Work Underway at Mayville’s Lower Dam Prompts Questions Following Heavy Rains

A crew is conducting emergency repairs Friday, August 15, on Mayville’s lower dam after a cable failure rendered its flood gate inoperable during last week’s historic downpours.

A local resident said the broken cable prevented the gate from opening and credited that failure with preventing flooding in normally vulnerable areas near Rae Lane, Walnut Street and St. John’s School. “Normally, with this large amount of rain, all the streets and homes by the creek in that area flood,” the resident said. “If it worked this time, no flooding to residents, why doesn’t the city in the future keep the flood gate closed?”

City officials confirmed that “our lower dam did have a cable break, making adjusting the dam not possible,” and added that “we have an emergency crew on site making the repairs.” They declined to comment on whether the city will evaluate flood-prone areas in light of broader regional flooding affecting nearby cities.

Rainfall data specific to Mayville is not immediately available, though parts of southeastern Wisconsin have seen significant precipitation in recent days.

Residents concerned about their property’s flood risk can consult FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. (https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home)

As of now, there’s no widely available public data indicating that Mayville has areas designated as “Special Flood Hazard Areas” (SFHAs). These are high-risk flood zones typically indicated by FEMA with labels such as Zones A, AE, or AO—where flood insurance is mandatory for mortgaged properties. While Mayville clearly participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, the precise risk categories remain unspecified in public sources.

Mike Schuett of Spectrum Insurance in Mayville emphasized the importance of understanding coverage limitations, especially as investors and homeowners grapple with the effects of the May tornado and recent heavy rains.

“With the May tornado and now the recent heavy rains, insurance is a hot topic,” Schuett said. “No one likes the rising rates of insurance, and no one likes to file claims, except maybe the roofing contractors. The best thing you can do as a homeowner or business owner is to have a discussion with your agent often about your coverage. Make sure you understand the coverage and the cost of the coverage. Some coverages are very much worth the money to protect your family, your home, your cars, and your future, and other coverages might not be as important to you. What is important is that you, as the insured, understand the coverages.”

Flooding doesn’t respect risk designations. FEMA reports that about 40 percent of flood insurance claims are from areas not designated as high-risk flood zones, and many homeowners mistakenly assume that a sewer backup incident will be covered by their homeowners' insurance policy, but standard homeowners policies typically exclude such losses.