Rimrock Road Pond Retrofit for Improved Water Quality

Latest Update 

12/7/2022 Update: 
This project is not in the City budget, and has been canceled for the time being.

Project Overview 

The City of Madison is planning to enhance the stormwater management system that treats a 136 acre watershed that is located on the east side of Rimrock Road between E Badger Road and Moorland Road. Eventually this water flows into Lake Monona.

The City proposes to update the stormwater system from what looks like a ditch with a concrete bottom, to a pond that permanently holds water. By creating a pond that permanently holds water, the system will be able to remove more sediment and nutrients from the stormwater before it reaches Lake Monona.

Based on the preliminary design, the project will result in annual reductions of the following to Lake Monona:

• 12,800 lb of particulate solids
• 29 lb of phosphorus
• 15,000 lb of algae

Common Concerns

• Risk of drowning: The ponds are designed to mitigate the risk of drowning. There is a 10 foot safety shelf around the perimeter of the stormwater detention pond to reduce the risk of someone falling into the pond. Native, wetland plants in the safety shelf combined with tall, native prairie plants on the slopes discourage wading and swimming. This 10-20 foot "buffer" provides pollinator habitat and improves the effectives of the pond. Additionally, there are ~250 ponds within neighborhoods in the City, all designed to help improve the water quality in the lakes.
• Risk of flooding: At the public meeting, the City was notified of the near-flooding experiences of a current pond neighbor. The City designs system upgrades to accommodate the same amount of stormwater, or more, to ensure that new projects do not cause flooding. Knowing about areas that flood can help the City to design better solutions that can make communities more flood resilient. Please report any flooding experienced at: www.cityofmadison.com/reportflooding

Project Limits

East side of Rimrock Road between E Badger Road and Moorland Road.

Project Schedule

Preliminary Design: 2019

Gather Public Input: 2020

Design: 2021

Build: 2021

Public Involvement

There are a number of points of contact during this project where the public is encouraged to give feedback as part of public information meetings and public hearings. Dates and times are indicated below:

Public Information Meetings

A public information meeting was held on Jan. 16, 2019 at the Badger Rock Neighborhood Center, 501 E. Badger Road.

Jan. 16, 2019 Public Information Meeting PowerPoint Presentation

City Meetings, Process

Board of Public Works: New information will be posted soon.
Common Council: New information will be posted soon.