City staff has been closely monitoring the water levels of the Rum River for the past several weeks and taking water level measurements daily. The water level has reached the minimum measurement required to allow the river water to fully bypass the dam when the spillway gate is opened, thus allowing staff to install the boards that create the upper recreational pool. All of the water must bypass the dam in order to providing a dry platform for the staff to safely install the boards. We apologize for the short notice, as we typically try to provide residents with a 48-hour notice, but we did not want to prolong installation because, as always, weather is a controlling factor in this operation and could postpone this activity if we wait.
Board installation is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, 2020. In preparation, staff will be opening the spillway today. Residents upriver from the dam will notice a temporary drop in river levels with the spillway open. Once the boards are installed and the spillway closed, the water level above the dam will slowly rise to about three feet higher than it is now.
As a resident on the Rum River, there are actions you can take to help control the cost of maintaining this facility and help improve the water quality of the river. Do not dispose of trees, shrubs or tree limbs in the river. Please keep the exposed riverbank clear or debris. Do not use phosphorus fertilizer on your lawn (MN Statute 18C.60). Follow MNDNR guidelines for stopping the spread of invasive aquatic species when transporting boats.
Boaters who explore the Rum in the summertime will find that the City has docking facilities just above the dam at Riverfront Memorial Park. This dock is designed to give upstream residents water access to downtown Anoka and to the new trail way at City Hall.
As a friendly reminder to boaters, the Rum River is a “Slow-no Wake” zone from the Mississippi River upstream to the Ramsey city limits. The “Slow-no Wake” zone means that the operation of your watercraft shall be at the slowest possible speed necessary to maintain steerage and in no case greater than (5) five miles per hour. The limitation of the “Slow-no Wake” zone is designed to prevent and limit the erosion which is occurring to the banks and shoreline and to have the river a safe place for swimming, canoeing and other water activities. Regulations are enforced by the Anoka County Water Patrol and any person that violates the “Slow-no Wake” shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
