Dane County Executive Parisi Announces Land Purchase for Lower Yahara River Trail and Door Creek Wildlife Area
February 18, 2019
Araina Vruwink 608-267-8823
County Executive
Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced approximately .23 acres of property in the Town of Pleasant Springs will be purchased by the County for the Lower Yahara River Trail and the Door Creek Wildlife Area. The parcel of land will provide an access point for a future phase of the popular trail and allow it to bypass a designated wetland area by connecting directly to a nearby road. This parcel will also provide the county much needed access for restoration of the Door Creek Wetlands, a project intended to reduce future flooding an improve the area’s ability to store large amounts of runoff from heavy rain events. The County has funding in this year’s budget to begin that restoration project.
“This acquisition may seem small, but it brings us one step closer to making future phases of the Lower Yahara River Trial become a reality,” said County Executive Joe Parisi. “With another entrance, more Dane County residents and visitors will be able to access future segments of the trail and enjoy our beautiful outdoors.”
The property contains frontage on Fairview Street to the east and is bordered by the Door Creek Wildlife Area on the west. A small parking area is planned for the parcel, along with a kiosk with trail and wildlife area information. The purchase price for the approximately .23-acre parcel is $55,000. A resolution to acquire the property will be reviewed in the coming weeks by the County Board.
This new easement is the County’s latest work to further the expansion of the Lower Yahara River Trail. Just last year, Dane County purchased 160 acres of land in the Door Creek Wildlife Area for $232,200. The 160-acre property includes frontage on the northern edge of Lake Kegonsa as well as Door Creek. The area is open to fishing, hiking and skiing.
The County intends to work with communities along the Yahara River over the next several years to extend the trail from Lake Farm County Park to Viking County Park near the City of Stoughton. When completed, the Lower Yahara River Trail is expected to be about 11 miles long.
In the summer of 2017 the first phase of the Lower Yahara River Trail was completed, allowing visitors to catch picturesque views of Lake Waubesa while traveling between McDaniel Park in the Village of McFarland and Lake Farm County Park near the Capital City Bike Trail. The nearly 2.5-mile stretch of pathway is one of the most significant trail projects Dane County has ever embarked upon and features the longest multi-use boardwalk in the state of Wisconsin.