River dams won't prevent floods

Janesville Gazette

...How about Lake Koshkonong, won’t it absorb the water?

No. Sorry.

Truth is, those dams are not designed to hold vast amounts of water, and Lake Koshkonong already is full, said a Sue Josheff, a DNR civil engineer responsible for the lower Rock River basin.

...Wisconsin, with about 3,800 dams, has very few that are designed for flood control, Josheff said.

Most dams were built to create millponds and drive water wheels. Janesville’s Monterey Dam is one of those.

Others were built or converted to produce electricity. The dam in Beloit and the Centerway Dam in Janesville still produce electricity. The Indianford Dam used to.