Antigo Times

Top Menu

  • E-Editions
  • Contact Us

Main Menu

  • News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Courts
  • Arts & Ent
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Best of 2023
  • E-Editions
  • Contact Us

logo

Antigo Times

  • News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Courts
  • Arts & Ent
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Best of 2023
DNRNews
Home›News›DNR›Safety concerns lead DNR to plan breach of Little Falls Dam

Safety concerns lead DNR to plan breach of Little Falls Dam

By Antigo Times
August 25, 2015
1190
0

SPOONER, Wis. — Safety and code compliance concerns with the Little Falls Dam in northwestern Wisconsin have led the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan for a controlled breach of the dam to allow a drawdown to proceed.

Working with an engineering consulting firm and community groups, DNR developed a plan to lower water levels behind the dam starting in mid-June and concluding in mid-July. Since then, however, repeated rain events have occurred and water levels have not reached desired targets, said Paul Bruggink, northern Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division representative with DNR.

While the previous plans called for a six inch per day drawdown, the repeated rain events have not allowed the water level to reach a point where sediment management, including erosion control, could take place. As a result, DNR has concluded a controlled breach will be the best way to address health and safety concerns arising from the dam’s structural issues as well as sediment management.

In addition to restoring safer and more predictable conditions downstream, the breach strategy will allow natural vegetation to become established prior to the end of the growing season and prevent future erosion, Bruggink said. The breach is not expected to negatively affect the fishery; while there will be immediate changes in local fish populations, populations will quickly stabilize and return to normal in both the lake and Lower Willow River.

DNR intends to initiate the work to breach the dam as soon as a contractor has been identified. The drawdown work is intended to be complete by late fall.

To learn more about the project, visit DNR.wi.gov and search “Little Falls Dam.”

Previous Article

Unified School District of Antigo announces new ...

Next Article

Lawrence Drexler, 82

Related articles More from author

  • News

    Mattoon Market Stocking Giveaway a Success

    December 12, 2014
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor
  • BusinessNews

    2014 North Woods Women in Business Week Winner Announced

    December 16, 2014
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor
  • News

    Langlade County Board Welcomes New Veterans Service Officer

    December 18, 2014
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor
  • News

    Famous Saved by the Bell actor arrested in Wisconsin

    December 26, 2014
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor
  • NewsSports

    Northern Snowmobile Trails to open in Langlade County on 12/31

    December 30, 2014
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor
  • BusinessHealth

    Health Insurance Coverage: A Message from the USDA

    January 5, 2015
    By Dan Turczynski, Editor

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×