As it heats up in Laughlin, visitors cool off in river

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - You won’t escape the heat by going to Laughlin where temperatures could reach 118, but you can cool off in the flowing Colorado River.

In Laughlin people cooled off recreating on the river on Wednesday afternoon. The flowing river looked entirely different on Tuesday when the Bureau of Reclamation released a very low flow from the Davis Dam. The river almost looked like it was in a severe drought, but that wasn’t the case.

The BLR briefly reduced water releases in an effort to cut back on an insect called caddisflies, a nuisance on the river banks. The BLR reduced the flow to a little less than half a unit.

At Laughlin River Jet Ski Rentals, Jocette Ward, said this kind of cleanup and maintenance is helpful.

We asked Ward how business has been going this summer.

“It’s not as busy as it was in the years past but it’s getting there,” Ward said.

The owner of Laughlin River Tours said something similar. Brea Chiodini said they’re slower than normal by about 20%.

Chiodini is also the chair of the River Flow Committee. Each month Bullhead City managers, business owners along the river and BLR officials meet to talk about water flow and what they can expect for the next month.

Chiodini said in a normal full summer the dam pushes out five units of water. That has changed to 2 units in the morning and adjusts from there.

Ward over at Laughlin River Jet Ski Rentals said it does impact what people can do on the river.

“It’s pretty low Monday to Thursday during the morning we typically on a Monday through Thursday don’t get to push anyone out until around 12, 12:30 because the water level is too low for us to do anything. Not only that but it’s also dangerous for anyone to be out there on the water with the rocks and the shallow parts in the water,” Ward said.

But despite some water flow changes to the river, it’s nothing like the severe drought Lake Mead is seeing.

She encourage people in the valley to visit Laughlin and cool off on the river where jet skis are on the water ready to go.

“I just don’t think people know they can come here and that’s what I’m trying to get out there is that even though Lake Mead is dry come here you know we’re right on the water it’s very convenient we treat our customers with respect and it’s a fun place to be,” Ward said.

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