For the City Times

NEKOOSA – Domtar will draw down the Wisconsin River above the Nekoosa dam beginning at approximately 6  a.m. on Oct. 26, to complete required maintenance and repairs to the structure.

Water will be drawn down at a rate of six inches per hour until roughly 4 p.m. It is expected that the water level will be five feet lower than usual.

The impacted area will be between the Nekoosa and Port Edwards dams.

“Per Wisconsin DNR guidelines, a stranded organism survey will commence approximately one hour after the drawdown begins, with a second survey being conducted later in the afternoon when the upstream reservoir is sufficiently lowered,” a Domtar release stated.

“As a reminder, areas of exposed sediments can be a public safety hazard. Exposed sediments and rocks can cause slipping and tripping hazards. No one may remove items from the riverbed without obtaining the required permits.

“The launching of watercraft could be impacted by the reduced elevation of the reservoir.”

The project repairs are expected to be completed by Oct. 30 and the level of the reservoir will be returned to normal elevations.

Domtar is providing public notice of this work but the project schedule may change due to weather concerns or government approvals of the work.