SHAWANO COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) - Residents fear life on the Wolf River won't be the same anymore after a company that owns a hydroelectric dam there announced a major project.

Beginning Wednesday, Wolf River Hydropower LP (WRHLP) announced that its federal regulator (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) directed it to start drawing down the water level on the Wolf River between the Balsam Row dam and Keshena. WRHLP owns the Balsam Row dam.

The plan is to reduce the water level in this stretch of river by as much as 14 feet. The company said the purpose of this is to ensure the dam can safely pass water downstream during the winter months. A source tells Local 5 News that the dam also needs repairs to its generator and some of its gates.

Several people familiar with the river estimate

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