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
April 27, 2023
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 recently, 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 from February 6, 2023 to April 17, 2023, 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/
As one alternative, MMSD has considered and is recommending is to permanently discontinue the return of 3.6 million gallons/day into Badger Mill Creek. This is what the Badger Mill Creek looked like with no water returned. You can see that the recently installed very expensive fish habitat enhancements of tree limbs and rocks are completely 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 reduction in fish, ducks and other wildlife.
There are other options MMSD could implement that would not negatively impact the amount of water going into Badger Mill Creek.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? Ask MMSD to keep the water flowing by registering to provide comments at the May 11 meeting.
Key Dates:
- Thursday, April 27 – Monday, May 8 at 4 p.m.: Written comment period open.
- Comments may be submitted at madsewer.org/bmc-comments.
- Thursday, May 11 at 8 a.m.: Public hearing and Commission discussion on the recommended compliance solution. The public hearing will be part of the Commission meeting, held at Fitchburg City Hall (5520 Lacy Road in Fitchburg) with in person and virtual options available.
- In-person: Speakers are encouraged to register their interest at link.madsewer.org/bmc-plus-inperson.
- Virtual: Speakers must register via Zoom at link.madsewer.org/bmc-plus-zoom.
- Thursday, May 25: Commission makes a final decision.
If you wish to contact someone from the Badger Mill Creek Friends group, email: badgermillcreek@gmail.com.