Dam Removal

The WDNR is required to review and approve all applications for dam abandonment and removal. Historically, consideration of abandonment/removal has usually come about because of a failure incident or as the result of a DNR inspection which found significant defects that requires major repairs to correct. Economic, social, and environmental factors all play a significant role in the decision to remove dams.

History and Policy

In recent decades, Wisconsin has seen a large number of its historic dams aging and falling into disrepair. There has historically offered the owners of these dams the option of repairing the dam to meet current standards or abandoning the permits for the dam and removing it from the waterway. As dam removals have been accomplished over the last 20 years significant improvements have been noted in water quality, habitat and bio-diversity at many of these sites. The Department´s activities in these situations have included participating in public information meetings to explain the benefits of dam removal to the surrounding ecosystem and assisting with funding to buyout the owners interest in the dam. In the future these types of efforts will probably continue on a selective basis, driven by watershed plans that identify dams which are most detrimental to the ecosystem. These efforts cannot be accomplished without a willing owner or if there is a responsible party that is willing and able to take over ownership of the dam and properly repair, operate and maintain the structure.

Approximately 100 dams have been removed from Wisconsin streams since 1967. Removed dams have ranged in size from small dams on trout streams, such as the Cartwright Dam on Shell Creek, medium size dams such as the Ontario Dam on the Kickapoo River and fairly large dams on warm water streams such as the North Avenue Dam on the Milwaukee River.

Reasons for Removal

The three major reasons for dam removals in Wisconsin are;

• Removal of an unsafe structure under Chapter 31.19 of our state statutes. Under Chapter 31.19 the WDNR is required to inspect "large" dams at least once every 10 years to ensure their safety.
• Chapter 31.187 charges the WDNR with removing "abandoned" dams when either no owner is found or the owner or owners are not able to fund repairs.
• In a few cases, we have removed or proposed to remove dams that have a significant environmental impact. Many of those are on WDNR properties.

Decision Making Process

The normal process in which a removal might be considered would involve an inspection of the dam by a certified engineer. The dam owner would then be contacted if an owner can be identified, and notified of any problems found during the inspection. An official order may be given, ordering the dam owner to either perform the needed repairs or remove the structure - repair or removal is their choice. If the dam owner is considering removal, or if it is not economically feasible for the dam owner to repair the dam (dam removal generally costs 1/3rd of estimated reconstruction costs), a public information meeting is usually held in which the WDNR explains the situation and gains public input. If the owner chooses to pursue dam removal, an Environmental Assessment may then be prepared, and noticed with the option for one more public hearing. Once these steps are complete, a permit to abandon the dam will be issued with conditions for removal.

Environmental Benefits

With regard to resource management, the most significant benefits of dam removal include:

• Re-connection of important seasonal fish habitat
• Normalized temperature regimes
• Improved water clarity (in most cases)
• Improved dissolved oxygen concentrations
• Normalized sediment and energy transport, and
• Improved biological diversity

In general, carp prefer the warm waters of an impoundment, yet when a dam is removed the cool water species such as trout and bass, generally preferred by anglers, can move back into the river and re-populate.

Case Study - Woolen Mills

One case study on the affects of dam removals is the Woolen Mills Dam on the Milwaukee River. This dam had a head of 14’ and flowed 70 acres of floodplain. After several unsuccessful attempts to obtain outside funding to replace the dam, the City of West Bend asked the DNR to help them develop a removal plan which included development of additional parkland within the former impoundment. In May of 1988 the dam was removed.

After removal, the area was seeded with smartweed and barnyard grass to stabilize the exposed sediments. Over the next few years, trails and parklands were developed throughout the area. At the upper end of the impoundment, approximately 1000’ of the river channel was reconstructed. That area was found to be artificially wide and shallow due to deposition of larger bedload material when impounded.

Fish habitat response was very good and took approximately 3 years to occur naturally. That change was best illustrated by the response of study reach at the lower end of the impoundment. Steady improvement was observed in habitat quality rating as riverbanks stabilized and course substrate was exposed.

The fish community at Woolen Mills also responded well. Carp catch per unit effort plummeted, smallmouth bass catch increased significantly and the Index of Biotic Integrity improved as well. Angler response was also good. Angler use in the Woolen Mills reach in 1990 was 192 hours/acre compared to 18 hours/acre in an impounded reach a short distance upstream.

Perhaps the highlight of the Woolen Mills project from the community's standpoint was the development of recreational use of the area. Trails, a canoe launch and ballfields were developed. The area has now become one of the community´s most popular public parks.

Case Study - North Avenue

The North Avenue Dam on the Milwaukee River was a much larger structure than Woolen Mills. It was the first structure upstream from Lake Michigan and within the City of Milwaukee. It blocked anadromous runs of salmonids and other fishes from Lake Michigan. With its breach, 30 river miles were opened up to accommodate those runs, providing 7,708 hours of fishing directed at salmonids during 1998 upstream of the dam.

