The river’s bottom is too often underestimated. Mud and silt and pollutants make it impossible to see more than a few inches below the water’s surface. “And the trees, they create what we call a strainer effect where, if you get swept into them, you can very easily get caught and trapped by your body.” Even wading into the river can lead to a dangerous situation. The river is moving fast and there are a lot of hazards that you can get pinned up against, get your feet trapped in,” says Bell.

Uprooted trees, debris, hidden boulders and other hazards create a situation so dangerous for swimming that wading and swimming is illegal in many places. Important to keep in mind that the falls are only a piece of a complicated section of river spanning about seven miles. This stutter-step in the earth’s crust makes Great Falls a beautiful spot, it also makes it dangerous.' It is a turbulent zone where water comes into conflict with geology. These dynamics are especially pronounced in the area of the river called the Potomac Gorge. But, because the river is a very high-volume flowing river there is a very strong undercurrent with lots of rocks, lots of unseen obstacles and the water is never clear, so you can never see what you’re getting into. 'The Potomac is very deceptive, it has some spots that look very calm, very tranquil, look very easy to swim in.

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