FRESNO COUNTY - On Thursday afternoon, April 20th, firefighters with the Fresno Fire Department rescued two people and a dog in an inflatable kayak. They got into a dangerous situation on the San Joaquin River.
In response to heavy winter storms creating high water levels and hazardous conditions on the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office closed these rivers to recreational users on March 14th, 2023. Sheriff John Zanoni put this order in place by utilizing Fresno County Ordinance 13.32.080, which serves in the best interest of public safety. Anyone accessing the rivers is considered to violate Penal Code 409.5(c), unauthorized entry to an area closed for emergency purposes. This infraction comes with a minimum fine of $225.00.
The conditions of our waterways will only become more dangerous in the coming months as the snow melts and dams release even more water into the rivers. There is no timetable of when rivers will be reopened for recreational use. Water levels are being monitored daily, and a decision to reopen the rivers will be made once these extraordinarily dangerous conditions improve.