Most of San Joaquin County’s Delta rivers and waterways are now closed to recreational boating. High waters and fragile levees make the order necessary.
The San Joaquin River at Vernalis is at the danger stage.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services closed the San Joaquin River south of Stockton to boaters last week.
Now the order is extended to the sloughs and waterways surrounding the Delta islands west of Stockton affecting many marinas all the way to Discovery Bay.
John Austin with OES says boating at this time has a major potential for harm.
“A lot of them will travel at higher speeds," says Austin. "This creates a wave wash with high winds and the high water can help create a worsening erosion on the water side of the levees of those islands.”
Austin says boaters could also interfere with crews working on the levees and the closure could stay in effect for a long period.
Austin adds that a large amount of floating debris is another safety concern for boaters.
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