The fish community response to the North Avenue Dam removal was very significant. The catch of common carp decreased dramatically and the catch per mile of smallmouth bass increased significantly. Catches of rock bass and redhorse suckers increased as well.

Past Removals

The following is a list of dams removed in the past dating from 1967 to 2003.

Mellen Dam

Bad River, Ashland Co.
76 ft hydraulic ht, 150 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1967
Removal cost - $150,000. Now a State Park with 50ft natural falls, and restored trout stream.

Somerset Dam

Apple River, St. Croix Co.
17 ft hydraulic ht, 83 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1967
Removal cost - $75,000. Recreational tubing area, approx 100,000 people per year visit.

Port Arthur Dam

Flambeau River, Rusk Co.
17 ft hydraulic ht, 250 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1968
Removal cost - $600,000. Developed into 5 miles of cold water fishery.

Mc Clure Dam

Apple River, St. Croix Co.
13 ft hydraulic ht, 22 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1968
Removal cost - $50,000. Restoration of small mouth bass habitat.

Colfax Light & Power Dam

Red Cedar River, Dunn Co.
21 ft hydraulic ht, 52 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1969
Removal cost - $120,000. Excellent small mouth bass habitat.

Huntington Dam

Apple River, St. Croix Co.
28 ft hydraulic ht, 60 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1969
Removal cost - $35,000. Excellent small mouth bass habitat.

Schiek Dam

Handsaw Creek, Marinette Co.
7 ft hydraulic ht
Removed approx. 1970
Removal cost - $15,000. Restoration of trout fishing area.

Huigen Dam

Handsaw Creek, Marinette Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht
Removed approx. 1970

Island Woolen Co. Dam

Baraboo River, Sauk Co.
18 ft hydraulic ht
Removed approx. 1972

Ettrick Dam (aka Beaver Creek Dam)

N. Fork Beaver Creek, Trempealeau Co.
10 ft hydraulic ht
Removed approx. 1976

Manitowoc Rapids Dam

Manitowoc River, Manitowoc Co.
8 ft hydraulic ht, 150 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx. 1984
Removal cost - $45,000. Created 40 miles of steelhead fishing.

Readstown Dam (aka Fowell Dam)

Kickapoo River, Vernon Co.
6 ft hydraulic ht, 30 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx. 1985

Nelsonville Dam

Waupaca River, Portage Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 180 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1986-88

Woolen Mills Dam

Milwaukee River, Washington Co.
14 ft hydraulic ht, 70 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1988
Removal cost - $80,000. Now popular park and fishing area.

Whitehall Dam

Trempealeau River, Trempealeau Co.
4 ft hydraulic ht, 30 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx. 1988

Beardsley Dam

Madden Branch Tributary, Lafayette Co.
12 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1990
Removal cost - $12,000. Increased water quality.

Willow Falls Dam

Willow River, St. Croix Co.
101 ft hydraulic ht, 94 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1991
Removal cost - $600,000. Restoration of trout fishery.

Oslo Dam (aka Cato Falls Dam)

Manitowoc River, Manitowoc Co.
14 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1992
Removal cost - $19,000. Additional 4 miles of steelhead fishery.

Prairie Dells Dam

Prairie River, Lincoln Co.
45 ft hydraulic ht, 85 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1992
Removal cost - $210,000. Trout river rehabilitation.

Ontario Dam

Kickapoo River, Vernon Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 121 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1992
Removal cost - $47,000. Improved recreational canoeing and trout fishing.

Slabtown Dam

Bark River, Jefferson Co.
7 ft hydraulic ht, 100 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1992
Removal cost - $30,000. Increased available water fowl habitat.

Wilmot Dam

Fox River, Kenosha Co.
3 ft hydraulic ht, 431 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1992

Northland Dam

Flume Creek, Waupaca Co.
6 ft hydraulic ht, 30 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx. 1992

Lemonweir Dam

Lemonweir River, Juneau Co.
7 ft hydraulic ht, 80 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $180,000. Allowed walleye to run up stream.

Fulton Dam

Yahara River, Rock Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 350 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $376,000. Decreased rough fish population and established warm water fishery.

Funks Dam

Oconomowoc River, Waukesha Co.
5 ft hydraulic ht, 80 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $40,000. Increased water fowl habitat, walleye & small mouth bass spawning runs.

Crivitz Dam

Peshtigo River, Marinette Co.
18 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $35,000. Removed boating hazard.

Pulcifer Dam

Oconto River, Shawano Co.
5 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1994
Removal cost - $35,000. Removed boating hazard.

Marengo Dam

Marengo River, Bayfield Co.
17 ft hydraulic ht, 80 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $120,000. Trout stream restoration.

