Posted on January 26, 2026
TOWN OF DUNN — The Dyreson Bridge over the Yahara River here is one of the oldest in the state.
Dave Barton stands near the Dyreson Bridge in the town of Dunn. The bridge spans the Yahara River where Dane County plans to continue dredging work this spring.
In 2021, Dane County purchased a 42-foot-long dredge to remove sediment from the Yahara River. Over the last five years, an estimated 250,000 cubic yards of sand, rock and silt have been removed. The project will resume this spring.
Table rock, which is amid an ancient fish weir can be seen in the far distance in the Yahara River while the remnants of a dam can be seen in the foreground near East Dyreson Road in the town of Dunn. The weir was used by ancient people to harvest fish, while the dam was built in 1840 for a mill on the river’s east bank.
Dave Barton takes in the Yahara River, which has been used by hunters and gathers for thousands of years. When settlers arrived, a wooden dam was built here along what is now East Dyreson Road.
Dane County is planning to dredge this portion of the Yahara River this year in its continuing efforts to improve water flow throughout the chain of lakes and the river during large rain events.
Archeologist Dave Barton stands on the east bank of the Yahara River near the remains of a wooden dam built in 1840 in the town of Dunn.
