News & EventsYou can also keep up with neighborhood news and events on the Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association Facebook page. The most recent edition of the neighborhood association newsletter.
Spring Harbor Beach News: Use lakesforecast.org to get up-to-date info about Spring Harbor BeachUnder the auspices of the Clean Lakes Alliance, Spring Harbor Beach is monitored by a local volunteer, who is one of more than 46 citizen monitors collecting lake water data at 58 lake sample sites and 25 beaches from May through September. Twice weekly, the following data is collected: air temperature, water temperature, turbidity, wave intensity, waterfowl presence, swimmer presence, surface algal bloom, algal bloom type, floating plant debris and water clarity. The data is immediately uploaded and posted online at lakeforecast.org. Use this Web site to see a map and current water data all 56 monitoring stations throughout the Yahara Lakes. There is also an app that you can download to access this info too.
SOLTICE DRUM CIRCLE IN MERRILL SPRING PARK
Friends of Merrill Spring Solstice Drumming Circle
Merrill Springs Park Sunday, June 11 at 6 p.m.
WEST AREA PLANHere is a link to Web page about the plan and where people can sign up to receive email alerts about engagement opportunities and other plan information: https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/planning/west-area-plan/3896/
UW Health University Row Expansion ProjectClick on the following links for more information:
District 19 Alder Blog: http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/district19/blog/?Id=30623 UW Health Web Site Project Page
Well 14 Out of Service; Chloride Mitigation Study in ProgressA Well #14 chloride mitigation study began on January 11, with the well being taken out of service. Water Utility's description of the latest study can be found at https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/projects/well-14-chloride-mitigation-project. This study is called the chloride study because, in addition to sodium, the chloride levels are encroaching on EPA's guidelines for drinking water.
From the City of Madison Water Supply Manager, Joe Demorett..
Project Overview The Water Utility is initiating a groundwater/borehole characterization study at Unit Well 14. This study is necessary in order to mitigate the elevated levels of sodium and chloride in the water from this well. Background Well 14 is a water supply well that was drilled and constructed in 1960. Located at 5130 University Avenue, it serves Madison’s West side neighborhoods including Spring Harbor, Old Middleton Greenway, Sunset Village, and Regent. Well 14 also serves the Village of Shorewood Hills and parts of the University of Wisconsin campus. The well is 715 feet deep and draws water from both the upper and lower sandstone aquifers that exist beneath Madison. Its far west location and high specific capacity characteristics (78 gpm per foot of drawdown) make it an important source of water in Madison Water Utility’s system. Over the last 5 years, it has supplied an average of 750 million gallons of water annually making it the Utility’s largest producer. In terms of water quality, Well 14 continues to show a dramatic rise in sodium and chloride levels. Over recent years, concentrations of both ions have steadily increased and it is estimated water pumped from the well may soon exceed EPA recommended guidelines for chloride. The level of sodium in Well 14 water already exceeds EPA recommended guidelines. Road salting applications likely contribute to the elevated sodium and chloride levels pumped at this well. Previous Study The well’s borehole was recently logged with a variety of geophysical tools. From this exercise, it was determined that the majority of water produced at this well was coming from several different depths/levels within the upper aquifer. There appears to be very little water originating from the lower aquifer. Water samples were subsequently taken at these and other depths/levels within the borehole to characterize the quality of the groundwater entering the borehole. Samples were collected under “non-pumping” conditions. Results indicated that the water entering from the upper aquifer is elevated in terms of NaCl, while the lower aquifer water is not. Current Study It was determined that additional study was needed to further characterize the quality of the water entering the borehole under “pumping” conditions. The results of this current study will be used to formulate an extension of the well’s casing which will alleviate the sodium and chloride levels in the water. SCS Engineers, a local environmental engineering company, has been retained to assist with the study. Water Well Solutions, a licensed well driller, has been selected to perform the downhole tasks necessary to complete this work. Total estimated cost is $220,000. It is hoped that this study will be complete in March of 2023 and the well put back into service by April 1st. The current study/work is being broken up into three different phases. During the first phase which will take several weeks, approximately 164 ft. of sediment which has accumulated at the bottom of the borehole will be removed and the sides will be cleaned off. The second phase will involve utilizing a packer to isolate certain depths which are contributing water and to sample at these depths to better determine the source of the sodium and chloride. The final phase will involve determining what adjustments should be made to where water is drawn from to maximize water quality objectives. Posted 1.22.23 Lake Mendota Drive Reconstruction ProjectCity of Madison Engineering, Lake Mendota Dr - https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/lake-mendota-drive
Public Information Meeting PowerPoint, Jan 11 - https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/documents/projects/Lake%20Mendota%20Dr%20PIM1%201-11-22.pdf CONTACT INFORMATION & RESOURCES
City Staff: *Project Contact: Aaron Canton, Engineering Division, 608-242-4763, acanton@cityofmadison.com *Jim Wolfe, City Engineer, 266-4099, jwolfe@cityofmadison.com *Daniel Olivares, City Engineering-Sewers, 261-9285 or daolivares@cityofmadison.com *Renee Callaway, Ped & Bike Administrator, 266-6225, recallaway@cityofmadison.com *Tom Mohr, Traffic Engineering, 267-8725, tmohr@cityofmadison.com *Adam Wiederhoedt, Water Utility, 266-9121, awiederhoedt@madisonwater.org *Carrisa Wegner, Terrace Rain Gardens, 261-9822, cwegner@cityofmadison.com District 19 Alder Kristen Slack's Blog Spring Harbor Watershed Study: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/spring-harbor-watershed-study
Comprehensive Plan: https://plan.imaginemadisonwi.com/ City of Madison Transportation Commission: https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/commission Madison in Motion: https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/studies/madison-in-motion Vision Zero: https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/initiatives/vision-zero Complete Green Streets: Complete Green Streets | Transportation, City of Madison, Wisconsin Urban Street Design Guide - Urban Street Design Guide | National Association of City Transportation Officials
Greater Madison MPO - Bicycle Transportation Plan - Greater Madison MPO - City of Madison, Wisconsin
History of Our Wells and Water in Madison
“It’s Still a Good Test” – Recreating 1880s water quality testing | Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Spring Harbor Wall RepairUpdates on the work being done on the Spring Harbor retaining wall and the stormwater discharge area can be found at this link: https://www.cityofmadison.com/engineering/projects/spring-harbor-outfall-repair
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SHNA Meetings
Board meetings are currently held virtually. If you are interested in participating, please contact the board president Aaron Crandall (springharborpresident@gmail.com) to find out when meetings are scheduled and how to participate, or if you have an item for the agenda.
The Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association (SHNA) boundaries encompass Old Middleton Road and the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad on the south, Lake Mendota on the north, Whitney Way (City of Madison boundary on the east), and Camelot Drive on the west. The Hickory Hollow Condominiums and the University Crossing Apartments are within these boundaries. [The green area on map above represents the general area.]
JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ONLINE
The Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association (SHNA) Board has set up an easy way to become a member of the neighborhood association, or renew your membership, and pay dues. Use this link: https://spring-harbor-neighborhood.cheddarup.com
On the Cheddar-Up web site you will fill out a form similar to the membership form you've seen in the neighborhood newsletter. You can pay online or indicate that you will mail a check.
Also, let us know how you want to get involved in the many efforts and activities of the neighborhood association--we need you!
The Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association (SHNA) Board has set up an easy way to become a member of the neighborhood association, or renew your membership, and pay dues. Use this link: https://spring-harbor-neighborhood.cheddarup.com
On the Cheddar-Up web site you will fill out a form similar to the membership form you've seen in the neighborhood newsletter. You can pay online or indicate that you will mail a check.
Also, let us know how you want to get involved in the many efforts and activities of the neighborhood association--we need you!
GET INVOLVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION!
Attending the Fall and Spring All-Neighborhood Meetings is a great way to get involved in the Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association (SHNA) and find out what’s happening in the neighborhood firsthand --and meet your neighbors who are active in the neighborhood! Anyone may attend the neighborhood meeting and you are encouraged to join SHNA. The annual dues are $10.00, which go to support the many activities of the neighborhood association, such as the 4th of July picnic and parade, the Halloween Party, Merrill Spring restoration, Spring Harbor Park invasive plant removal, publication of the neighborhood newsletter, and many other things that make this area a great place to live. See the last page of the newsletter for more information.
Attending the Fall and Spring All-Neighborhood Meetings is a great way to get involved in the Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association (SHNA) and find out what’s happening in the neighborhood firsthand --and meet your neighbors who are active in the neighborhood! Anyone may attend the neighborhood meeting and you are encouraged to join SHNA. The annual dues are $10.00, which go to support the many activities of the neighborhood association, such as the 4th of July picnic and parade, the Halloween Party, Merrill Spring restoration, Spring Harbor Park invasive plant removal, publication of the neighborhood newsletter, and many other things that make this area a great place to live. See the last page of the newsletter for more information.
Voting Information for Spring Harbor Area
STAY INFORMED...
View the Madison West District Police newsletters
Check out Madison's annual report on water quality
Sign up for City e-mail lists
Review the City's recently adopted revised zoning code
USEFUL LINKS:
COVID-19 COMMUNITY INFORMATION
More useful links:
State Senator Dianne Hesselbein Web page
State Representative Alex Joers Web page
County Supervisor Aaron Collins Email
District 19 Alder Kristen Slacks's Blog
What Happens in Spring Harbor is What’s in Well 14….and what happens in Well 14 is BIGGER than Spring Harbor
Well 14 is at the corner of University Avenue and Flambeau Road in Indian Hills. The well pumps over 2 million gallons of drinking water a day to Madison’s westside neighborhoods of Spring Harbor, Glen Oak Hills, Hill Farms, Sunset Village, Regent, Dudgeon-Monroe, and Vilas. Well 14 also serves the Village of Shorewood Hills and parts of the UW campus.
Well 14 is contaminated with road salt. Those with high blood pressure or on sodium restricted diets are at risk because current levels exceed the recommended daily sodium intake. Water from the well reached critical chloride contamination levels in 2016. The taste of salt is noticeable now to some residents. Sodium and chloride concentrations in the wells have doubled since 2000. If nothing changes in the next 10 years, the salty taste will make it hard to drink and the well will need expensive reconstruction. Madison’s Water Utility has set aside $125,000 in 2018 to look at alternatives— everything from reconstructing the well to on-site desalination to abandoning the well entirely. Last summer a study of Well 14’s water quality problems identified some potential sources of salt, including the most likely source, the storm sewer outlet at Lake Mendota Drive. In order to examine this further, the Water Utility installed two monitoring wells in Spring Harbor Park in December 2017. One monitoring well is toward Lake Mendota Drive (North) and the other is location more toward University Avenue (South). The City
is monitoring sodium and chloride concentrations in the wells for 18 months.
The EPA recommended drinking water guideline is 250 mg/L for chloride and 60mg/L for sodium. This guideline is based on taste, not health effects. What we do in Spring Harbor matters to Well 14. More than half of our neighborhood is in what is called the “10-year capture zone”. This means that what we put on our roads, driveways, and parking lots likely ends up in Well 14 in less than 10 years. Contaminants in the stormwater outlet that flows into Spring Harbor might reach the well within 2 years. Salt doesn’t just affect our drinking water--concentrations are rising in Lake Mendota and nearby springs.