Beyond the sensitivity of being located on a fragile lakeside ecosystem on a premier southern Wisconsin lake, historic Lake Mendota Drive also sits at the bottom of a 2,279 acre watershed that includes Well 14 which pumps over 2 million gallons of drinking water each day. That water is distributed to Madison’s westside neighborhoods of Spring Harbor, Glen Oak Hills, Hill Farms, Sunset Village, Regent, Dudgeon-Monroe, the Village of Shorewood Hills and parts of the UW campus.

Lake Mendota and Well 14 already have water quality problems related to high salinity which is a result of salt being spread on west side streets in volume that eventually works its way into the ground water, and into Lake Mendota. The contamination of Well 14 has occurred primarily since 2000 and accelerated between 2015 to 2020.  People with high blood pressure or on sodium restricted diets are at risk because current levels exceed the recommended daily sodium intake. In addition, 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.

The Lake Mendota Drive area is also an area rich in Native American effigy mounds that need to be preserved. Old growth trees form a canopy over the drive, and homes date up to 120 years old. Many of these homes are built into the sides of hills where significant stormwater runoff occurs and the terrain is difficult.

The approach the City of Madison has taken is a typical road construction engineering approach supported or driven by an Alderman who insists Lake Mendota Drive “should not be treated any different than any other street.” The Alderman and the City of Madison leadership have been highly dismissive of residents’ concerns and are moving forward with reconstruction plans without any assurance of environmental protections, or even a project goal of prioritizing the environment.

This website provides an overview of the complexity of this area, the progress of the project to date and will also track the progress of the project throughout its lifecycle and beyond including its impacts.