Clam Falls Dam Replacement Project Awarded

POLK COUNTY -- Polk County has awarded the Clam Falls Dam replacement project to Lunda Construction Company out of Black River Falls.

The dam helps control the water flow for the 119-acre Clam Falls Flowage that has a maximum depth of 14 feet.

The County, owners of the Clam Falls Dam, met onsite with nine contractors for a prebid meeting in December of last year. The County anticipates work on the $3.9 million project to begin this spring, and for it to be completed by fall of this year. The county’s share of the project is just under one million dollars.

Replacement of the Clam Falls Dam first came onto the County’s radar when in 2018, the dam’s previous owners—Northwest Electric Cooperative—approached the County with an offer to transfer the dam to the County.

The dam had been assigned a Significant Hazard rating by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), and major repairs or outright removal were needed. Although the County rejected the offer at the time, as under the conditions set forth it would not be able to financially support the needs of the dam without impacting other budget priorities, interest in the dam remained.

Since the removal of the dam would leave property owners and tourists with a significant loss of property values and recreational opportunities, the County pursued options in the State Budget to acquire funding to offset the costs to repair the dam to WDNR standards. In addition, an agreement was signed between the County and the Town of Clam Falls to use the Town’s special assessment authority to subsidize maintenance and insurance costs of dam ownership.

After Governor Evers signed a budget bill with an appropriation of an amount up to two million dollars earmarked for the restoration and repair of the dam, Polk County assumed ownership of the dam in 2021.

The costs of the replacement project quickly increased due to a variety of factors, such as a higher sediment depth than estimated, asbestos present in the dam powerhouse, and different hydrology requirements from WDNR since 2017. But by working with their engineers on different gate designs for the dam and applying for additional grants, the County was able fully fund the project by 2023, and sent it out for bid last fall.