Eau Claire County dam must either be fixed or taken apart

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By Aarik Woods - bio | email

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Eau Claire County (WQOW) - A decades old dam is in bad shape, and now Eau Claire County has to make a decision about its future.

The 18 foot tall Johnson Dam lowers the risk of flash flooding in places like nearby Augusta. However, a culvert that runs through the middle of the structure is rusting, and there are concerns that it could collapse during heavy rainfall.

"We can't just leave it as is, but we have to decide, should be repair it or abandon it? Abandoning it means cutting a notch in the dam, removing all of the structural components like the pipe, and stablilizing that base so that it cannot restrict storm flows or stream flows," said Kelly Jacobs, Eau Claire County Land Conservation Supervisor.

The DNR has given the county until December of 2014 to repair or get rid of the dam.

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Eau Claire County dam must either be fixed or taken apart - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire County dam must either be fixed or taken apart

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