On Friday night, May 18, Fort Wayne City Utilities will close a gate on the Hosey Dam on the Maumee River, allowing the City's rivers to rise to their summer pool level. Levels on all three rivers will rise slowly after the gate is closed, making the rivers more conducive to boating.
Typically river levels are raised on April 15, but this year a major improvement project at the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant required that river levels remain lowered for several additional weeks.
Also this weekend, City Utilities will prepare for the annual task of installing flashboards at the St. Joseph River Dam near Coliseum Boulevard. The flashboards raise the level of the dam causing water in the St. Joe River north of the dam to rise. The adjustment means an increase the quantity of river water available to produce water for drinking and other purposes during the summer months
Beginning at midnight Saturday, May 19, the river level on the St. Joe River north of the dam will be lowered. The lowering is necessary to allow the spillway to dry up so crews can safely install the flashboards at the dam. The flashboards will be installed on Monday, May 21.
Once the flashboards at the St. Joe Dam are installed the river level north of the dam will rise by about 30 inches. This is expected to occur by Thursday, May 24.
Rainy weather and high river levels could delay the installation.