Seasonal dams rising on Russian River

The summer recreational season is finally kicking into high gear, with three seasonal dams going up on the Russian River. Two lower river dams were substantially delayed by high flows that, until this week, made it unsafe for work crews to enter the stream. A Sonoma County Regional Parks crew, above, works on the dam at Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, which will open Friday. The barrier, right, went in first and actually helped reduce the flow rate just enough to allow workers from the Russian River Recreation and Parks District to start prepping for their own dams at Johnson’s Beach and Vacation Beach in the Guerneville area. The two dams, 2 miles apart, keep the river full for swimming, boating, paddleboarding and general fun around Guerneville, District Administrator Paige McDonnell said. Water impoundment at Johnson’s Beach should be completed by Saturday, said John Condon, the district’s maintenance supervisor. The dam at Vacation Beach has been started, but will take about a week longer, as the pieces are larger and more difficult to install with the high water.