Conservancy Lands & Trails

The Conservancy Lands Plan 2018-2023 is a guiding document for the City of Middleton's land stewardship activities on its conservancy lands.   Middleton’s conservancy lands system provides over 835 acres of open space and represents approximately 14 percent of the land within the City. The conservancy system includes both conservancy lands and the trails within these lands.  Conservancy lands are public lands managed for natural vegetation, habitat, water quality, and passive recreation.  Although conservancy lands vary in size, vegetative communities, landscape features, management priorities, and uses, most conservancies share some or all of the following characteristics

Draft Master Plan  and Appendices

Here’s what is on the schedule for next week (07/24/23):

1. Sawcut, shift/seal, and cold patch around (2) manholes in the asphalt pavement

Completed this week of (07/17/23):

1. Fixed railing around manhole off Century
2. Completed concrete abutment repairs
3. Completed pavement marking repairs
4. Shifted and sealed (3) manholes, adjusted (1) manhole

 Completed the week of (07/10/23):

1. Complete topsoil shoulder and restoration install between Park to Century
2. Complete all trail railing install
3. Address all pre-punch list items from Deming to Park
4. Final punch list walk on July 13^th 

Completed the week of (07/03/23):

1. Asphalt paving complete from Bridge #1 to Park Street (project has been paved in-full)
2. Restoration between Parmenter to Park complete, Park to Century ongoing
3. Trail railing off Bridge #4, #5, and #6 installed
4. Park Street replacement curb ramps to be poured today

Completed the week of (06/26/23):

1. Asphalt paved Bridge #6 to Park Street, Century Avenue to Bridge #1
2. Topsoil shoulder install, seeding, and erosion mat install (Bridge #6 to Park Street)
3. Trail railing material staged for install

Completed the week of (6/19/23):

1. Red topping between Park to Century
2. Fine grading between Park to Century
3. Continue on abutment and trail railing install
4. Reinstall existing signs, as well as install new trail signage

Completed the week of (6/12/23):

1. Installed topsoil shoulders and erosion matting between Deming to Bridge #6, as well as the North Fork Trail
2. Completed removals and base install  to Park Street
3. Poured Bridge #2 ford concrete connections, as well as the Bridge #2 ford replacement (bottom 1/3^rd, East side)
4. Abutment and trail railing install ongoing

To recap:

Contracts were awarded in August of 2022 for two projects - one for the stream and upper bank stabilization, and another for the reconstruction of the trail and bridges.  Cardno (now Stantec) was the contractor for the first, MSA for the latter.  The stream work started in early September and was finished in early November.  Bridge and trail work started right after Thanksgiving.

The winter months were filled with work on construction of new bridge abutments.  All of the existing bridges were moved from their locations for this process.  

Bridges have now been reset on the new abutments.  After some wrinkles with the design for replacement railings - which will entail some additional bracket welding - the railings were finished by the end of April and that completed the work needed for the bridges.

It has been a long 5 years since the flood event and the end is finally in sight.  Staff appreciates all of your patience and understanding during this process and understands fully the impacts this has had on the enjoyment and use of the corridor.   We all will be thankful when it is completed.

Reimagining the Unimaginable - University of Wisconsin Student Project Study

Pheasant Branch 2018 Flood Damage Assessment and Five Year Plan - Cardno Study