Development Plans
Lake Levels
Lake and Watershed Preservation
Preserving and Restoring Watersheds and Wetlands
Articles and Books
Mapping and Monitoring
Carp Barriers
Related Organizations
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Friends of Cherokee Marsh
News about the Marsh and Watershed
News about the marsh, Friends activities, and development plans in and around the marsh and watershed.
Newsletter
2010 December 2009/January 2010 - February/March
2009 February/March - April/May - June/July - August/September - October/November
2008 February - April - June - August - October - December
2007 December
Lake Levels
Land Protection News
January 19, 2010. The Madison Common Council has approved funds to buy 23 acres to add to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park. The land is west of N. Sherman Ave., north of the golf course, and adjoining the Conservation Park's south boundary. City documents.
The Cherokee Special Area Plan
The city Planning Unit has released a revised Cherokee Special Area Plan and maps (January 2007) and memo of understanding (February 2007). Shows the proposed areas for development. Includes many changes from the previous version, including lands to be added to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park.
Cherokee Marsh Management Plan for Eastern Wetland. From the Parks Division.
The Madison Common Council has approved plans for three condo duplexes at the north end of Burning Wood Way. Final layout with landscaping and erosion control (4MB PDF). Earlier site plan (2MB PDF). The latest word from the developer is that this site will have three single-family homes instead of condos.
Petition dated May 8, 2007 from D. Tiziani, 13 Cherokee Circle re: direct Annexation from the Town of Westport to the City of Madison (Cherokee Park Annexation). There are two parcels, one north of Burning Wood Way and one north of Golf Parkway.
Planning
Unit Staff Report. Recommended Cherokee Special Area Plan Revisions
Plan Commission--January 8, 2007.
Revised Recommended Land Use map (map 9).
MINUTES: Long-Range Transportation Planning Commission (LRTPC). Thursday, December 21, 2006
The City Plan Commission and City Council have passed the three resolutions relating to the Cherokee Development.
The Friends' response to the draft Cherokee Special Area Plan
The Friends' statement to the Common Council.
cherokee_concerns summarizes environmental and land-use issues related to the proposed development and includes our comments on the planning process so far.
In Support of the Proposed Agreement to Purchase Lands at Cherokee Marsh.
The Friends' statement about the plan.
Statement by Ellen Barnard of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh and Upper Yahara Watershed to the City Plan Commission, December 18, 2006.
We Can Do Better For Cherokee Marsh. Op ed from the Friends in the Capital Times, December 2, 2006.
The Friends' Recommendations
Map showing the Friends' Alternative Plan for the Cherokee Special Area
All of the documents below in a zip file
General considerations
Overview map
Submap 1 (Horning Woods/Fields/Range)
Submap 2 (Wheeler Triangle)
Submap 3 (Fifth addition/High
Hill)
Land use recommendations
and spreadsheet
Stormwater and groundwater
considerations
Porous pavement recommendations
The Planning Unit's Response
The Planning Unit's Analysis of the Friends of Cherokee Marsh Alternative Development Proposals.
Planning Unit's spreadsheet with density figures. The Friends' revised version of the spreadsheet uses more accurate figures for the land available for development in Subarea 2.
City Documents
Documents posted on Madison's On-line City Hall.
Resolution: Adopting the Cherokee Special Area Plan as a supplement to the City of Madison Comprehensive Plan, to include lands located west of the Dane County Regional Airport, north of portions of the Whitetail Ridge and Sherman Village subdivisions, east of Yahara River and south of the Cherokee Conservation Park and adjacent Cherokee Marshlands. (2006)
Informational presentation on Cherokee Park Development Plan. Plan Commission responses to questions raised by the public. (2006)
Media Reports
Reports from local media about the proposed development:
2007
- Common Council Expected To Make Historic Land Purchase. Channel3000.com, January 12.
2006
- City to buy Cherokee Marsh land. Dec 2006/Jan 2007 Northside News.
- Cherokee plan is promoted & contested. Northside News, August/September.
- Protecting Cherokee Marsh. Northside News, June/July.
- Neighbors resist Cherokee plans. Isthmus, April 24.
The Boardwalk
In 2005, most of the boardwalk that crossed a portion of the marsh was torn out due to maintenance issues and concerns about damage to the wetland.
The Friends group encourages the Parks Department to research boardwalk alternatives that would not damage the wetland. The Friends have released a position paper on the boardwalk.
Story Of a Boardwalk: A Madison Tale. Wisconsin State Journal, November 3, 2005
Cherokee Marsh Restoration Project
In 2008, the Madison Parks Division won the Wisconsin Wetlands Association's first annual Wetlands Enjoyment award. The award recognizes Parks’ work to protect the wetlands in Cherokee Marsh and encourage recreation such as fishing, paddling, birding, and hiking. The Friends of Cherokee Marsh nominated Parks and Conservation Resources Supervisor Russ Hefty for the award.
Information about Madison Parks' Marsh Restoration
Survey of the Cherokee Marsh Restoration Project by Jenna Lind, Molly Schneberger, and Rachael Steller. Student project documenting correlations between water depth and vegetation presence, species presence and biomass, and submergent aquatic cover on the wetland floor.
About the Tree Cutting on Wheeler Road
Statement from the Parks Department
Natural Restoration: City Gets Rid Of Box Elders And Buckthorns To Make Room For Oaks. Wisconsin State Journal, March 8, 2007.
Land Acquisitions
Addition to Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park Mendota Unit. The city has acquired a property at 4302 Loeprich Lane, off Sauthoff Rd. in the Town of Westport for expansion of Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park (Mendota Unit).
Lake and Watershed Preservation
News Reports
Dane County Regional Airport earned an FAA environmental award for working to preserve the wetlands while extending the runway safety area along county highway CV. November 21, 2006.
Other Links
Dane County's 2006-2011 Parks & Open Space Plan. The plan covers the county's Cherokee Marsh Natural Resource Area, Yahara Heights County Park, and the Yahara River.
Dane County's Office of Lakes & Watersheds handles manure management, erosion control, and more. It's part of the Land and Water Resources Department, which is also responsible for conservation, land acquisitions, and parks.