Study to be Presented about Impacts of Grafton Dam Removal

Findings about the possible impacts of razing the Bridge Street Dam will be presented at a public meeting on Thursday Oct 22nd in Grafton.  The proposed demolition of the dam is under debate by some residents who want to keep the dam as a landmark, and the Village's Public Works who want it removed.  

Milwaukee Riverkeeper advocates in favor of removing the dam and urges citizens to share their view.

More information about the public meeting can be found here.

[excerpted from the Ozaukee Press]

Engineers are continuing to work on an impact study to determine how razing the Bridge Street dam in Grafton would affect the Milwaukee River and adjoining land and will have their analysis ready for a public informational meeting Oct. 22, an Ozaukee County official said Tuesday.

“It’s an ongoing process, but we will definitely be ready to go by the meeting,” said Andrew Struck, the county’s planning and parks director.

“There are a lot of different aspects of the study, and it’s taking some time to bring them all together.”

Struck is overseeing the study, which is being done by Bonestroo & Associates, an engineering firm hired to complete the analysis before the Grafton Village Board decides whether to remove the dam or have a fish passage added to it as part of a federally funded river restoration project.

He said engineers have spent several weeks conducting a variety of studies, including water and sediment depth measurements, and are preparing drawings designed to show the width and course of the river without the dam.

Additional drawings will depict how the expanded shore land would appear if the 19th-century landmark is razed.

“We’ve tried to determine as precisely as possible where there would be exposed land based on many, many data points,” Struck said. 

He said the study will also show the impact of having the fish passage installed, a proposal favored by a number of village residents and downtown property owners who oppose the dam’s removal.

“We have a fair amount of information about channel morphology for both alternatives, razing the dam or preserving it with the fish passage,” Struck said.

Struck said studies of sediment samples taken from the millpond area above the dam have revealed no inorganic contaminants.

“Everything looks like it’s within standards from the EPA and DNR,” he said.   

Results of the study will be presented during a 6:30 p.m. meeting Thursday, Oct. 22, at John Long Middle School, 700 Hickory St., in Grafton.

Joining Bonestroo representatives to  provide information and answer questions will be village, county and state officials.

The meeting will be preceded by an open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., during which residents can view display boards and ask individual questions.

Although the meeting will be held as part of a public hearing before the Village Board, trustees will not take action on the dam’s future that night. The board’s decision is expected to be made Thursday, Oct. 29, when it holds a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Grafton

Multipurpose Senior Center, 1665 Seventh Ave.

The future of the dam has been a contentious issue since July when the village’s Public Works Board unanimously recommended removing the landmark. The recommendation came after members were told by Department of Natural Resources officials that federal stimulus funds
would cover the cost of the project.

The Works Board was also told the village may have to spend as much as $2 million to rebuild the dam and upgrade it to alleviate flooding problems as well as $10,000 every three or four years to inspect and maintain it.

Removing the dam has been proposed as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant designed to improve Milwaukee River water quality, increase fish population and ease flooding problems.

In response to the recommendation, dozens of residents protested the razing during an informational meeting in August. They argued the move would destroy a landmark that has been a major draw for downtown redevelopment and tourism and result in diminished land values
and the loss of wildlife habitats and recreational activities.

The Save the Dam Association, a local citizens group, was formed to oppose the structure’s removal. The group started a petition drive to generate support for its cause.

Village Administrator Darrell Hofland said association representatives asked to speak at the Oct. 22 meeting and will be allowed to do so after Bonestroo makes its presentation.

Struck said the impact study will not include a recommendation on whether the dam should be razed.

“That’s a decision that’s entirely in the village’s hands,” he said.

Struck said information from the impact study is expected to be posted on the county’s Web site (www.co.ozaukee.wi.us.) by the end of this week and can be viewed through a link to the Planning and Parks Department.

Hofland said some of the questions residents have asked the village about the dam’s future will be posted along with answers on the village’s Web site (www.village.grafton.wi.us) this week. 

(the Journal-Sentinel also recently covered the issue)