Pheasant Branch Project Aims to Tame Madison’s Floodwaters

by Ayelen Flores, age 15

Since Madison experienced large floods in 2018, city leaders have been searching for a solution. They’ve landed on the Pheasant Branch Project, a series of improvements to solve the flooding events on the far west side of Madison. Engineers and planners have put immense work into the project, and construction is just beginning.

The $8.6 million project started in January of this year. It will include reconstructing a pond, rerouting a sewer and a street, and replanting 200 trees and 370 shrubs to strengthen the ecosystem. It is scheduled to be completed by November 2026 and will lower the 100-year storm flood elevation by four and a half feet. There will also be a larger stormwater channel and a multi-use path with a bridge. The project will enlarge stormwater pipes and channels to grow Madison’s water capacity.

Invasive plants have taken over parts of the watershed, making it harder for water to infiltrate the ground. Deeply rooted native species can infiltrate water better. The purpose of reconstruction is to enhance the waterway’s flood resilience and the preservation of important species. Enabling erosion control with plants will make the ecosystem more stable.

The Pheasant Branch Project was created in response to Madison’s major flood in 2018. The event left sanitary sewers, underground parking lots, and a busy road covered in 12 -15 inches of water. According to the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. Events like these can be more common due to the lower plant diversity, warmer temperatures, and increased flash flooding. Jojo O’Brien, city stormwater and sanitary engineer and also the project lead, said it took many tries and much testing to finally come up with a strong solution. “But we came up with a suite of solutions – a master plan for the whole watershed,” O’Brien said.

[Sources: City of Madison; The Capital Times]