Dam jam creates problems in Cedar Rapids

The city of Cedar Rapids put out an urgent call this week to keep people away from the banks of the Cedar River upstream from a dam near the city. Doug Wagner, chief of staff in the mayor’s office, says floating logs broke a safety line above a multipurpose dam and it removed a critical safety measure for boaters. The “Five-in-One Dam” is named that because it includes a lower local roadway, a higher one which is Interstate-380, a hydro-electric generating dam and also a conventional dam. Currents can be strong newer the dam, and floating buoys keep the line in place for the safety of unwary boaters. The Cedar River’s a popular spot for boating and though people don’t usually get too close to the dam, he notes within the last couple years the city fire department’s river-rescue team has rescued two people from the safety line. He says sometimes people can’t maintain control in the river current, and there’s always the chance a motor will go out. The city had asked the DNR to close access to the river but repairs were made before the action was taken.