Swimming

Swimming Lessons / Aquatic Fitness classes registration and info at the County Parks and Rec Dept. here.

There are several reservoirs where you can enjoy swimming:

• Always supervise children closely.
• Choose swimming areas carefully and swim only during low water conditions.
• Avoid areas of “whitewater” where streams flow over rocky obstructions.
• Never swim or wade upstream from the brink of a waterfall, even if the water appears shallow and calm. Each year unsuspecting visitors are swept over waterfalls to their deaths when swimming in these areas.

• In summer, rivers and creeks swollen by runoff from snow-melt are dangerous. Powerful current, icy water, and river obstructions can trap or kill the unwary.
• Stay away from river and creek banks during high water conditions and avoid rock hopping. Stream polished rocks along the water’s edge may be slippery when wet or dry.
• If you choose to cross a stream without a bridge, avoid deep and/or swift water. If crossing on a natural bridge of rocks or logs, consider where you will land if you fall. Never cross above rapids or falls. To prevent being pulled under by its weight, unbuckle your pack’s waist strap so you can shed it if you fall in. Do not tie yourself into safety ropes–they can drown you.
• The entire length of the Merced River in Yosemite Valley is closed to all floatation devices whenever the river gauge at Sentinel Bridge reads 6.5 feet or higher or when the sum of the air and water and temperature is less than 100°F.