PG&E advises Amador County residents to exercise caution around rivers and waterways this weekend and throughout the month of May due to elevated snow melt runoff conditions.

Weather forecasts predict significant precipitation this weekend into early next week. PG&E anticipates this rainfall will rapidly pass through the snowpack and quickly enter contributing channels as it drains out. Because the snowpack and soil are already saturated, the water runoff efficiency is expected to be high; thereby causing a rapid elevation in the hydrograph and river levels.

Local reservoirs are expected to fill up over the next several days, and it may be necessary to initiate spills from these reservoirs as maximum storage levels are reached.

Rafters, kayakers, and canoeists should be aware of fast river flows and should exercise extreme caution by checking local conditions before undertaking their trip.

Some additional safety tips include:

Know the water

Cold water can cause hyperventilation contributing to fatigue. When combined with swift water, even the strongest swimmers are easily overwhelmed.

Cold water can stimulate the "gasp reflex" causing an involuntary inhalation of air or water.

The "gag reflex," a result of cold water immersion, prevents air or water from passing in to the lungs causing asphyxiation.

Sudden cold water immersion can trigger cardiac arrest.

Cold water entering the ear canal can cause vertigo and disorientation. This may confuse the swimmer causing the victim to swim deeper into the water.

Cold water reduces body heat 25-30 times faster than air does at the same temperature.