Dams and Death by Drowning

 

The Schuylkill River was high and muddy that day and the grab wire was broken by a tree the came down the river.

As someone who owes his life to the quick action of a U of P rowing coach and the Philadelphia Police Force I can attest to the benign lethal force of dams.

You cannot see them when you are going downstream. If you hear them it is most likely too late.

I made a stupid decision to go out on the river when it was high from a storm.

If two “Fairmont Park Guards” (now Philadelphia Police) had not been on patrol at that moment and the University of Pennsylvania rowing coach not at the boat house, there would have been no one to save me from going over the Fairmont Dam.

If you hear of a death on a river or creek it most likely involved a dam, usually a low head dam.

Two who drowned didn't get warning

The brothers hit Brandywine Creek in borrowed kayaks. Had they tried to rent, they would have learned of peril.

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Art Carey, and Anthony R. Wood
Inquirer Staff Writers

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/47754532.html

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA

Search for 2nd kayaker suspended

2nd kayaker who went over dam in Brandywine Creek is presumed dead
Thursday, June 11, 2009
By ANNE PICKERING, Staff Writer
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/06/11/news/srv0000005560230.txt

I am starting a blog on stream issues, mostly in Chester County, PA.

Although there is a slowdown in real estate development, some new developments are under construction. There are also a lot of possibilities for retrofitting existing development and municipalities stormwater management systems.

Flooding is the major concern. And whether you question if global warming is the cause or not major flooding events occur with much greater frequency than just 20 years ago. If global warming is the problem the major storm events may increase in frequency and severity in the future.

I will start off with a video from StormwaterPA: