Cedarburg Woolen Mill dam
Cedarburg Woolen Mill
The Cedarburg Woolen Mill, located on Cedar Creek in Ozaukee, Wisconsin, was completed in 1864 and serves primarily for recreation purposes. The dam, with a height of 18 feet and a length of 130 feet, creates a surface area of 6 acres and a drainage area of 119 square miles. Despite its historical significance, the dam's condition is assessed as poor, with a significant hazard potential due to its age and maintenance issues.
The Cedarburg Woolen Mill dam is regulated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place. The spillway type is uncontrolled, and the dam's maximum discharge capacity is 4300 cubic feet per second. The last inspection conducted in June 2018 found the dam to be in poor condition, indicating a need for immediate attention to address safety concerns and prevent potential risks to the surrounding community and environment.
With its unique gravity design and historical significance, the Cedarburg Woolen Mill dam presents both challenges and opportunities for water resource and climate enthusiasts. As efforts are made to address the dam's poor condition, there is potential for collaboration between local government and environmental agencies to ensure the preservation of this iconic structure while safeguarding the surrounding ecosystem and water resources for future generations.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Cedarburg Woolen Mill -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Creek Near Cedarburg | 81 cfs | → |
| Milwaukee River Near Cedarburg | 413 cfs | → |
| Little Menomonee River Near Freistadt | 4 cfs | → |
| Menomonee River At Menomonee Falls | 8 cfs | → |
| Little Menomonee River At Milwaukee | 19 cfs | → |
| Lincoln Creek At Sherman Boulevard At Milwaukee | 1 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cedarburg Woolen Mill.
Boat launches
- Unity Lake State Recreation Site
- Southwest Shore Boat Launch
- Mason Ramp
- Olive Lake
- Malheur Reservoir
- Anthony Lake Campground
Campgrounds
Track Cedarburg Woolen Mill in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Cedarburg Woolen Mill
Where does the data for Cedarburg Woolen Mill come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Significant hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Cedarburg Woolen Mill.