New landing now open
The Friends of Badfish Creek Watershed (FBCW) is excited to share that paddlers now have a new option for getting on the Badfish Creek.
In late June, FBCW unveiled a new kayak and canoe landing on Badfish Creek, located in the Town of Rutland along County Highway A, just west of Gallagher Lane. The landing includes off-road parking, a covered picnic table, a poster/map showing the creek with local roads, as well as a bike rack to encourage bike shuttling.
“This new landing improves safety by keeping paddlers off the highway and adds 1.5 miles of scenic waterway to explore,” said Lynne Diebel, director of Friends of Badfish Creek Watershed. “It’s a meaningful step in expanding public access to one of Dane County’s hidden gems.”
The landing is the result of several years of collaboration among a diverse group of partners, including Friends of Badfish Creek Watershed, Town of Rutland, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District and the Stoughton Area Community Foundation. Native plants, materials and labor were donated by Dane County Land & Water Resources, K&D Stone and many volunteers.
“Looking ahead, we hope this project inspires more collaboration and improvement in the watershed, whether that’s restoring stream banks, removing invasive species, building more access points or pursuing improved treatment technologies,” said FBCW member Jim Post, who has been advocating for the project for several years.
(PC: Amanda Wegner, District)
Badfish Creek receives effluent, or cleaned, river-ready wastewater from the District and the Village of Oregon’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. This allows the creek to maintain a consistent flow, making it an increasingly popular destination for paddlers in south-central Wisconsin.
The landing is located on a three-acre parcel of land previously owned by the District. FBCW approached the District in 2023 about building a new landing, which the District enthusiastically supported. The District sold the land to the Town of Rutland for a ceremonial amount of $1, and FBCW received a grant from the Stoughton Area Community Foundation to fund materials for building the project.
“We were happy to support this,” said Eric Dundee, the District’s Executive Director. “Creating another way for folks to enjoy the creek was a much better use of the site, and the Friends and Town of Rutland will be fantastic stewards of the land.”
There are two other landings on Badfish Creek: one at Old Stone Road and another at Old Stage Road. There are additional landings on the Yahara River, which Badfish Creek flows into.
