Improvements for Odana Hills Park

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On Dec. 2, 2012, eight neighbors* met at Odana Hills Park to discuss native plantings along the border of Odana Pond.  The informal meeting was called by Si Widstrand, a retired employee of the Parks Department.

Lots of lore about what has been happening in the park and Odana pond came to light, which I'll repeat below to the best of my memory.

The park is used in summer or soccer and viewing birds and wildlife, and in winter or cross-country skiing and hockey on the pond.

Several years ago, the Parks personnel cut back on mowing, but this raised objections from some neighbors to the park, who depend on short grass behind their homes for activities.  Neighbors to the park feel strongly that their input should be sought or any "improvements."  Many feel that they have not been consulted in the past, so there is skepticism about any new projects, whatever the merits.

There is probably a pool of people in the neighborhood who would be glad to volunteer labor or improvements, but there must first be a process to involve them in the planning.

Si will schedule a meeting to discuss planning for the park in January of 2013.  While more ambitious plans can set in motion a cumbersome bureaucratic process, it's possible or volunteers to tackle lesser projects with no red tape.  The Parks department already approves of eliminating invasives like buckthorn, honeysuckle, garlic mustard, and burdock--so Si is planning to work with volunteers next summer to "wack" the invasives.  A neighborhood coordinator is needed for the park.  Any volunteers?

This park reflects problems in all Madison's parks...

• Parks personnel need more training to recognize native versus invasive plants.
• There needs to be a more professional approach to management, including consistency.
• Most parks do not have master plans, or any plans at all.

Assets of the park

When the Odana Project was built, improvements were made around the pond, including a load of sand for turtle nesting along the shore, logs anchored in place or turtle basking (one is still visible), and swallow nesting boxes.

There is no pier or access to the water (neighbors objected), but there is a somewhat clear spot on the SW border of the lake where you can gain access to launch a kayak, and where people fish.

There are few native wildflowers like trillium in the woods, but there is an area of violets near a pile of rocks.

According to Si, who knows his plants, the vegetation along the north border of the pond contains many native shrubs with few invasives.

But the woods--near the E end, where the ski trail goes under tall trees--is a different story.  Here there are many large buckthorns, and a clone of black locust along the east border.  The Parks Dept has been mowing along the border of the locusts, to help keep them in check.

At the east end, where the park abuts the Odana Golf Course, the City recently build a stormsewer extension, to dump water from streets into Odana Pond.  Construction introduced many invasive weeds.  A prairie has been planted over this construction.  The former metal stormsewer pipe can still be seen running through the woods, although it's disconnected from any flow.

There are many painted turtles and snapping turtles in the three ponds of the area.  Turtles have been reported digging nests for their eggs in people's yards, even a block or more from the park.  One neighbor called the police to help return a large snapping turtle to the park.  So one suggestion from the group was to dump sand in several locations around the pond to create more nesting areas.

A pair of sandhill cranes has nested for several years at the west end of Odana Pond.  Two years ago, one crane fledgeling survived, but the other was eaten by a coyote.  Last summer, both young survived.  A coyote frequents the park--his appearance is described as "very healthy."

Construction by City Engineering

Engineering needs to gain access to the sewer line running along the edge of Odana Pond, so they can periodically clean it.  They plan to build a gravel all-season road base across the park, then cover it with several inches of topsoil, so it won't remain bare.

Eventually, the concrete flume conveying stormwater from Westgate will have to be rebuilt, since it's badly deteriorated.

Improvements discussed

• Invasive removal.  Five of the people present volunteered to work with Si next summer.
• Planting natives.  At the south border of the open area in the park, along the wooded north shore of the pond, is a good area or seeding a native prairie.John Bleier has been planting prairie species, with Parks Dept. approval.
• More turtle nesting areas.
• Improved access (to the bench, for people with limited mobility, and or launching kayaks)
• Rain gardens in the woods of the SE corner--to retard floodwaters and improve Wingra springflow

Importance of Odana pond to the Wingra watershed

Both the Friends of Lake Wingra, and the Arboretum, have signaled an intention to work or the improvement of the Lake Wingra watershed.  Odana Pond is a key area in the watershed, which extendsmainly to the west of Lake Wingra.

Odana Pond and the surrounding basin used to be a big rain garden with no outlet.  The low hills to the north and west are nearly pure sand--probably sand dunes during the glacial periods.

Excavation for apartments at corner of Odana and Segoe

Water could escape only by seepage or evaporation--hence water levels fluctuated substantially.  Around the time the golf course was built 50 years ago, a deep trench was dug through the sand to the SE, and a stormwater pipe laid, to vent high water.

That's why the open channel in the center of Chippewa Street drains for several days after a storm--it's the slow discharge from the Odana ponds.

As a seepage pond in sandy soil, Odana Pond may have been akin to a "coastal plain pond."  This is an endangered ecosystem known mainly in Long Island and Cape Cod, threatened along the East Coast by development.  Coastal plain ponds are characterized by a fluctuating water level which keeps shrubs from dominating the shoreline, making space for smaller plants such as the Plymouth gentian and sundews.  Whether a seepage pond in Wisconsin could be called a coastal plain pond is debatable--but ponds in the Jasper-Pulaski State Park in Indiana are considered to be.

The level of Odana Pond has become more stable--at first because of the stormwater pipe--and in recent years perhaps due to construction of a new outfall structure, or to more pumping by the Odana Project when pond levels are higher.  Stable water levels have led to increased growth of cattails, creating a wider strip of cattails.

History of the park

Starting at the park and running west or half a mile or so is a glacial moraine.  Consequently, the ground is hummocky, with some deep depressions to the west, and many large boulders. Prior to development, a border between fields and woods ran north from the park.  Many boulders removed from the fields got tossed towards the woods.  That's why Jim Baumanns yard is filled with boulders.

The park's history is described in a book.   It's said that a stash of Native American artifacts were found in the area.

The area can be prone to floods.  The 500 year flood line runs through the neighborhood.  Across the South Beltline, at the junction of  Whitney Way and Gilbert Rd, there is severe temporary flooding whenever there's a big downpour.

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* including Si Widstrom, John Bleier, Ed Jepsen, Tim Kusinich, David Thompson, Bonnie and Jack McMillan-Lawton, and Jim Baumann.