EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin (July 29, 2019) – Xcel Energy will conduct a 4-foot drawdown of the Chippewa Falls Flowage in Chippewa Falls beginning Sunday, Aug. 11. The drawdown is necessary to conduct an inspection of submerged portions of the powerhouse at the Chippewa Falls Dam and perform routine concrete maintenance on the spillway. Construction of the Chippewa Falls Hydroelectric Project was completed in 1928.
The inspection and concrete repairs will take place the week of August 19. Once the work is completed, the flowage will slowly be refilled over three days. Xcel Energy developed a drawdown management plan in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to protect fish and other aquatic species.
Access may be limited at times to the public boat landing located off Pumphouse Road and the canoe take-out located approximately one mile downstream of the landing. Fishing opportunities from the fishing pier, located approximately 100 yards upstream of the canoe take-out, may also be limited at times.
The Chippewa Falls Hydroelectric Project, owned by Xcel Energy, operates under a license granted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Xcel Energy owns and operates 19 hydroelectric projects in northern and western Wisconsin.
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About Xcel Energy
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