Dangers Of River Strainers

A strainer is an obstruction in a river that only limited amounts water can pass through.

Dangers of river strainers. Strainers can be natural like tree branches roots or debris or man made like grates. Natural strainers can be especially dangerous because they can be made up of tree branches and or roots that are tangled in a complex web under the water. The best way to think about a strainer is to visualise paddling down a section of river that is being pushed through a colander that has loads of holes in it but none of them are big enough for a person or boat to pass through. Strainers are extremely dangerous.

These have often been deadly. If you get stuck in one the immense pressure from the water can trap you underwater. Ferrying causing boat to move laterally across the current usually to maneuver around obstacles work eddylines etc. Undercuts potholes submerged hazards that don t usually affect.

They can be deadly obstacles on a river or stream like the one in this photo. These can be man made like grates and rebar or natural like logs and branches. Strainers are very dangerous for kayakers. It is all too easy to get caught in this web.

Water passes through but solid objects like boats or people do not similar to a kitchen strainer used to drain spaghetti or clean vegetables. Strainers are obstacles in the river that allow water to pass through them but not solid objects like people and kayaks. Pillow water that is piled up by the current against an obstruction that is not entirely submerged. Find yourself being forced into a strainer that cannot be.

The most dangerous variety of obstacle that you will come across is the low head dam since these dams are a type of river strainer that can end up injuring you or worse.