Manawa envoy meets with Gov. Evers

MANAWA - A contingent of municipal officials and concerned citizens from the City of Manawa and the Town of Little Wolf regarding the loss of the Manawa dam met with Governor Tony Evers and his staff on Dec. 3 in the council chambers at the state capitol in Madison.
The governor declared a state of emergency on July 5, 2024 when torrential rains and flooding caused a complete failure of the Manawa dam embankment, causing the dam to break.
Last spring, the city submitted a quote to the state in an attempt to secure funding to replace the dam from the 2026 state budget.
The city learned this past July that they were not able to secure the $8.4 million dollars for the construction of a spillway dam in the state’s next budget cycle.
Representatives from the City of Manawa, including David Sarna, a former Manawa mayor; John Smith, a former Manawa mayor; Jackie Beyer, the Town of Little Wolf clerk; James Roenz, city council alderman in Manawa and Andrew Skwierawski, an attorney from Milwaukee, were able to get a meeting with Evers to talk about what steps can be taken to get the dam rebuilt.

The Manawa officials were able to update the state on what has occurred since the failure as well as how the state can assist with the repair and rebuilding process.
The Manawa City Council voted unanimously at their July 2024 meeting to repair the dam and restore the Little Wolf River and Manawa Mill Pond.
Since then, planning has included the city partnering with the Township of Little Wolf in pursuing whatever means necessary to accomplish this mutual goal of rebuilding the dam.
Evers offered suggestions and guidance on how the state and its legislators can assist with the restoration process.
The governor reflected fondly on visits he had made to Manawa in years past, Sarma said.
Beyond the Manawa attendees, there were also two representatives from the Madison DNR Waterways Commission.
The meeting is another step local officials and citizens have taken to attempt to secure funding to rebuild the Manawa dam.