Dates set for installation of Russian River seasonal dams in Guerneville

Seasonal dams that raise the Russian River water level in the Guerneville area for swimming, boating and floating are scheduled to be installed just in time for the arrival of summer next month.

The Russian River Recreation and Park District, which manages the dams, announced the installation dates on Sunday, noting that they are subject to change.

A temporary dam at Vacation Beach is scheduled to be installed June 15. It will likely take a week to fill “based on our current very low water flow,” the district said.

About a mile upstream, a dam at Johnson’s Beach is scheduled for installation on June 20. It will likely finish filling by June 25, the district said.

The dams are typically installed beginning June 15 and are removed before Oct. 1 each year, according to the district.

Water flow was measured at 115 cubic feet per second on Monday at the Hacienda Bridge upstream from Guerneville, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The average flow for Monday’s date is 614 cubic feet per second, according to USGS records dating back to 1983.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.