Wisconsin’s thousands of dams rely on oversight

WAUSAU, Wis. (WXCO) – Wisconsin has thousands of dams across the state.

Their owners, which range from private owners and state or federal officials are responsible for keeping them in tip-top shape.

Uriah Monday is the the State Dam Safety Engineer at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). He says he’s aware of roughly 5,000 dams in the state. 

“Approximately 40 percent of dams in the state are privately owned,” he said. “The others are either publicly owned or owned by the federal government in the same batch of publicly owned.”

Monday says state officials have to make sure dam owners are complying with state standards for dam safety. 

“We’re like a building inspector in the community,” he said. “We’re not constructing projects and we’re not running them, but we have a role in making sure that they are done in a sound and safe manner.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (7th District) has made his experience as a dam tender a central part of multiple campaigns, including his current run for governor.

“For 29 years, I was the dam tender up on the Willow Flowage. I got paid to walk the dog every day out on the dam,” he said in September at the launch of his gubernatorial bid in Wausau.

Monday says dam operators, as they’re now called, are the custodians of the structure.

“They know when something’s wrong and what they need to do to fix it,” Monday said. “If dams aren’t operated properly, the mis-operation of a dam can cause or exacerbate flooding. It might lead to further damage on the dam. In worst cases, it leads to a washout.”

Monday also said if a dam owner is not in compliance with state laws, officials must negotiate with the owner to reach compliance. If that doesn’t work, owners can face enforcement hearings or fines.

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