Posted on May 18, 2026
After a mechanical failure at a dam control along the Milwaukee River in Grafton caused water to rush through the break point, public works officials are working with contractors on a plan to address the problem.
The culprit behind the failure was a faulty hydraulic cylinder, a part of the dam that lifts and lowers the gate to control water flow, Village of Grafton Public Works Director Julie Esch told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The hydronic fluid that the cylinder controls is bypassing where it needs to go, Esch said.
Village staff are working with J.F. Brennan Company, a specialty marine contractor for dam construction, to create a plan to fix the cylinder, which will involve draining the area around the gate and holding back more water. The dam first became inoperable over the weekend of May 2-3.
Esch said she would present that plan at the next public works or village board meeting.
The dam had been scheduled to be inspected soon, Esch said. There were no signs that the cylinder would face issues during the previous inspection in late summer 2025, she said. There were areas some aspects flagged, but not in the hydraulic cylinders.
In the meantime, water continues to spill over the gate.
The failed gate is on the east side of the dam, causing all the river to spill through the dam in that section.
There’s nothing indicating any imminent issues upstream or downstream in relation to the mechanical failure, but the flow of the river has narrowed downstream of the dam, exposing the land underneath and creating mudflats, or exposed layers of mud, Esch said.
As a result, there’s no risk to the public, but kayakers will have a difficult time navigating the area, she said.
“We’ve been doing our due diligence and troubleshooting. Now it’s a matter of putting a plan together with the contractor for repairs,” Esch said. “It’s going to take a little while but we’re continuing to do this work.”
