S Bridge Street at Little Wolf River

S Bridge Street at Little Wolf River

Waupaca

Manawa

23

13

E

15

SW

1922

2024

dam/lock

Not a Building

Concrete

No

2024- A dam has existed at this location since the mid-19th century, serving as the mechanical and hydroelectrical power supply for adjacent flour and saw mills. A flood in 1922 necessitated the reconstruction of the dam, resulting in the current concrete structure. First constructed and owned by the Little Wolf River Lumber Company, the dam was sold to Wisconsin Power and Light Company in 1928. By 1968, the City of Manawa had come into ownership and has operated the Manawa Dam since that time. The Manawa Dam featured a hydraulic head of 13 feet and an impoundment area of 192 acres. In July of 2024, major flooding over-topped the dam and destroyed the spillway and adjacent abutment, putting the dam out of service. Currently, the northern section of the earthen abutment and the adjacent concrete overflow section of the dam have been washed away. The wooden timbers of the needle dam section to the south have been removed and the slide gates of the two southern dam bays have been raised. The concrete piers between the sections of the dam remain, as does the square brick powerhouse on the southern shore. The Little Wolf River flows uncontrolled through the dam’s remnants, and the impoundment area behind the dam is drained.

Not Listed