River/Stream: Cedar River
Location: southwest Cedar Rapids, Linn County
Owner: Iowa Electric Light and Power
Height: 9.5 ft.
Length: 636 ft.
Warning Signs: Need improvement
Portage: There are plenty of spots to take out upstream of the dam and walk down the road. There is also a plenty of areas to put back in downstream of it.
Comments: There appears to be a little breach designed in on the south side (river right), but never attempt to run it. It's way too small, and the paddler would get sucked right back into the recirculating water at the dam face.
Documented Fatalitites: 7
- July 29, 2009 - jet skier Christopher Clark
- August 10, 1978 - Bruce Alkire & Benny Wieland, fell in while fishing
- May 20, 1976 - C.R. firefighters Melvin Goebel & Robert Simon while training above the dam
- April 15, 1973 - brothers Daniel & Donald Chapman in raft over dam
Incident Reports:
On July 29th, 2009, Christopher Clark, a 30-year-old man from Cedar Rapids, died after he was sucked off his personal watercraft and into the roller dam in Cedar Rapids. Witnesses said Clark and Bobbiejo McDanniel were riding two separate personal watercraft on the Cedar River on Wednesday evening. Clark got close to the dam several times, and eventually was sucked under the current at about 7:45 p.m. Clark was wearing a life vest, but it could not help him because of the strength of the undercurrents. (Click here to see incident photo.)
