Watershed focus group dates set for residents who experienced flooding

The City of Madison Engineering Division is rolling out its next phase of its Watershed Studies with organized focus group meetings. The meetings were requested by community members, and are open to the public, but the conversation will be tailored to gathering more information on flooding issues in the meeting area. If a resident wants to request an additional focus group meeting not on the list, fill out the City’s focus group meeting form. The focus group meetings scheduled are going to look further into the issues that caused flooding in the last few years specific to the meeting area.

The public was encouraged to sign up for these groups as part of the Watershed Public Information Series that happened earlier this summer.  However, if anyone wants to attend the focus group meetings and did not sign up during the public information meetings, residents should feel free to attend any of the scheduled meetings in their neighborhood at their designated date and time. The Engineering Division worked with alders, and residents to find a date, location and time that worked for the specific areas.

The Engineering Division is leading eight watershed studies this year, which are located on the west and near west side. A watershed is an area of land where precipitation that falls on it, drains to a common waterway, such as a stream or lake. The watershed acts like a funnel by collecting all the water within the area and channeling it to a single point. These focus group meetings are the next step in the watershed studies process.

During the focus group meetings, Engineers will meet with groups of residents on site, in specific areas hit the hardest by flooding in the past few years, including the August 2018 flood event. The purpose of the first round of focus group meetings will be to gather flooding information based on residents’ experiences.
The meetings are expected to take one hour, and most meetings will be held outside, rain or shine, in a walk-and-talk format. If rain is predicted, please dress and accessorize appropriately with umbrellas, jackets and proper footwear.

City Engineers or the consultants building the drainage models will facilitate the group. If anyone needs accessible accommodations, or a translator present, please connect with the respective project manager for the watershed, which can be found on the City’s flooding website. 

The following focus group meetings are set in Madison:

Pheasant Branch Watershed Focus Group Meetings

• SW Blackhawk Pond, 7-8 p.m., Sept. 4, Bear Claw Way and Winding Way
• North Blackhawk Pond, 7-8 p.m., Sept. 5, Swallowtail Park, 901 Swallowtail Drive
• Menards Area, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 17, sidewalk on Plaza Drive near Pet Smart Parking Lot, 8210 Plaza Drive
• Old Sauk and Westfield, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 18, North Westfield Road and Walnut Grove Drive
• Wexford Village, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 25, Tramore Trail and Sawmill Road
• Junction Ridge, Attic Angel, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 26, Reid Drive and McGuffey Drive
• Old Sauk Trails, 11 a.m.-noon, Sept. 26, GHC Parking Lot, 8202 Excelsior Drive
• Tamarack Trails, 9-10 a.m., Sept. 27, Tamarack Trails Club House Parking Lot, 110 S Westfield Road

Spring Harbor Watershed Focus Group Meetings

• Mineral Point Park to Owen Park, 4-5 p.m., Aug. 28, Corner of Quarterdeck Dr and the bike path,  about 150 feet north of the intersection of Landfall Dr and Quarterdeck Dr on the east side of the street

• Owen Park Concrete Channel, 6-7 p.m., Aug. 29, Corner of Forsythia Pl. and Bordner Drive

• Regent Street, Burnett Drive and Calumet Circle, 4-5 p.m., Aug. 29, Corner of Burnett Drive and S. Kenosha Drive
• Marbella Condo Association, 2-3 p.m., Aug. 30, Outside Marbella Tennis Court gates near corner of South Yellowstone Drive and Mineral Point Road
• Oakwood Village Association, 2-3 p.m., Sept. 18, inside meeting room of Oakwood Village Center for Arts and Education
• Bordner Park, 6-7 p.m., Sept. 19, Bordner Park Playground, 5600 Elder Place in center of park
• West Towne Pond, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 16, Schwoegler Park Towne Lanes Banquet Hall, 444 Grand Canyon Drive ​​​​​​​

Wingra West Watershed Focus Group Meetings

• Chippewa Drive and Cherokee Drive Greenway, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 5, Nakoma Park, near the intersection of Cherokee Drive and Nakoma Road
• Nakoma Road Ave., 2-3 p.m., Sept. 12, Nakoma Road and Manitou Way at the limestone wall
• Odana Pond, 6-7 p.m., Sept. 12, Odana Hills Park near intersection Milward Drive and Dearholt Road
• Orchard Ridge Valley Park, 3-4 p.m., Sept. 19, Orchard Ridge Valley Park entrance off of Loruth Terrace

Strickers/Mendota Watershed Focus Group Meetings

• Julia Street, Baker Avenue, 8-9 a.m., Aug. 27, Corner of Julia Street and Julia Ct.
• Hickory Hollow, 12-1 p.m., Aug. 27, 15 Hickory Hollow Drive
• Baker Avenue, Lake Mendota, 6-7 p.m., Aug. 27, Corner of Baker Avenue and Lake Mendota Drive
• Longmeadow/Backbay Circle, 12-1 p.m., Sept. 9, Strickers Pond Pedestrian Path, 7214 Longmeadow Road

If there is a focus group still needed, but not listed, fill out the City’s focus group form, which will be submitted to the Engineering Division for future planning in the second round of watershed focus group meetings later this fall.

If severe weather is forecast, please connect with respective watershed project managers. Contact information is located on the City’s respective watershed pages on the City’s flooding website.


Resources:
Request a new focus group
City’s Flooding Website
Report flooding
City of Madison Engineering Facebook Page 
Learn about flooding resilience and how design standards have evolved
Sign up for weekly flooding updates
New Engineering Podcast: Everyday Engineering: Episode 1: Historic Flooding on GooglePlay  

Links

• Request a new focus group
• City's Flooding Website
• City of Madison Engineering Facebook Page

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