Hot temperatures and low river levels have Texas park officials reminding people to use caution when swimming in warm freshwater.
A warning sits atop the webpage for Dinosaur Valley State Park, the popular hike and swimming spot known worldwide for the dinosaur tracks visible in the bed of the Paluxy River.
The river that cuts through the middle of the park, located in Glen Rose about an hour southwest of Fort Worth, is now dried up in most areas of the park, officials wrote on social media. Park officials are now recommending against swimming in the river due to the likely presence of dangerous amoebas.
"Due to extremely high temperatures, lack of rain, and low water levels in the Paluxy River, the water quality is very poor," the notice read. "Please use caution and avoid all stagnant or standing water. Avoid getting river water in your nose or mouth as it may contain dangerous amoebas."
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Texas Parks & Wildlife said it will give further updates once conditions approve. But NBC 5's forecast shows the seasonable hot and dry pattern is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Brazos River Authority says swimming in warm, stagnant freshwater can be extremely dangerous due to the presence of a brain-eating amoeba that flourishes in such conditions. Though infections are rare, they result in death in 97% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
