Watershed Committee

The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy is the only organization dedicated to understanding, supporting, and advocating for the Pheasant Branch Watershed as a whole. In 2013, the Friends established a Watershed Committee to collaborate with and assist public and private partners—including the Clean Lakes Alliance, Dane County, and the City of Middleton—in addressing watershed challenges. In 2014, the committee spearheaded a successful referendum campaign that led to the creation of a stormwater utility for the City of Middleton.

Watershed Committee members actively maintain strong partnerships and working relationships with the City of Middleton, Dane County Parks, other conservation groups, and local businesses. They provide recommendations and advocacy on issues that impact the watershed. This includes:

• Working with the City of Middleton on efforts to restore the Pheasant Branch Creek stream corridor following the devastating flood of 2018. Committee members have assisted the city with flood damage assessment; evaluation of consultant and contractor RFP’s and proposals; and review of draft master plans for streambank restoration and bridge and trail reconstruction.
• Working with Dane County on restoration of the Aker Property.
• Committee members monitor runoff from the site to determine if water quality improvements can be measured from the conversion of the cropland cover to prairie vegetation.
• Working with the Rock River Coalition’s Citizen Monitoring Program from May through October to monitor Pheasant Branch Creek.
• Working with Dane County, the Clean Lakes Alliance and the City of Middleton to promote phosphorus and nutrient reduction initiatives such as the “Leaf Free Streets” and “Salt Wise” campaigns. These efforts work to reduce the amount of algae-producing phosphorus and other pollutants that flow through Pheasant Branch Creek and into Lake Mendota.
• Working with the City of Middleton and Water Resources Management Commission providing recommendations and endorsement for stormwater management plans and active future development underway.

The Pheasant Branch Creek Watershed spans four governmental jurisdictions: the cities of Middleton and Madison, and the towns of Springfield and Middleton. In addition, Dane County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources own and manage land within the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The Friends serve a unique role as the only organization focused on the watershed in its entirety, encouraging these entities to collaborate in planning and implementing best management practices that benefit the watershed as a whole.

Assisting other Friends committees through educational programs about the watershed such as Conservancy Day presentations, onsite field trips, and educational content for the newsletters.

Water Monitoring

We believe in the importance of science, using data to inform decisions, and measuring results in assessing our effectiveness.  The watershed committee is actively involved in partnership with the local governing bodies and conducts water monitoring and runoff monitoring throughout the Conservancy and abutting lands. 

• Cooperating with Dane County on restoration of the acquired Acker dairy farm property addition to the Conservancy since 2019. Committee members monitor runoff at four sites from the 160-acre farm site to quantify runoff and water quality improvements from the conversion of the farm and agricultural fields to prairie vegetation. All of the property was seeded to prairie by spring 2024. A fifth site on the Western tributary from Graber Pond drainage is also sampled to evaluate changes from urban development.
• Collaborating with the Rock River Coalition’s Citizen Monitoring Program to monitor Pheasant Branch Creek at three locations for nutrients, dissolved oxygen, water clarity and water temperature. This effort is in support of the Clean Lakes Alliance Yahara WINS program to help evaluate the adaptive management program to reduce phosphorus in the Yahara River Basin.
• Discharge measurements of Frederick and other springs have been made by Committee members since 2009 to establish a data-base to help protect and evaluate the flow of the springs. Flow measurements now are made at least annually.
• Water levels of Graber Pond are being monitored bi-monthly since 2024 to assist in the planning and management of Graber Pond Conservancy. Data is shared with the City of Middleton and UW researchers.

• Middleton Leaf-Free Streets study, 2017
• Clean Lakes Alliance Grant, Carp Barrier Study of Pheasant Branch Outlet, 2019
• Advocated and successfully campaigned for Middleton Stormwater Utility Referendums in 2014 and 2024, which resulted in much-needed revenue to help improve both flood prevention and water quality
• Review and comments on complex and very time-consuming updates to Middleton’s 2024  Zoning Code with the Plan Commission
• Advocacy on Middleton’s revision of the Stormwater Management Ordinance, 2025
• Successfully advocating for the city’s update in 2025 of the 2006 Graber Pond Conservancy Management Plan and for funding it
• Advocacy and cooperation with the City Middleton regarding stormwater management plans for Belle Farm, Redtail Ridge, and Pheasant Crossing subdivisions, and plans for Graber Greenway, 2020-26