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Staying safe on the water with high river levels expected for Memorial Day weekend

With river levels rising there’s some things for people to look out for when taking the boat out this Memorial Day weekend.

ROCK ISLAND - Calm waters and blue skies make for ideal boating conditions.

"We're gonna go out and take advantage of some fishing," said John Robinson, boater.

Boaters like Robinson are gearing up to take their boat out this weekend.

"We're gonna get out and do a little fishing, try and beat the crowds because Sunday and Monday I think it's gonna be a little more packed out here," said Robinson.

This Memorial Day weekend the Mississippi River is expected to rise, which can cause some problems for boaters out on the river.

"There's a lot of debris floating down the river, anytime we have flood waters that washes everything out of the side tributaries and different things, so it can be logs, it can be other items of garbage," said Jeff Harrison, Iowa DNR Conservation Officer.

It's important to keep an extra eye on the water when taking the boat out and have all of the safety equipment needed on the boat.

"Make sure you check all your safety gear, make sure you have a wearable life jacket... on the vessel for each person on the vessel," said Harrison.

For boaters themselves they said taking a test ride on the boat helps them to make sure the boat is safe.

"We want to make sure everything works good so we don't have any problems," said Don Suess, boater.

Boaters should also make sure to have a fire extinguisher and a signal device in case of emergency's during a busy weekend out on the water.

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