Resident warns Schmidtk e Dam changes could worsen Waterville flooding; council sets special meeting

A longtime resident told the Waterville City Council on March 4 that proposed changes to nearby dams and culverts could increase flood risk for the city, and the council scheduled a special meeting for March 26 to review an investigation report and proposed changes.

Steve Tolzman, who said he has lived on his property for 30 years, told the council German Lake runoff has increasingly flooded his land since a culvert was enlarged upstream. "Currently I take on additional water ever since the culvert on German Lake was doubled in size," Tolzman said, adding that enlarging downstream culverts or changes at Lake Gorman’s outlet could create a bottleneck at Waterville and push large volumes of water onto private property and roadways. He criticized proposed rock wing dams as prone to trapping debris and said changes to outlets should be reviewed carefully.

Mayor Bill Conlin and members thanked Tolzman for raising his observations. The council later set a special meeting for March 26, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. to review an investigation report and dam-change proposals; the special meeting will be held in the Senior Center to allow public attendance. The motion to set the special meeting passed 5-0.

Why it matters: Several watershed changes being proposed outside the city may alter flow timing and volume through Waterville. The special meeting will provide a targeted forum for technical review and resident input ahead of any final project decisions.

Next steps: The council will review the investigation report and proposed dam modifications at the March 26 special meeting and solicit additional resident input and technical recommendations before any formal action.