Young American Dam

Milwaukee River, Washington Co.
10 ft hydraulic ht, 130 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1993
Removal cost - $75,000. Improved small mouth bass fishing and water fowl habitat, better access to river.

Greenwood Dam

Black River, Clark Co.
6 ft hydraulic ht, 35 acre feet impoundment
Removed 1994
Removal cost - $80,000. Removed boating hazard.

Lowe Creek 1 Dam

Lowe Creek, Jefferson Co.
6 ft hydraulic ht, 35 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx 1994

Lowe Creek 2 Dam

Lowe Creek, Jefferson Co.
10 ft hydraulic ht, 12 acre feet impoundment
Removed approx 1994

Carpenter Creek Dam

Carpenter Creek, Price Co.
4 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1995
Removal cost - $8,500. Dam built without legal consent, removed as a boating hazard.

Mellen Waterworks Dam

City Creek, Ashland Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 5 acre feet impounded
Removed 1995

Upper Waterloo Dam

Maunesha River, Jefferson Co.
11 ft hydraulic ht, 860 acre feet impounded
Removed 1995

Cartwright Dam

Shell Creek, Washburn Co.
7 ft hydraulic ht, 10 acre feet impounded
Removed 1995

Hayman Falls Dam

Embarrass River, Shawano Co.
14 ft hydraulic ht, 660 acre feet impounded
Removed 1995
Removal cost - $146,000

Parfrey Dam

Pine River, Richland Co.
11 ft hydraulic ht, 290 acre feet impounded
Removed 1996
Removal cost - $154,000

Bowen Mill Dam

Pine River, Richland Co.
7 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1996

Wonewoc Dam

Baraboo River, Juneau Co.
8.5 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 1996

Hebron Dam

Bark River, Jefferson Co.
11 ft hydraulic ht, 160 acre feet impounded
Removed 1996

Mounds Dam

Willow River, St. Croix Co.
44 ft hydraulic ht, 770 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

Baraboo Waterworks Dam

Baraboo River, Sauk Co.
12 ft hydraulic ht, 400 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

Upper Tigerton Dam

Embarrass River, Shawano Co.
4 ft hydraulic ht, 200 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

Spring Valley Dam

Eau Galle River, Pierce Co.
3 ft hydraulic ht, 3 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

North Avenue Dam (aka Milwaukee Dam)

Milwaukee River, Milwaukee Co.
14 ft hydraulic ht, 420 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

Colfax Dam

Eighteen Mile Creek, Dunn Co.
14 ft hydraulic ht, 70 acre feet impounded
Removed 1997

Evans Pond Dam

Rathbone Creek, Monroe Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 20 acre feet impounded
Removed 1998
Removal cost - $5,000. DNR owned dam on trout stream, poor shape and c/b ratio caused removal.

Ward Dam

Prairie River, Lincoln Co.
Hydraulic Ht. 13 ft., 1,000 acre-ft. impoundment
Removed 1999

Oak Street Dam

Baraboo River, Sauk Co.
Hydraulic Ht. 8 ft., 60 acre feet impounded
Removed 1999

Rockdale Dam

Koshkonong Creek, Dane Co.
8 ft hydraulic ht, 590 acre fee impounded
Removed 2000

Falk Dam

Menominee River, Milwaukee Co.
1 ft hydraulic ht
Removed 2000

Chair Factory Dam

Milwaukee River, Ozaukee Co.
9 ft hydraulic ht, 40 acre feet impounded
Removed 2000

Franklin Dam

Sheboygan River, Sheboygan Co.
10 ft hydraulic ht, 200 acre feet impounded
Removed 2001

Orienta Dam

Iron River, Bayfield Co.
55 ft hydraulic ht, 2640 acre feet impounded
Removed 2001

New Fane Dam

East Branch, Milwaukee River, Fond Du Lac Co.
8 ft hydraulic ht, 25 acre feet impounded
Removed 2001

Anna Hempel (Terry Patrick) Dam

Unnamed Tributary to Correction Creek, Taylor Co.
Hydraulic ht. 9 ft., 11 acre-ft. impoundment
Removed 2001

Deerskin (Jones, McDermott) Dam

Deerskin River, Vilas Co.
5 ft. hydraulic ht., 720 acre-ft. impoundment
Removed 2001
Removal cost - Cost was born by the contractor in agreement with EPA.

Linen Mill Dam

Baraboo River, Sauk Co.
8 ft hydraulic ht, 95 acre feet impounded
Removed 2001

La Valle Dam

Baraboo River, Sauk Co.
10 ft hydraulic ht, 120 acre feet impounded
Removed 2001

Woods Creek Dam

Woods Creek, Florence Co.
Hydraulic ht. 10 ft., 50 Acre-ft. impoundment
Removed 2002

Waubeka Dam

Milwaukee River, Ozaukee Co.
Hydraulic ht. 6 ft., 120 Acre-ft. impoundment
Removed 2003
Removal cost - $80,000