I think it's ridiculous that they only allow a few seconds after the sirens blow before releasing. Been that way for a long time but if you get caught your up a creek, literally. I had my youngest daughter with me one day a couple years ago and we were swimming off of my cedar kayak in between the ramp and the dam when the sirens sounded. It was a mad dash for the ramp. My younger brother was with us in one of my smaller kayaks and he ended up being a little closer to the ramp than I was. The wall of water came over the back of my boat and filled it up instantly. Took everything I had to keep it from rolling sideways. We got lucky and managed to get back to the ramp before it carried us to Waco but I lost several items out of the back of the kayak. Our wives had to watch the whole thing happen from the parking area. That was the last time I've been down there. My daughter still talks about that afternoon every time I ask her to get in with me. When I fish that section of river again I'll launch at Dicks and head upstream then fish my way back.