Skip to main content

Drought Conditions Increase Boating Risks

Support Provided By

With the weather warming up and school out, boating season is at full force. Unfortunately, the ongoing drought is also making boating accidents a more common occurrence. Here are some stats comparing accidents between 2013 and 2014, taken from an official warning to recreational boaters issued by the California Department of Parks and Recreation:

- Fifty-nine percent increase in collisions with fixed objects.
- Twenty-nine percent increase in groundings.
- Accidents on coastal waters increased 35 percent, while lake accidents decreased by 29 percent. (The difference, according to the Parks and Rec department, reflects "the drought-induced shift of boating recreation from inland lakes to coastal areas.")

Shallower conditions means more obstructions making their pointy and ragged selves known to the underside of boats. With little rainfall this year, boaters need to take higher levels of precaution than usual.

"As water levels drop, underwater hazards become more prevalent," said DBW's Acting Deputy Director Christopher C. Conlin. "It is critical for all boaters, inland and coastal, to plan ahead, exercise caution and make sure everyone in a boat is wearing a proper-fitting life jacket."

That point should be drilled home by this statistic: 96 percent of boating fatalities caused by drowning occurred when the victim was not wearing a life jacket. So, if you're out there, take extra care to avoid obstructions. And, for goodness sake, wear those life jackets.

Support Provided By
Read More
In “Obet and Del’s: The Coffee Shop Changing the Game in Hollywood” host Rosey Alvero sits down to talk with coffee shop owner Heather Knox.

Sip, Snack and Stroll Your Way Through Thai Town and East Hollywood (But First, Coffee)

Explore Thai Town and East Hollywood with all of its delicious, boozy and vintage offerings. But before you start wandering, charge up with a coffee from Obet & Del's, a neighborhood coffee haven serving up café drinks inspired by Southeast Asian culture.
In "The Tree Yoga Cooperative: Find Wellness in South LA" host Rosey Alvero takes a yoga class.

Find Flow, Practice Mindfulness and Engage in Self-Care at These South L.A. Hidden Gems

The Tree Yoga Collective is providing a self-care resource to its South Los Angeles community with a focus on equitable access to mindfulness, meditation, and flow. Here are some other South L.A. hidden gems for fostering inner peace, too — including a healthy dose of nature, plant-based cuisine and caffeine.
In "Babes of Wellness: Working Out for Health and Community in Compton" host Rosey Alvero lifts weights in the gym's "Swole Babes" class.

Get 'Swole' at Babes of Wellness, Plus Other Ways to Nourish Your Mind and Body in Compton

SoCal Wanderer host Rosey Alvero takes you to Babes of Wellness, an inclusive gym for women in Compton — where you can discover other ways of finding strength and power by feeding your body and mind.