Common Hazards To have a safe trip, boaters must be aware of the various types of hazards encountered on any stream. Learn to recognize these hazards and manage your risk appropriately. International Scale of Foot Entrapments Strainers Safety Tips If your boat capsizes, do not River obstructions that allow water Outdoor Ethics River Difficulty • Never boat alone. attempt to stand or walk if to flow through but block or “strain” Plan ahead Dispose of waste properly— The American Whitewater Affiliation rates river • Wear a lifejacket at all times, particularly in people and boats are known as boating difficulty based on conditions, hazards, you are in swift-moving water. • Consult a river guidebook or map. Scout Pack it out moving water. By law, children under 10 strainers. Overhanging branches, availability for rescue, and temperatures. Flooding You might slip and pin a foot the area prior to boating it. • Repackage food to minimize waste. must wear life jackets of an appropriate size. between submerged rocks. downed trees, log jams, and flooded may change the stream’s rating to a higher • Call local contacts to find out about current • Never throw cigarette butts, fishing line, bait classification. Boaters should have advanced Once pinned, the force of the islands all are potential strainers. All • Dress for the water temperature. Bring an extra conditions or events that may affect your trip. containers, or any other garbage into the water. paddling skills to attempt any stream over Class II. change of clothing with you in a waterproof current can push your body under water and strainers should be avoided, especially in swift water. • Choose a stream classification that matches • Plastics are especially dangerous to wildlife. Class I: Few riffles and small waves; easy boating. bag. Pack your cell phone in this bag. hold it there. Always keep your feet up, pointed your boating skills. Baggies, six-pack rings, and other clear Class II: Waves up to three feet with wide channels; downstream, and swim to calm water before • Neoprene shoes or tennis shoes with woolen Cold Water Immersion and Hypothermia plastics float on the water — invisible hazards easy rapids. standing. • Check for river warning and flood information. socks are recommended footwear. Sudden immersion in cold water waterdata.usgs.gov (see Real-time Water Flow) to fish, birds, and other wildlife. Class III: High, irregular waves with narrow passages; can be deadly. The initial “cold requires scouting and constant maneuvering. • File a “float plan” with a reliable person, Floods and Swift Water shock” can cause immediate, Prepare for extreme weather, Leave what you find Class IV: Long, difficult rapids with constricted indicating where you are going and when you will leave and return. Remember to contact Novice paddlers should never boat on streams involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, hazards, and emergencies • Appreciate artifacts and natural objects but passages in turbulent water; scouting necessary; when water is spilling out of the banks. High leave them undisturbed. rescue difficult. the person once you have returned safely. panic, and vertigo — all of which • Know the locations of all dams and hazards. water causes hazards such as lowhead dams can result in water inhalation and Be prepared to portage (carry your boat • Avoid introducing non-native species, including Class V: Difficult, long, and very violent rapids with • Do not overload or unevenly load your boat. to become even more dangerous. Unseen drowning. It can also cause sudden changes in blood around) these hazards. live bait, by cleaning equipment between trips. highly congested routes; scouting must be done from Keep the weight in the boat centered from obstacles such as floating logs or submerged pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm that also may shore; rescue presents a hazard to life. side to side and bow to stern. The lower and • Be prepared for any unknown event. Know how Respect wildlife trees may also threaten a boater. Flood levels result in death. The longer you are immersed in cold to get to roads if you must “walk out.” Know Class VI: Most dangerous rapids; boating is nearly closer the load in the boat is to the boat’s • Observe from a distance; don’t feed, follow, are monitored throughout the state. Know the water, the harder it is to control your body. Manual the local emergency phone number and know impossible and life-threatening. centerline, the more stable it will be. or approach wildlife. water conditions before you go. dexterity and coordination deteriorate rapidly, and where you are along the trail in case you need • Always maintain three points of contact (for waterdata.usgs.gov (see Real-time Water Flow) within 30 minutes, hypothermia (cooling of the body’s to request emergency assistance. • Control pets or leave them at home. example, two hands and one foot touching core temperature) can begin. Loss