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Tubing, Swimming Banned On Clear Creek In Golden

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - Rushing water in Clear Creek is causing big concerns in Golden. The water was running so fast on Saturday that officials banned swimming and tubing.

A playground in Parfet Park was completely submerged in water from the creek.

"I've been tubing a few times but there's no way I'm doing it," park visitor Cassie Vick said.

TUBING BAN clear creek
(credit: CBS)

Flooded walkways and rushing debris and yellow sign warning about the swimming and tubing ban couldn't keep some people from swimming.

"We wait all year for this … the higher the water the more fun it is," a man said.

"It's a lot of fun but it's a little daunting," novice kayaker Ken Tandy said.

Tandy was one of the few to brave the fast flowing murky and cold water.

"It's a blast. This kind of experience doesn't come along all that often," Tandy said. "This snowmelt gets really big but not as big as it's going to get this year."

With the creek already running more than 1,500 cubic feet per second, levels are expected to rise even higher as warm weather increases snowmelt runoff.

"People need to keep their children and their pets away from the banks of the river," Golden Fire spokeswoman Karlyn Tilley said. "Those rocks are very slippery; it doesn't take much to be able to slip and to fall into that water. So even if you're wading in the water, it's still not a safe place to be."

The ban on Clear Creek extends into unincorporated Jefferson County. Those who ignore the ban could face a fine of $100 or more.

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