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Restrictions In Place As Some Colorado Rivers Run High

DENVER (AP) - Recreation bans and flood warnings have been issued for several Colorado rivers and streams because high water made it too dangerous for swimmers, people on inner tubes and rescuers.

A tubing ban was put into effect in place for the north and south St. Vrain creeks and the St. Vrain River, which runs through Lyons and Longmont. Tubes, rafts and swimming were also prohibited in Clear Creek in Clear Creek Canyon and through Golden.

The Cache La Poudre and the South Platte rivers were above flood stage on Saturday, and some sections of those rivers could stay on the high side until next week.

On Friday, the Chaffee County coroner identified the body of a boy found in the Arkansas River as that of 11-year-old Drake Durkee from Golden, who went missing after falling from a raft north of Salida on Wednesday during a commercial rafting trip.

Church members were sent scrambling as floodwaters came rushing into their basement Friday afternoon in Cherry Hills Village because of heavy rains. "I could hear the kids screaming, running upstairs and within 4 minutes, it was 3 feet deep in there," church member Cristi Pratt said.

Local businesses that thrive on nice summer weather are feeling the effect. Water World, a water recreation park north of Denver, was closed Friday because of weather.

"Normally we have hundreds of cars in this parking lot. Where is the sun?" Water World spokeswoman Joan Cortez said.

In western Colorado, rock-slide warnings were issued after two rock slides occurred on Interstate 70. No injuries were reported after rocks fell on highways in Glenwood Canyon and De Beque Canyon.

Hydrologists opened the spigots Friday on Vallecito Reservoir near Durango, releasing more water than typically considered safe to keep up with recent rainstorms.

Bruce Evans, chief of the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, said the fire department filled more than 200 sandbags to protect homes and was working to remove debris from bridges along the Pine River to ensure their integrity and prevent flooding.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has declared an emergency at Twin Lakes Reservoir near Leadville. The agency plans to release an additional 800 cubic feet per second of water this weekend because spring rains have filled the reservoir to near capacity.

More rain is expected across portions of Colorado through the weekend, forecasters said.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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