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Flood Coverage:
• I-94 Reopened in Jefferson County
• Mukwonago Dam Could Break
• Waukesha Roads Still Closed
• Forecasted Rain Could Make Things Worse
• Cleaning Up Lake Delton
• Doyle To Push FEMA

Video: Houses Swallowed

Photos: TMJ4 | Journal Sentinel

Audio:
• Jeff Rolfe, the fire chief of the Village of Mukwonago, gives the latest on a potential dam break there
• WTMJ Weather Plus Storm Team Meterologist Craig Koplien on today's dry forecast, but also the rains that could worsen the flooding
• Tom Holtz of Rhapsody Resort on Lake Delton, discussing its rebuilding
• Mike Duckett of the Miller Park Stadium District, on the previously leak-problemed Miller Park making it through the floods OK

Phone contacts:
• Emergencies Only: 911
• Milwaukee County Disaster Hotline: 414-278-3000
• City of Milwaukee Flooded Basement Line: 414-286-3427
• Racine County (immediate concerns): 262-619-2482
• Racine County (reporting damage): 262-636-3308
• Waukesha Flood Hotline:  262-524-6669
• We Energies:  800-662-4797

 Links:
• Help Clean Lake Delton
• Live Radar
• National Weather Service
• Live WX Plus Feed
• Information on river levels in your area

The Phantom Lake Dam in Mukwonago is in danger of breaking at any point today, which could cause a major mess.

But good news has come, in that the water levels have dropped about one-and-a-half inches in the last day.

"The dam has not revealed any significant changes in the condition of the dam or the surrounding soil, since last night," said Mukwonago Fire Chief Jeff Rolfe.

If it breaks, it could flood State Highway 83, and possibly I-43 (the Rock Freeway).

For now, State Highway 83 remains closed through the City of Mukwonago pending further reviews of the dam's condition. It could re-open this afternoon.

The positive news is, any waters flowing from a dam breakage would mainly head to marshland.

"Almost all the area downstream of the dam between here at the Village of Big Bend is marshland, or what's called watershed," explains Rolfe.

"That's good, because if something were to happen, the discharge of water from this area would be quickly disapated into that marshland or watershed area.

"Any potential of significant damage would be greatly reduced."

If rains come, as forecast in the next few days, they probably won't bring effects to the dam immediately.

"Any rain that we have, we've got about a two day lag time before it hits the dam," states Rolfe.

Authorities will also demand that boats have no wake if they're boating on Upper and Lower Phantom Lake.

If people spot debris on the lake, they should immediately contact Mukwonago Police at 262-363-6436.

How Did It Happen?

Twenty feet of bog vegetation blocked the Phantom Lake Dam, causing water to pour around it until that vegetation cleared, which saturated the ground and eroded the dam's side walls.

"Before it cleared the flow of water over the dam, it was obstructed, causing the flow of water to cascade around the dam," said Mukwonago Fire Lieutenant Todd Beschta.

"This, in turn, caused the ground around the north side of the dam to become saturated. This has caused concern regarding the integrity of the dam."

He's warning people in the downstream towns of Big Bend, Vernon, Tichigan, and Waterford to watch out for possible water problems.

"We will continue to monitor the water levels in the ground around the dam."

The Damage That Could Come

David Allen lives on Lower Phanton Lake, and he says a dam break would be more than slight.

"There's 540 acres of water above the dam with Upper and Lower Phantom combined, so that's a lot of water," says Allen.

"If the dam drops it's going to take a lot of water out of the lake."

Mukwonago village clerk Steve Braatz says that even if the dam fails, water would flow into the Fox River and no homes would be directly threatened.

An Old Dam

The dam on Lower Phantom Lake is one hundred years old.

Inspection records show crews found structural and erosion issues in both 1980 and 1986, and the dam was then rebuilt in 1988.

The next recorded inspection was August 2007 -- almost 20 years later -- but that was what the DNR calls a "visual inspection", so no written record of it exists.

The dam itself is 250 feet long and 10 feet high. It's designed to hold back about 8 feet of water, but now with the dam's base weakened, it may not be able to live up to its purpose much longer.