Cedarburg defers decision on studying the Woolen Mills Dam repair or removal
For years, the council has found itself circling back to the dam, weighing whether to front growing repair costs and preserve it as a symbol of the community's early settlement days. Residents on the other side of the coin support removing the dam, and with it, eliminate cyclical repair costs, flood risks, detriments to the creek's ecosystem and an aging public nuisance that's not a true historical landmark, they say.
A 2024 analysis by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources classified the dam under its significant hazard label, meaning failure could cause significant property damage in the city's downtown area situated downstream.
But for years, city discussions have not resulted in any action on either side.
On June 9, the council again discussed whether to approve a roughly $60,000 feasibility study by Inter-Fluve, Inc. to assess options for removing or repairing the structure.
However, after minimal discussion, the council didn't take action on the study, seeking to wait for updated cost estimates on repairing the dam before deciding.
In 2020, repairs were estimated at $800,000, with around half of the cost offset by funds from the DNR's Municipal Dam Grant Program. But decisions on those repairs were kicked down the road.
Five years later, the cost is likely higher.
The updated cost estimate will likely come in during the fall after engineering firm Ramboll assesses the site, members of the council said. The city approved Ramboll's contract for the analysis in November of 2024.
At the June 9 meeting, residents and experts spoke for and against paying for the study.
Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn of Milwaukee Riverkeeper spoke about the benefits of removal, saying the dam is aging and in disrepair. At previous council meetings, she's explained that removing the dam would be cheaper for the city in the long run and healthier for the creek ecosystem.
Cedarburg resident Chuck Buehler told council members that the intrinsic value of the dam is a very important part of the community's history and culture. He prepared a whole speech, and said he expected the council to disagree with him. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised by their rejection of the study.
'I wasted a week on this,' he said.
Another resident, Marc Sanders, said the dam serves no purpose and isn't historic, since it was built after the Pioneer Era dams on Cedar Creek washed away.
"You're just kicking the can down (the road)," Sanders said. "This is going to keep coming up, year after year. In 10 years, 20 years, 100 years, you're going to have to keep fixing and replacing these dams. It's not a good use of funds."
"The creek was beautiful before the dams, it's beautiful after the dams, and it would be beautiful without the dams through the city of Cedarburg," he said.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cedarburg puts off decision on Woolen Mills Dam repair or removal
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