Coachella Valley Water District reminds residents and visitors of all ages to avoid the Whitewater River channel near Windy Point on both sides of Interstate 10 north of Palm Springs.
Entering the area is extremely dangerous and illegal.
The high and fast water flows in the channel can easily knock a person off their feet and sweep them down the channel leading to injury or death. Children are even more susceptible to the force of the water.
Currently, the flow rate in the channel is about 525 cubic feet per second. That is the equivalent of 525 basketballs moving past a given point every second.
Because the Department of Water Resources recently granted CVWD 100 % of its State Water Project allocation, the water delivery is expected to increase to 725 CFS beginning the week of May 7. CVWD expects significant deliveries throughout the year.
Snowmelt from Mt. San Gorgonio feeds the river. But most of the water in the channel comes from the Colorado River Aqueduct that flows into groundwater replenishment ponds near Windy Point.
To emphasize safety precautions, CVWD works with a security firm and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to keep people away from the Whitewater River. The area is posted with no trespassing signs. Trespassers can be cited, fined, and serve jail time.
Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of directors. The district provides domestic and irrigation water, agricultural drainage, wastewater treatment and reclamation services, regional stormwater protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves approximately 113,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.