The City of Anoka wants to improve the Rum River Dam to make it a redundant barrier to Asian Carp. Asian carp have been making their way up the Mississippi River system over the past several decades causing serious damage to native fish populations by dominating food and habitat resources. Sport fishing is a $2.8 billion industry in Minnesota. If Asian carp reach our valuable water resources they will damage recreational and commercial opportunities.
Mille Lacs Lake, one of Minnesota’s premier fisheries, is connected to the Mississippi River by the Rum River. Similar to the Coon Rapids Dam, the Rum River Dam in Anoka has potential to serve as a redundant barrier to Asian carp. This investment in the Rum River Dam would help protect one of the defining assets of the Minnesota fishing industry.
A coalition of Rum River watershed partners is established to protect the Rum River which includes: 1,600 square miles of watershed area; 1,780 miles of rivers and streams; over 200 smaller lakes; and Mille Lacs Lake.
The City of Anoka is requesting $5 million in 2014 state bonding/capital investment funding to improve the Rum River Dam as a redundant barrier to Asian Carp. For more details see the Rum River Dam Fact Sheet or contact Tim Cruikshank, Anoka City Manager, at 763-576-2711 (tcruikshank@ci.anoka.mn.us).