A hidden risk: Waukesha County emergency leaders advocate for dam safety

Waukesha County has more than 80 dams, according to the Wisconsin DNR, but what happens if one of them fails?

On Tuesday, more than 30 local leaders gathered for a two-day emergency dam training in Waukesha to better prepare for a dam failure.

Kaylee Staral

“We requested the program to come in and work with dam owners. We have high populations who live below dams, and they might not even know it,” said Peter Jensen, a leader at the Southeast Wisconsin Incident Management Team.

Jensen said like any other piece of infrastructure, dams need routine maintenance.

The training was hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Dam Safety Program and is a two-day course that teaches local leaders the best ways to ensure dam safety using the latest tools and technology.

There are more than 80 dams across Waukesha County, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

Jensen said many of the dams were built in the 1800s, and are well over 100 years old.

In the last 20 years, 34 dams have failed in Wisconsin. That's according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials .

Waukesha County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Gail Goodchild, said this is a necessary precaution.

Kaylee Staral

“Our biggest hazard here in Waukesha County is flooding,” Goodchild said.

“We’ve seen basements flooded, people can’t get into their homes, and businesses as well, they might have to close shop for a couple of months.”

FEMA’s program manager training specialist, Timothy Bush, planned the course for months.

Kaylee Staral

“Dams and waterways are there to protect and for recreation, but there is a hidden risk," Bush said. "If we don’t educate the public, we won’t know what to do when an emergency happens.”

DNR Dam safety staff, emergency managers and responders, dam owners and operators, meteorologists, and engineers from all over the state all gathered for the training program.

The team encouraged the public to think ahead and always have weather alerts turned on.

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