Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2025
Contact: [email protected] 
 
Gov. Evers Joins Domtar Paper Company to Celebrate Groundbreaking of Rothschild Dam Modernization Project 
 $42 million secured in 2025-27 Biennial Budget to support modernization of Rothschild Dam, enhancing economic development, public safety, flood control, and more
ROTHSCHILD — Gov. Tony Evers today joined representatives from Domtar Paper Company LLC, as well as local elected leaders and stakeholders, in Rothschild for the groundbreaking of a project that will modernize a section of the 113-year-old Rothschild Dam on Lake Wausau. Last month, Gov. Evers signed the 2025-27 Biennial Budget, which included $42 million in state funding to support the repair and modernization of the Rothschild Dam. By securing these cost-sharing partnerships, Domtar will invest $100 million in North Central Wisconsin via its Rothschild and Nekoosa manufacturing operations over the next three years.

“Investing in critical infrastructure is essential to the long-term health and resilience of our communities,” said Gov. Evers. “The Rothschild Dam has served this region for more than a century, and modernizing it is essential to public safety, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality in North Central Wisconsin.”

Wisconsin ranks first in the nation in paper production and exports over $850 million in paper products annually. Overall, Wisconsin’s forestry products industry contributes $42 billion to the state’s economy and 126,000 jobs. Domtar, one of the longstanding forest products companies in Wisconsin, operates pulp and paper mills in Nekoosa and Rothschild. Both mills have been in operation for more than 100 years and have played vital roles in each community, supporting more than 3,500 local jobs, including approximately 750 direct employees, and generating an estimated $1 billion in annual economic impact across Wisconsin. 

“None of this happens without partnerships, and today is about celebrating the mutual success of Wisconsin’s workforce and this wonderful region,” said Domtar President of Paper and Packaging Steve Henry. “By modernizing the Rothschild Dam, we support public safety, help preserve Lake Wausau’s recreation economy, and offer reliable flood control infrastructure for decades.”

Commissioned in 1912, the Rothschild Dam is owned and operated by Domtar and was initially used to power the Rothschild Mill. Following years of maintenance investments by Domtar, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission determined that maintenance repairs are no longer sufficient for the Timber Crib Spillway section of the dam. The dam and its related hydro generation are no longer core to the Rothschild Mill’s operations, but the company recognizes the importance of the dam for the area and Lake Wausau.

The upgrade to the 276-foot Timber Crib Spillway section will help the dam continue to serve surrounding communities by supporting public safety and flood control, economic development, tax revenue from private residences and businesses, reservoir management, and recreational opportunities.  

According to Domtar, construction crews have already begun working on aspects of this critical project, and the installation of two temporary cofferdams—which will allow safe, dry access for demolition of the Timber Crib Spillway—is expected to begin soon. More information about Domtar’s Rothschild Mill and the dam modernization project is available here. 

In addition to efforts to support the modernization of the Rothschild Dam, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers provides $1.1 billion in new funding for key transportation and infrastructure investments, as well as significant investment to bolster the viability of the state’s forestry industry. More information about the 2025-27 bipartisan budget signed by Gov. Evers is available here. 
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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