The Village of Merton president, along with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials, stressed August 13 that a dam on Bark River is fine, and information causing alarm about its condition was confusing.
“It’s in good working order,” said Ron Reinowski.
A day earlier, the Hartland Police Department said in a Facebook post that an emergency action plan had been activated for the Merton Millpond Dam. The post said the dam had a “high potential for failure.” The post remained up Aug. 13.
The post said the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would be able to reinforce the dam, and residents and businesses along the river should be aware of the potential rise in water levels.
Following news of the post, DNR officials said the department is a regulatory agency, and while it gives technical advice, it does not get involved in reinforcing a dam. The department is “not going to be picking up shovels and bringing in dirt,” Reinowski said, concurring.
As for the integrity of the dam, the DNR said it was not a concern, something echoed by the village president.
Neither Village of Hartland nor Waukesha County Emergency Management officials returned several phone calls for comment.
A sinkhole appeared to be forming near the dam, but it did not appear to create a risk. “With the condition it’s in right now, it would be wasting money trying to do anything down inside that hole to stabilize it,” Reinowski said.
For now, the area is being fenced off.
According to the National Inventory of Dams, the Merton dam was constructed in 1840 and was last inspected in 2021, when it was found to be in fair condition. It is owned by the Village of Merton.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Village of Merton, DNR say dam is not at risk, countering earlier post from Hartland
Reporting by Mia Thurow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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