CULLMAN, Ala. – The City of Cullman has announced the temporary closure of its boat ramps at the Duck River Reservoir today, May 20 as water levels are lowered for inspection and maintenance of the Duck River Dam.
On Wednesday, the City issued this notice:
Duck River Reservoir boat ramps located at the dam (East Side) and on County Road 1670 (West Side) will close on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. until further notice. Please have all boats that require removal at boat ramps out of lake by that time.
During the closure of the boat ramps, if you can get your kayaks in the water from the bank (safely), you can continue to access the lake.
Fishing remains open during this time.
The Utilities Board of the City of Cullman issued the following statement on Tuesday, May 11:
The Utilities Board of the City of Cullman has begun lowering the pool elevation at Duck River Reservoir a total of 20 feet to allow for dam inspections and maintenance.
The reduction in water levels from full pool of elevation 725 began May 3, 2021 and will continue over the next few weeks to a level of 705. Heavy rain and inclement weather could extend this period. The refilling of the reservoir will also be dependent on weather and rainfall.
When the water level recedes to elevation 713, the two boat ramps will be closed for safety purposes, along with the public piers, though fishing will still be allowed from the bank. As always, a free permit is required and can be printed at Duck-River-Fishing-Permit-2020.pdf (cullmanal.gov).
Utilities Board spokesman Mike Manning said, “The Board regrets the inconvenience, but the inspections are a necessity and will be completed as quickly as possible.”
Updates on the project will be posted at https://duckriver.org/, on the Duck River Dam Facebook Page and https://cullmanal.gov/.
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