City of Des Moines crews installed flashboards on the Center Street dam today to increase water levels on the Des Moines River for recreational activities. The city issued a notice advising boaters that water levels on the river could be lower for up to 36 hours. The flashboards are 2 feet high and 9 feet long and made of corrugated steel. When the river level drops, they are installed to increase water levels by 2 feet. According to a news release, the outflow at the Saylorville Reservoir dam was adjusted so crews could walk on the Center Street dam to install the flashboards. Once they were installed, the outflow from Saylorville was adjusted to increase the water level in the area. Before the outflow from Saylorville was reduced, the river in Des Moines was running below normal levels because of the recent dry conditions, according to the National Weather Service in Des Moines.Photo contributed by the city of Des Moines.