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Board hears Baldwin Basin maintenance update; neighbors urged to be notified before herbicide treatments
Summary
Staff told the Sustainability Advisory Board that Baldwin Basin has been treated for invasive phragmites with Wisconsin DNR–approved herbicides; the board recommended stronger communication to adjoining property owners before herbicide or prescribed-burn treatments.
City staff told the Sustainability Advisory Board on March 3 that the Department of Public Works (DPW) had investigated concerns raised by a neighbor about maintenance of the Baldwin Basin and provided photographic comparison showing substantial vegetation change between an October 2017 photo and a September 2024 photo.
Emma (community development staff) reported that DPW had shared maintenance fact sheets on prairie restoration, prescribed burns, and Wisconsin DNR–approved herbicide and pesticide treatment records. The DPW consultant provided an overview of herbicides used and confirmed that chemical applications at Baldwin Basin have been reported to and approved by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Staff said some herbicide applications targeted phragmites, an invasive species that city staff said typically requires herbicide treatment when it occupies a large area and cannot be managed by prescribed burns or simple mechanical removal.
Neighbors’ primary concern, as described in public comments relayed to the board, was potential human and animal health impacts of herbicide applications. Staff confirmed that treatment records and chemical names were provided to the concerned property owner and that DNR-approved chemicals had been used. Board members recommended stronger earlier communication to adjacent property owners (for example, a notice several days to weeks before any herbicide application or prescribed burn) so residents know why treatments are happening and when to avoid entering the area.
Board members discussed alternatives and the practical limits of nonchemical control. Several members noted that phragmites are difficult to eradicate by physical removal and that, where phragmites has become dense, herbicide treatment may be the only practical option. Others raised long-term ideas for integrating stormwater basins into park design and noted trade-offs: stormwater basins collect road runoff and contaminants and serve a water-quality function that can limit how those sites are used recreationally.
Ending: The board recommended that DPW continue to maintain stormwater basins and asked staff to request stronger notifications to adjoining property owners and neighborhood associations before herbicide or prescribed-burn maintenance activities; staff will follow up with DPW and the basin’s consultant and report back to the board.
