MANAWA (NBC 26) — Months after the partial failure of the Manawa Dam, restoration efforts are now under way. However, dam reconstruction isn’t happening just yet.
- Restoration efforts are underway months after the partial failure of the Manawa Dam
- Torrential rains last July caused the dam to give way, draining the Manawa Millpond
- Homeowner Heather Walbruck has been actively involved in the reconstruction process
- Mayor Mike Frazier says the nearly century-old dam will likely need a full replacement
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)
Last July, torrential rains caused the Manawa Dam to give way, draining the Manawa Millpond.
Longtime viewers may remember Heather Walbruck from a viral moment just days after, in which she remarked on how her boat — once resting on the water of the millpond, is now washed up, referencing the 60s show Gilligan's Island.
Since then, she’s been working with neighbors and fellow waterfront homeowners, making sure they stay involved in the reconstruction process.
“We try to go to as many as we can because if they see us, it’s going to be in the back of their heads ‘oh, there’s those people in the back again bugging us for information,’” Walbruck said.
Mayor Mike Frazier has also been there every step of the way, watching over the progress of the nearly century-old dam.
"It was built in 1926 following the flood of 1922, where it failed,” Frazier noted.
He says they are almost certain the dam will need to be replaced entirely.
“We are almost 100% sure we are going to have to replace it, due to the age of the dam,” he said.
Even after securing a $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in January, he says they can’t just go and build another dam yet.
“Due to the requirements from the Department of Natural Resources to stay out of the water and all that, that’s why it’s going to take well into the summer to finish, because they have to do some reseeding of the shoreline,” Frazier said.
Which leaves homeowners like Walbruck patiently waiting.
“Oh yeah, I’m in it for the long haul,” she laughed.
The city and homeowners say the best way to stay involved is by following their Facebook pages.
