Is there a connection between the drought in California and the number of drowning accidents that have occurred this summer? Thinking logically, it might seem that a drought would result in lower water levels and fewer water-related accidental deaths. However, according to a recent article from CBS San Francisco, the drought might actually be to blame for the higher-than-average drowning death toll in our state.
Drought Makes Swimming Conditions Hazardous
It is often more dangerous to swim in lakes and rivers during a drought—such as the one that Californians have been facing for nearly three years—than in drought-free conditions. Indeed, in rivers such as the American River or Sacramento River in Northern California, drought conditions mean that the shorelines have been pulled back, particularly at the site where the two rivers in the area come together. When shorelines are pulled back, swimmers can “get caught in strong currents where the water suddenly deepens,” the article explains.