Water and Canal Safety

MID is committed to water and canal safety.  We believe in working together with the community to educate our children about the dangers of canals and open waterways. 

MAY 2022 MID WATER & CANAL SAFETY CONTEST

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:

1. Kids 16 and under.
2. Create a water and canal safety drawing. Tell us why it's important to follow water safety rules and stay out of canals.
3. Take a picture of your drawing and share it on social media using #MIDWaterAndCanalSafety by May 31, 2022.
4. Email your photo to MIDWaterandCanalSafety@Mercedid.org by May 31, 2022, and include your name, age, and home address.
5. Every share and email will receive one entry into the contest.
6. Five randomly selected Grand Prize, Lake McSwain Splash-n-Dash (Two All-Day Splash Pass) Winners will be announced by June 10, 2022, via Facebook, Instagram, and MIDWaterSafe.com.
7. MID employees and immediate family members are not eligible to participate.

PRIZES:

Five (5) Grand – Prize Winners will receive Two All-Day Passes to Lake McSwain’s Splash-n-Dash Water Park.

WATER AND CANAL SAFETY TIPS:

  • Learn to swim if you don’t know-how
  • Wear a life jacket
  • Only swim and play in safe places with adult supervision
  • NEVER swim, fish, or play in irrigation canals — it’s Illegal and Dangerous!

Stay Safe and Stay Out of Canals!

2021 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:

CANAL AND WATER SAFETY TIPS

  • Learn to swim if you do not know how
  • Swim & play in safe places (Swimming pools, waterslides, water toys)
  • When in a safe swimming place, like a pool, NEVER swim alone, Always have a grown-up or lifeguard present
  • NEVER dive head first – Feet first only
  • NEVER, EVER swim or play in canals

CANALS ARE NOT FOR SWIMMING OR PLAY

  • Canals contain water that is quickly moving. Fast-moving water in a narrow channel can knock a person off their feet. Even water that is only a foot deep, if it is moving fast enough, would cause you to lose your balance and be carried away.
  • Debris (trash and garbage) and dangerous things can be found in canals.
  • Dry canals are not safe because there is no way to know when water may be released and you may be trapped by a surge of water.
  • Canals can have deep water. If you cannot swim or if you are hurt, falling into deep water could prove fatal. In addition to swift currents, irrigation canals may have undertows and turbulence that could drag even a strong swimmer underwater.
  • Ladder rungs on the side of canals are used by workers when cleaning and repairing canals. Ladders are not there to encourage swimming.
  • Canals have steep slopes and slippery walls. The concrete or earthen sides of ditches and canals are sometimes steep and possibly slippery, making them difficult to climb out.
  • Canals have grates, culverts, spillways, and in-water energy dissipation devices. If a person were to fall into a water-filled ditch or canal, additional hazards include becoming caught up in or striking an object or structure. This may cause someone to become submerged and/or lose consciousness.
  • Muddy or murky water makes it hard to see a person. The water’s helical motion makes it difficult to swim to safety.
  • Canal temperature is about 55 degrees and can cause hypothermia. Hypothermia is a condition that causes a person’s body temperature to abnormally drop, causing stiffness, so that a person cannot move or swim to safety.

STAY SAFE, STAY OUT OF CANALS!

WATER AND CANAL SAFETY RESOURCES

 

MID Water and Canal Safety Booth at Merced Art Hop 

 

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