Town of Oconomowoc Monterey Dam

The Monterey Dam, owned by the Town of Oconomowoc, was constructed in 1848 and has undergone several rehabilitations. Mill Street is located over the dam.

Under previous plans the dam was to be removed and a new bridge constructed over the restored channel. Due to local objections to dam removal, the Town decided to replace the dam and retained Ayres to design a replacement structure; the bridge portion of this project was designed by Baxter Woodman. The final design of the dam is a labyrinth spillway with a low-level outlet.

Ayres was contracted for the work on March 15, 2012, and worked collaboratively with Baxter Woodman, the Town of Oconomowoc, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to complete the project in time for an August 1, 2012, deadline for plans, specifications, and estimates. Our services included several meetings with all parties completing the design, as well as a presentation at a public information meeting, all while adhering to the project’s tight schedule.

WisDOT required that the bridge and dam be separable. Ayres’ design had to accommodate this requirement, but still be bid under the WisDOT program, anticipating that one contractor would be responsible for both the dam and bridge construction. Bidding assistance and construction administration also were provided.

WisDOT awarded the project its 2013 Local Program Outstanding Highway Construction Award for Excellence in Small Structures.

• Todd Rudolph, Senior Water Resources Engineer
• Gareth Shambeau, Manager - Engineering Services

• Dams & Flood Control