Memorial Beach, the southern gateway to Healdsburg over the Russian River, won’t have that extra water backed up behind the dam to form a nice public swimming lake during the summer months.
The steel-plate dam, which usually goes up the last week of May in anticipation of Memorial Day Weekend, was a no-show again this year, for the third time in a row.
The reason: inadequate water flow to permit slowing it down for public recreation, in other words, the drought.
Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, administered by Sonoma County Regional Parks, will be accessible during daylight hours, dam be damned. “The park is open for recreation—wading, swimming, paddling and sunbathing, picnicking, etc.—but the dam will not be installed,” said Sarah Phelps with Regional Parks.
Indeed, the parking lot was full to capacity every day of Memorial Day weekend, both lifeguard stations were occupied, and over 100 people in family groups picnicked, grilled, played games, sunbathed and swam, or at least waded in the slow-moving green water.
The capacity of Lake Mendocino, the primary reservoir that supplies the Russian River to Healdsburg, at 56% of target water storage, is slightly higher than it was at this time last year, at 41%.
Lake Sonoma, which feeds the Russian River via Dry Creek south of Healdsburg, is running a little lower than last year, 57.1 to 57.8% of water capacity. But Dry Creek enters the Russian River about a half mile below Memorial Beach so has no effect on the slow-moving, shallow current at the bridge.
The low flow of 2021 also prevented raising the dam, although the park was open. In 2020, the Covid restrictions kept park usage limited and no dam was erected. Water levels were better that year, but still below capacity, 79% at Lake Mendocino and 87% at Lake Sonoma.
“Keeping the current flowing also helps reduce the potential for stagnant water and algae blooms, and preserves water storage in Lake Mendocino to support fish habitats later in the season.” Phelps told the Tribune, “Algae, including blue-green algae (aka cyanobacteria), is found normally in many water environments, such as the Russian River.”
During the warm summer months, and when increased nutrient levels in the water occur, algae can grow more rapidly than normal. The Department of Environmental Health and Human Services monitors the bacteria levels in the water at beaches along the Russian River and at Spring Lake swimming lagoon, and it monitors blue-green algae levels along the Russian River between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Several small businesses thrive along the river at the bridge, including River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe—a descendent of W.C. Trowbridge’s canoe business that introduced thousands to the quiet joys of floating in the Russian River from about 1945 into the ’90s. The current owners of River’s Edge have moved it down to the beach on the upstream side of the traffic bridge, limiting public access and occasionally throwing private events. But their canoe rentals remain strong and the customers paddle their own canoes either from Alexander Valley Beach outside of Geyserville or a shorter run that begins near Rio Vista Academy.
The site that the kayak company vacated turned into one of Healdsburg’s most popular diners—Amy’s Wicked Slush, which seems to be busy no matter how high or low the river flows.
Another river floating company, Russian River Adventures, rents SOAR inflatables for self-guided floats down the river from below Memorial Beach, so their business is unimpacted either way if the river is dammed or not, although the drought-reduced current slows down the river adventure.
There is a plus side, operationally at least, for Regional Parks. “Not installing the dam does result in some cost savings, primarily from not having to contract for the crane services to raise the dam panels,” said Phelps. “Those funds have helped support additional portable restrooms along the river, water safety patrols and other expenses as we have experienced a steady increase in river use.”
Memorial Beach has long been one of Healdsburg’s major summer attractions, long before wine roads and barrel tastings. The signature steel-truss bridges, one for cars and one for trains, have provided scenic picture-perfect backdrop to summer fun for decades.
In more water-rich times, there was sufficiently deep water behind the dam that water skiing and other sports were popular, and a traditional 4th of July water parade has made a comeback in recent years.
Regional Parks also manages a small six-acre beach park on the east side of Fitch Mountain, Del Rio Woods. Another historic family beach that also had a small weir installed for a slight swimming advantage, it joined the county-run parks system just five years ago. Parking at either of the Healdsburg beaches is $7 per vehicle, or a year-long pass from Sonoma County Regional Parks.
Other Regional Parks beaches on the Russian River downstream include Steelhead Beach Regional Park and Sunset Beach River Park, both in Forestville. Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville is privately owned.
