Zak Wood / Colorado Daily

Brooke Dragoo braces herself before before dropping into a Boulder Creek rapid Thursday afternoon.

Colorado Daily Staff Report

Get your tube, your kayak, and your floaties, and hang 'em up in the garage.

On Sunday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office warned residents to stay out of Boulder Creek, due to higher, faster-flowing waters.

The creek will be swollen with a release of water from Barker Dam, which sits 16 miles up the Boulder Creek canyon, adjacent to the town of Nederland. The announcement indicated that the increase was to begin Sunday, the same day as that of the announcement.

The Sheriff's Office stated that Boulder Creek is currently flowing at approximately 240 cubic feet per minute (CFS). Beginning Sunday, water released from Barker Dam will increase over the course of the week. This will increase the flow in Boulder Creek to an estimated 400 CFS. This flow will slowly subside and return to normal conditions within the next few weeks.

Typically, the Boulder County Sheriff imposes a tubing ban on Boulder Creek when flows reach 700-800 CFS. A flow of 300-400 is considered dangerous for swimming and wading. Parents are encouraged to keep their children from swimming, wading or playing near the water's edge.

The Sheriff's Office also stated that it wished to remind all citizens of the inherent dangers of these anticipated conditions. Outdoor enthusiasts and recreationalists may find these high waters tempting. But the excess flow significantly increases the dangers to all persons in and around the waters. Tubing and other in-water activities are discouraged during this time.

The Sheriff's Office also stated the slow snowmelt has kept the flows in all the Boulder County waterways within normal ranges and in some cases below historical trends. At this point, as long as no major thunderstorms occur, the flood conditions will be of minimal concern for the remainder of the season.