Village wants another delay on dam repairs

The Village of Grafton is seeking another extension by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to delay repairs on the Bridge Street Dam.

The Department of Natural Resources is concerned about a scour hole in the dam, which would cost the village $24,000 to repair.

Director of Public Works Amber Thomas said the project is $8,000 over budget. Thomas said she has asked the DNR to delay the project for 2020 but has not heard back.

Last year, the DNR granted an extension for the project until Nov. 1, 2019.

During Monday’s Public Works Committee meeting, members discussed budgetary options to pay for the repairs this year in the event the extension isn’t granted.

Thomas said the $8,000 could be split evenly between the utility and recycling/sanitation budgets, which are currently trending under budget.

The committee recommended Thomas’ spending plan to the Village Board, 4-1. Trustee Sue Meinecke dissented in her vote, saying she was against saving the dam a decade ago.  

A survey conducted by Ayres Associates said a pier in the dam has a footing that appears to have a formed inset from the downstream end of the buttress. The overhang is approximately 5 feet wide and 1 foot long.

The project will require divers to repair the dam, which was built in 1918.

According to the report, over-hanging piers are problematic because of a potential scour hole, which is formed by swiftly moving water and can compromise the integrity of the dam.

In October 2018, the DNR directed the village to repair the dam or prove it was safe through calculations. The village contacted numerous engineering companies but none were willing to take on the liability of proving the dam is safe. 

Thomas said the 1918 plans for the dam don’t show the footing in the design, but Thomas noted it might be possible the toe of the buttress wasn’t constructed according to the plans.  

The dam is one of Grafton’s most recognized landmarks and has been upgraded several times. Although the village considered razing the structure, public opposition to the plan forced officials to reconsider.

In 2009, the Save the Dam Association filed a petition signed by nearly 2,400 residents who wanted a binding referendum to decide the structure’s fate.

In April 2010, voters overwhelmingly approved saving the dam.

The village subsequently considered having a fish passage installed at the dam as part of a Milwaukee River restoration project.     

However, that option was abandoned after the DNR required a trap-and-sort process to ensure invasive species would not travel upstream of the dam.