The temperature will be climbing into the mid to upper 80’s by the end of the week, but Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is advising people that it’s still not safe to be on area rivers.

Information and Education Program Manager Vivaca Crowser said it’s definitely too early to be recreating on the water near Missoula.

“It’s going to be hot and it’s the first week of summer for many, kids are out of school, but it’s sure not a good time to be on the rivers because they are so high,” said Crowser. “There’s a lot of debris under the water,” she said. “You’ve got to be really cautious. In a lot of cases it’s really better to wait a little bit and let those water levels come down. If you do plan to go be sure you ask around, stop and scout and wear a life jacket and follow all those safety precautions.”

Crowser said safety equipment must be properly used to be effective.

“The easiest thing to remember is that when you have a life jacket is to actually have it on,” she said. “We sometimes forget, especially when we’re out on a tube and you feel like that is your flotation device, but things can change quickly and having that life jacket on can really make a difference, but it’s not a substitute for being aware of conditions.”

Crowser said in two to three weeks the river levels will drop and it will be safer to be on the water.

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