A dam breach on Friday forced the evacuation of Manawa. By Saturday morning water had receded and cleanup was underway. PC: Fox 11 Online
MANAWA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Within the next week, the city of Manawa plans to have full ownership of the site where the Mill Pond Dam once stood.
Mayor Mike Frazier says it’s a step in the right direction.
“The price that the council agreed to is $57,500. And we’re hoping to resolve all that this week, but we all know how negotiations go,” Frazier said.
The city is set to purchase the power plant for the dam, which would give officials full control over work and repairs to the dam.
Since the dam eroded and gave way in July 2024, the city has been chasing leads in various directions to get funding. Last year, the state failed to approve funds which would have helped cover some of the massive cost of fixing the dam.
Now, the city signed a joint agreement with the town of Little Wolf to go back for state funding.
“It’s going to help us on the financial side, as with two entities, it will probably be easier to get financing,” Frazier explained. “As of now, we haven’t decided which route to go. We’re hoping to in 2027, and address the Joint Finance Committee for the state of Wisconsin.”
The city finished restoring the shoreline around the site last year, but Frazier told us the work is far from over, and it will be more than a simple fix of the existing dam.
“The dam cannot be replaced. It has to be totally torn out and a new one put in place, as it will never pass the DNR inspection,” he said.
The city doesn’t have a timeline for dam restoration as of now. It plans to continue work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to find the best course of action once funding is secured.
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