DNR Conditional Approval on MMSD Amendment September 9, 2024
CARPC to hold public hearing on July 11 regarding MMSD effluent return (Verona Press) June 27, 2024
MMSD Badger Mill Creek Stateholder Group meeting minutes (September 2023 – current)
MMSD sewer project temporarily reroutes Ice Age Trail (Verona Press) November 15, 2023
Badger Mill Creek group holds second meeting (Verona Press) November 9, 2023
MMSD to convene group for Badger Mill Creek restoration (Verona Press) July 12, 2023
MMSD approves discontinuing flow to Badger Mill Creek (Verona Press) June 1, 2023
Badger Mill Creek Needs Your Help Now!
June 28, 2024
This is what Badger Mill Creek looked like on February 14, 2023 at 10:30 a.m., when Madison Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) turned off their 3.6 million gallons of water, they supply each day. This could be permanent! We need your help!
You may have noticed from January 2023 to April 2023, how low the water has been in the Badger Mill Creek despite having rain and snow runoff. As part of a study to investigate options to comply with Wis. Department of Natural Resources’ phosphorus regulations, Madison Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) has turned off their discharge of approximately 3.6 million gallons/day of water a day into the creek during this period to see how this would affect the health of the stream. This is about 20-40% of the total flow. For more information, go to: https://www.madsewer.org/pollution-prevention/phosphorus/badger-mill-creek-plus/
MMSD has made a recommendation to Capital Area Regional Planning Committee (CARPC) that the return of 3.6 million gallons/day into Badger Mill Creek be permanently discontinued. This is what the Badger Mill Creek looked like with no water returned. You can see that the installed, very costly fish habitat enhancements of tree limbs and rocks are entirely out of the water, not at or below the water level. Other areas had mud sticking out of the water in the middle of the creek. To most, this appears to degrade the biology of the stream, including a reduction in fish, ducks, and other wildlife.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? Ask CARPC to support alternative methods of phosphorus compliance to keep MMSD’s return water flowing into Badger Mill Creek, such as adaptive plan management. Tell them why it’s important to keep the water flowing.
Key Dates:
- July 10, 2024: Comments may be submitted to tanyas@capitalarearpc.org
- July 11, 2024: A public hearing will be held virtually via Zoom and in person at Cottage Grove Village Hall, 221 E. Cottage Grove Rd. The link to join virtually will be available on the meeting agenda at: https://www.capitalarearpc.org/meetings/ .
- August 8, 2024: CARPC will take action on this amendment during its August 8 meeting.
If you wish to contact someone from the Badger Mill Creek Friends group, email: badgermillcreek@gmail.com.