WAUPACA COUNT POST

September 30, 2004

Waupaca Wants to Remove Old Dam

The city of Waupaca has asked the state Department of Natural Resources to approve a permit to abandon and remove the old planing mill dam on the Waupaca River.

The dam is just upstream from Shearer Street.

"Most of this dam was removed sometime in the past, and the remaining structure only holds back about 3 feet of water," DNR water management specialist Scott Koehnke said. "The remaining concrete spillway, steel I-beams and abutments will be removed and the stream banks graded, seeded and stabilized."

Removing the dam will make the river available to many species of fish that have been blocked by the structure and also eliminate a potential safety hazard, he said.

The proposed project is not expected to result in significant adverse environmental effects. The DNR has made a preliminary assessment or environmental impact statement will be required.