Hydro or no hydro?

MANAWA – The City of Manawa is currently gathering all information needed to be able to get the dam into the state budget for 2026, which has led to a special council meeting and informational meeting Feb. 27.
Information was brought to the council’s attention at a Feb. 17 meeting regarding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license that is currently held by Wiscons8, LLC, the Manawa dam operator.
Jason Bessette, who has expertise in utilities as well as being a resident on the Manawa Mill Pond, let the council know that the FERC license has an exemption which gives Manawa the upper hand in a potential new negotiation process for the hydroelectric portion of the dam.
Currently the hydroelectric portion of the dam brings in a total of six percent of revenue, which added up to $3,811 in 2024 to the City. Logan Hass, city clerk, noted that is what is dictated in the contract between Wiscons8, LLC and the City of Manawa.
The reason the exemption is important is because it will help guide the direction the city moves while choosing the best possible replacement for the dam.

Bessette said there are a few options that can be considered including rebuilding the dam with or without hydroelectric capabilities.
One option is getting Wiscons8, LLC to relinquish the license entirely, and the city taking over the hydroelectric portion of the dam, which would entail a greater cost in having to build the full hydroelectric dam, although it would generate revenue for the city.
Another option is to re-negotiate the contract with Wiscons8, LLC for a larger percentage of revenue. With this option Wiscons8 would retain the FERC license and would continue to operate the dam.
The last dam option would be to take away the hydroelectric portion of the dam and build a spillway dam instead, which is a dam that would allow a certain level of water to remain in the mill pond with the remaining water spilling over into the river.
With this option, Cheryl Latsch, the FERC coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said that the hydro portion of the dam can be added at a later date.
“There may be interest in producing hydropower or installing hydropower at a later date and time,” Latsch said at an informational meeting and discussion with experts Feb. 27. “It happened in Wisconsin a couple times. At that point, when there’s a decision to develop hydropower, the entity that is going to pursue a license for that hydropower and that development would begin the process and acquire a new license.”
Brandon Strehlow, a consultant with Cedar Corporation which is the city’s engineering firm, said they will be getting all of the quotes to City officials by March 14 for each of the above options, including a quote to remove the existing structure.
A plan will need to be chosen for the dam and submitted to the Joint Finance committee for the State of Wisconsin by the end of March to be considered for the 2026 budget.
The members of the Town of Little Wolf Board were present at this meeting, as they have been at several of the council meetings.
“The Town of Little Wolf has been adversely affected as well,” said Jackie Beyer, the Town of Little Wolf Clerk. “The Town is willing to assist in having the Mill Pond restored. We are interested in being included in the solution, and our priority is to make the affected residents whole.”
At a special meeting of the Little Wolf Town Board, held on Feb. 27, the town board approved a resolution to commit to the restoration of the Manawa Mill Pond, and authorize the chair to sign a forthcoming agreement with the city to help fund the project.