of consciousness Be aware of all Ohio boating laws as Be considerate of other visitors Paddling Terminology the boat) while moving around in the boat. and death with or without drowning can result. Abutment – Supporting structure of a bridge Lowhead Dams and Waterfalls well as any local rules and ordinances • Avoid boisterous behavior. Let nature’s • Do not attempt to stand or walk in swift water. The best prevention for cold water immersion is to CFS – Cubic feet per second; measurement Never attempt to boat over • Be sure you have the required safety equip sounds prevail. of water flow • Be prepared to swim. If the water looks too a dam or waterfall. Lowhead take all measures to avoid capsizing your boat. Keep ment onboard including a properly fitted, hazardous to swim, then don’t boat on it! dams can range from a few your life jacket securely fastened to help keep your Respect the privacy and rights Chute – Clear passage through rapids U.S. Coast Guard approved, lifejacket for of landowners • NEVER boat over lowhead dams. inches to a couple of yards in head above water if you fall overboard. each person. Confluence – Place where two or more streams • Although the access points highlighted in this flow together height. Small dams can look You don’t have to be submerged to succumb to • Portage (carry your boat around) any section guide are located on public property, most of harmless, particularly in hypothermia — wind chill, rain, and perspiration can Travel on durable surfaces—rock, Hydraulic – Recirculating current formed when of water about which you feel uncertain. the shoreline along the water trail is privately water drops over swollen streams, but they are very dangerous contribute to the condition. Uncontrollable shivering, gravel, and sand • If you capsize, hold on to your boat unless it owned. Respect the privacy and rights of Portage – Carry boat around some hazard in because of the turbulence at the base of the slurred speech, and lack of coordination are early • Use existing, improved access sites. presents a life-threatening situation. If floating landowners by obtaining permission before the river dam. Boats as well as people may become symptoms. To guard against hypothermia, dress in • When using a natural river bank to launch in current, position yourself on the upstream entering any privately owned land. River left – As you look downstream in the trapped in this hydraulic. Know the location of layers using materials that wick moisture away and your boat, minimize your impact by staying side of the capsized boat. • Many landowners enjoy the stream’s peace direction the water is flowing, the left side of lowhead dams and waterfalls. Carry your boat retain heat, such as silk, polypropylene, fleece, and clear of vegetation or mud. and solitude from their property. Share the the river • Carry plenty of drinking water. around the hazard and launch at a safe distance • Don’t wander while portaging. Stay on the wool. Every boater should be able to recognize and same courtesy that you would want. A friendly River right – As you look downstream in the • Avoid overexertion and guard against downstream. Scout a river or stream in advance know how to treat hypothermia. trail if there is one. direction the water is flowing, the right side of wave or quiet greeting is usually welcome. extreme weather conditions. of any boating trip and avoid these hazards. the river Mahoning River Water Trail Mahoning Trails for Ohioans: A Plan for the Future Class I A statewide venture to improve existing trails and ensure smart planning of future trails The Mahoning River Water Trail designation River Trails are an important component was made possible of Ohio’s outdoor recreation system. through a partnership They come in various lengths, run with Trumbull County Water Trail through different environments, and MetroParks, Newton accommodate a multitude of outdoor Township, Newton Falls City, activities from hiking and biking to Braceville Township, Warren Township, horseback riding and paddling. Trails Warren City, Trumbull County Commissioners, are managed and maintained by a Fishing A Stream The head and tail of the variety of groups including all levels pool are good places to Trumbull County Planning Commission, MRCI, If you haven’t considered packing a fishing pole target bass and saugeyes. and Eastgate Council of Governments. of government and many trail for your next float trip, maybe you should. Streams organizations. The 23-mile Mahoning River Water Trail traverses provide some of the best fishing in Ohio — if you Recognizing the many benefits of a know where to look. Fish hang out where they The shallow bar formed through Trumbull County beginning in Newton on the inside bend creates Township at Foster MetroPark and ending at statewide trail system, and in an effort can eat, and where they can eat depends on a current break that holds to increase awareness of the benefits the current.