Canal Safety
Stay Alive by Staying Out!
Canal and Water Safety
South Columbia Basin Irrigation District personnel visit elementary schools throughout the area each year to present a canal safety message to the students outlining the dangers of canals and how they can stay safe. The emphasis of the message is “Stay alive by staying out.”
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation provides irrigation districts with coloring books for children regarding safety and drowning prevention. The coloring books are an integral part of the elementary school presentations. The District is part of a regional coalition of agencies which work together to circulate canal and water safety messages to various segments of the population in an effort to keep our communities safe.
It’s not just canals…
Acres of crops and orchards conceal more drowning hazards than you may think. In addition to canals, there are farm ponds, slurry storage pits, water-filled well tailing pits and wells. The best advice is to just stay away from them. If you MUST work near a canal, keep a few things in mind:
Fast-moving water can knock you off your feet and carry you a long way, even if it’s only a foot deep!
Swift undercurrents and turbulence can drag you under and keep you there, even if you are an excellent swimmer.
The sides of a canal, whether concrete or dirt, are often steep and slippery, which makes them almost impossible to climb.
Stay away from grates, culverts and spillways. They can also be hazardous.
Canal and wasteway flows vary. What appears safe can quickly turn dangerous with a sudden release of water.
Keep yourself and your pets safe and alive by staying out.
