The video shows the Smelter wave in Durango's Whitewater Park on the Animas River, running very high. The USGS gauge at Durango read about 11,100 cubic feet per second at 8:30 p.m. Mountain time on Thursday, October 23, and the river was rising after heavy rain from the remnants of a tropical system. That is far above the flows where local outfitters say inflatable kayaks are safe, which is 1,800 cfs. On Friday the La Plata County sheriff closed the river to all watercraft from Oxbow Park to Dallabetta Park, which includes Smelter, and the closure stays until conditions allow safe use. I can't verify from the post what happened to the kayaker. The line about him popping out at the end comes from comments on the post, not from an official report, so I'd wait for the sheriff's office or the Durango Herald before drawing conclusions. Flooding has also forced evacuations and road closures across southwest Colorado. For the closure and the river's status, see the KSUT report on the Animas closure and the Colorado Sun flooding report. Has anyone there seen the river this high from the banks?
🕒 As of October 2026
