Anoka Takes Next Step To Bring Rum River Dam Into 21st Century

Anoka Takes Next Step To Bring Rum River Dam Into 21st Century

Soon, the city of Anoka will find out just how many upgrades they can reasonably make to the Rum River dam as the city council awarded HDR Inc. a contract for a feasibility study to investigate possible safety and structure improvements, including a fish passage system, hydroelectric generation and a transversable river lock.

“When this was first brought up, it was interesting to me that we would move like this with this dam,” Council Member Brian Wesp said during the council’s Jan. 16 meeting. “Then it was brought to our attention that maybe at the turn of the 21st century, or into the ‘20s, there were people that were using the upper side of the river for their recreational houseboats and things of that nature. People are going upstream to take a weekend. … The upper Rum River 50 years ago wasn’t used like it is today.”

SOURCE: Hometown Source