MONTELLO, Wis. -- The images of the dam breech at Lake Delton last year aren't soon forgotten for area residents. Now, the state Department of Natural Resources and local officials are working to prevent a similar situation from possibly happening on another lake.

The view from Sunset Drive in Montello is of peaceful Buffalo Lake, a man-made water body created in the late 1800s by damming the Fox River. The half-mile wide lake stretches nearly 12 miles in length, and all comes to a head on Sunset Drive, where a dike beneath the pavement holds back the water.

However, officials said that recent soil samples find the strength of the earth is weakening, which could lead to washout. They warn about what could help if steps aren't taken.

"It's serious to the extent that if its not addressed, it could very possibly lead to the failure of the dam," said Dave Stertz, a dam safety engineer with the DNR.

What would happen if the dam failed?

"We will lose the embankment certainly. We will lose the lake, and mostly probably, we will inundate a number of homes along Main Street," Stertz said.

The dike is about a half-mile long, and was the site of a detour for traffic during last summer's floods. Even though the DNR said failure isn't imminent, the concern is real.

"I'd lose everything probably," says Dave Pufahl, who inherited the nearby house that he grew up in from his mother several years ago. The home is directly across Sunset from the dike.

"If this whole lake goes? Wow! That's catastrophic. It could wipe Montello off the map," said Pufahl.

For that reason, traffic on the road is closed, to reduce stress under the surface.

Stertz said he hopes for repairs within the next 12 months, but isn't yet certain of cost. He estimates repairs could range between $100,000 and $1 million, depending on the solution.

blog comments powered by Disqus