FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The rising water in the San Joaquin River has Aaron Lee pumped.
"Oh yeah, we were here last week and it was a lot lower," he said. "I think it's great, it's going to make the fishing better around here too. Should make for a good summer."
Lee and others are enjoying the higher water level at Fort Washington Beach, just north of Fresno.
Despite drought conditions, the water level started rising Thursday when the Bureau of Reclamation began releasing more water from Friant Dam, to meet water contracts held by farmers in Merced County and area wildlife refuges. It's expected to mean the river channel will be carrying about three times more water than in a typical summer.
Tom Stern, who manages the Sycamore Island Recreation Area says it should also make other recreation spots along the river, like Sycamore Island, more popular.
"I hope it does, you know, more water there's more opportunities to come out and do more boating," he said. "When there's more flow, yes there's more opportunities for people to have boating activities, but I think it also causes problems, potential dangers; people go into areas where there's fast current. It's important to be aware of your surroundings and not go into deep water."
Dave Koehler, of the San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, shares those concerns.
"For skilled boaters they are going to enjoy it but what I worry about is the unskilled and the first timers," he said. "You don't want to scare people away because actually it's really attractive and people can enjoy it safely; it's just good to have that extra level of awareness this year."
Safety is also on the minds of Fresno's emergency responders. Chad Tucker of the Fresno Fire Department says the increased flow enabled rescue crews to get back on the water for rescue training that had been delayed because of low water.
"It's very dynamic, it changes every year," he said. "To be able to find a spot to launch the boat or access the river is always tricky and it changes depending on the water flow."
While the water in the river will be high through the summer, the water will be coming out of Millerton Lake, which is already low. The reservoir is about half full now, and is expected to drop by another third by the end of the summer.