph issued the order to close the river on the stretch between Highway C-470 and Belleview Avenue, citing potential environmental and other damage.

“Safety concerns led to the closure due to a high volume of anticipated floatation-device users in the river this weekend,” said Relph in a statement. “A large number of users in the river would cause potential damage, including trash, disturbance to wildlife habitat, water quality issues, and negative impacts on downstream users.”

A lack of snow runoff has caused unusually low water levels in the South Platte this summer. At normal levels, it’s safe to float in water measured between 100 and 500 cubic feet per second, the city said. However, the river is currently flowing at 20 cubic feet per second.

Low water levels can damage watercraft and flotation devices, cause injuries and damage the river bottom, the city said.

Image via City of Littleton

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