Committee reviews history of Cross Plains water-quality corridor, plans follow-up research

At the July meeting, committee member Jenny Deeteray summarized documents and local history indicating that Cross Plains voters approved a 2005 referendum to protect ground and surface water in the Black Earth Creek watershed. She said a task force produced recommendations that led the village board, in 2006, to adopt a resolution establishing a water-quality corridor under Chapter 83 Section 19. Deeteray told the committee she and Michael found evidence that the specific Section 19 language has been removed but that they do not yet know when or why.

"In 2005, there actually was a referendum that the Cross Plains residents voted to pass, and it called for protection of our ground and surface water resources in the Black Earth Creek watershed," Deeteray said. She told members the task force had recommended a stormwater utility and buffer zones along Black Earth Creek, Garfoot Creek and Brewery Creek to prevent development within setbacks that would increase runoff and flood risk.

Members said the removal of the corridor raises practical concerns for stormwater management and flood resilience. Deeteray noted the village still has a stormwater utility, but the specific corridor provision appears to have been rescinded; committee members cited the 2018 flood as an example of how development near creeks can increase debris and blockages during high flows.

The committee asked Deeteray and others to research the ordinance history and to bring findings to a future meeting so the group could decide whether to propose reinstating corridor language for the plan commission or the village board. No formal action was taken; the item was added to the committee’s recommendations for the comprehensive-plan update.