GRAFTON, Wis. — A hydraulic arm failure at a Grafton dam has caused the Milwaukee River to drop dramatically upstream, leaving large mud flats where water once flowed and raising concerns among neighbors and local charities ahead of a weekend fundraising event.
Grafton's public works department tells TMJ4 News the hydraulic arm failed near the beginning of the month as the village was prepping for maintenance, causing the dam's flap to fall.
The increased flow of water is now moving around the dam rather than over it, driving river levels down near the village's Veterans Memorial Park and, in some cases, drying up some of the riverbanks.
Joe Ausavich, a Grafton neighbor who has lived near the river for three years, said the change is striking.
"You can see all these big squares underneath the big openings. You normally can't see any of that," Ausavich said. "It may go down further. It really depends on the weather at this point."
The dropping river levels are having a direct impact on Mel's Charities, which is hosting its annual kayaking fundraiser on the river for this weekend, at Veterans Memorial Park north of the dam.
The organization considered moving the event but ultimately decided to keep it on-schedule after sending experienced kayakers down the route earlier in the week to assess conditions.
Watch: Neighbors concerned as parts of Milwaukee River dry up after dam arm gets stuck
Tom "Mel" Stanton of Mel's Charities acknowledged the irony of low water following a wet spring.
"We've had historic rains this Spring, thinking we'd have no problem with water," Stanton said. "There might be a little scraping. There might be lower water levels in certain areas... Even the novice kayakers and canoers can do this route," Stanton said.
Despite the altered conditions, Ausavich said the river ecosystem and the community's connection to it remain resilient.
"They say it's the heart of Grafton, and I believe it. It is," Ausavich said. "People are still interested. Down there, people are still fishing. I saw fish actually jump in there."
Village officials hope to have an estimate and a contract for the repairs ready for the Village Board next week.
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