Faribault city officials finished temporary repairs to a dam that suffered damage following several days of rain.

But the concern now turns to the expected rain in the forecast.

The Woolen Mill Dam is connected to the historic Faribault Mill, and they’re both around the same age: nearly 160 years old.

“I always say we’re not on the river, we’re in the river,” said Paul Mooty, owner of the Faribault Mill.

Mooty was out walking by the river on the morning of the Fourth of July, keeping an eye on water levels and worrying about the forecasted rain.

“The story of the mill is absolutely incredible and charming and where we are is an important part of the story, but moments like this are challenging,” he said.

The current of the river used to turn a wheel next to the mill that ran the machines, but that has since been removed. Now, after days of rain, the mills’ owners are on edge, fearing a flood that could damage millions of dollars of machinery.

Four years ago, Mooty said they installed a berm that has so far helped keep the water away.

On the other side of the river, city workers spent Wednesday building up the bank with rocks to stave off erosion.

They asked onlookers to stay away.

“It wasn’t like that the last time I was here,” said Dennis DeMars, who came down to get a look. “They must have had a pretty big issue with it.”

Dam safety remains top of mind here and around the country.

Late last month near Mankato, the raging Blue Earth River carved a path around the Rapidam Dam and now threatens the bridge.

In Faribault, the Woolen Mill Dam isn’t nearly as big, but it can still cause problems.

Federal records show the last inspection was last year, and it characterized the hazard level downstream as “significant.”

“You don’t know what the weather is gonna bring,” Mooty said. “If it’s an inch of rain, we’re probably fine, but if it’s 2 inches a day for three days, I don’t know. We do the best we can.”

City officials said they will continue to monitor the dam. A spokesman said they can’t assess the extent of the damage until water levels go down.