2025
Health of the
Watershed Report
Forum on the Health of the Black Earth Creek Watershed
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025
Wisconsin Heights High School
5pm: Open house
6pm: Presentations start
Please RSVP by emailing info@becwa.org
by April 19 so we make sure to get enough food and beverages!
More UPCOMING EVENTS
April 22nd, 2025
BECWA will host a rollout event for the Health of the Watershed Report at Wisconsin Heights HS.
May 3rd, 2025
Trout Days: Bugs on the Creek.
TROUT DAYS
PAST EVENTS
Pope Concervancy
4/10/25 - BECWA gave a presentation titled, "Exploring the Black Earth Creek Watershed: A Health Report" to the Pope Conservancy.
Library Collaborations 2024
04/26/25 - celebrate Earth Day by decorating flowers to show how they feel about the Black Earth Creek and being outdoors, go on a scavenger hunt to find critters from the Watershed, decorate fish, and recycle paper rolls to make birdfeeders and binoculars.
08/26/25 - “Wading in Black Earth Creek” activity at Salmo Pond. WDNR stream biologists Camille Bruhn and Kim Kuber and UW-Madison Biocore Program Lab Manager Seth McGee led an engaging workshop for Wisconsin Heights families. Participants experienced the creek firsthand as they waded in to collect and examine macroinvertebrates and fish and learned how to identify the invasive New Zealand Mud Snail.
10/24/25 - “Wading in Black Earth Creek” the October edition!
Donor Appreciation Picnic 2024
10/19/25 - BECWA Donor Appreciation Picnic at Historic Haney's Tavern
Bugs by the creek in collaboration with TU / Trout Days 2024
05/04/2024 - Bugs on the creek, fly fishing casting clinic, educational booths, trout fishing photo contest.
Neonic Forum
10/30/24 - Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in Wisconsin, but what risks do they pose to river life? Forum and discussion group.
Donor Appreciation Picnic 2023
09/30/2023 - Turned out to be a beautiful day for us to show appreciation for our wonderful members.
Bugs by the creek / Trout Days 2023
05/06/2023 - Bugs on the creek, fly fishing casting clinic, educational booths, trout fishing photo contest
Black Earth Creek Watershed Public Informational Meeting
11/1/2022 5:30 - 8:30 pm, Wisconsin Heights High School (STEP Room), Mazomanie, WI 53560
Topics covered (click on each topic to view PDF presentation: PFAS, Refuse Hideaway Landfill, Pesticides, Green Infrastructure, and Fishery Status
BECWA Sign Roll-Out
June 26th, 2022, 10 to 2 w/ partners Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Dane County, Village of Cross Plains, The Shoe Box, Wolf Run Association, Ice Age Trail and Park Foundation, Dane County Parks, Gateway to The Driftless, , Groundswell Conservancy, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and Wisconsin River Alliance.
"Bugs by the Creek" (exercise for about a dozen Brownies from Black Earth and Mazomanie)
May 15, 2021 1-4PM, Zander Park, back of Pharmacy
News release of event courtesy of NBC News 15 Madison.
Free Riversmith Casting Clinic
(SWTU) Saturday April 20, 9AM till noon, Zander park, Cross Plains
Decoding the Driftless
April 22, 2019, Glacier Creek Middle School, More Info
"Bugs by the Creek" co-sponsored by TU
May 4, 10 AM, Zander Park, back of Pharmacy
Nelson Institute Community Environmental Forum
The New Normal: What does climate change mean for Cross Plains and the Black Earth Creek Watershed.
Wednesday, Feb. 13 | Rosemary Garfoot Public Library | Cross Plains
Black Earth Creek Clean Up Day
April 21, 2018 | Salmo Pond
"Fly Casting Demonstration" With Dennis Franke and Dan Buckland
May 5, 2018, South side of BEC behind the Pharmacy
& Assessing the Health of BEC and Identifying the Bugs that live in it w/ Mike Miller -- DNR
BECWA Anniversary Social
Wednesday, November 8, 2017 | CrossRoads Coffee, Cross Plains, WI
"BUGS BY THE CREEK"
Saturday, May 6 1:00 PM
CROSS PLAINS, WISCONSIN
Across the bridge across from the new building.
Update on ATC Transmission Line
Friday, Feb 17 @ Barneveld Legion Hall
Saturday, Feb 18 @2 PM Arcadia Book Store in Spring Green
BLACK EARTH CREEK SPRING CLEAN-UP
Saturday, April 22 @ Salmo Pond
"BUGS BY THE CREEK"
Cross Plains Trout Days, May 6 w/ Bobbi Peckarsky
Black Earth Creek Stream Assessment Day Review
Review and analysis of data collected during June 2016
December 1, 2016 | CROSS PLAINS LIBRARY
BLACK EARTH CREEK HABITAT SNAPSHOT DAY
JUNE 4, 2016
Click Here for more details
TROUT DAYS IN CROSS PLAINS
MAY 7, 2016 | DR. BOBBI PECKARSKY “BUGS BY THE CREEK”
EARTH DAY EVENT:
SATURDAY APRIL 23, 2016
Annual Black Earth Creek Clean-up w/ Southern WI Trout Unlimited
TROUT UNLIMITED CASTING CLINIC
Saturday April 16, 2016 - Zander Park, Cross Plains
Black Earth Creek Management Plan Developmental Meeting
Thursday, November 12, 2015 | Town of Cross Plains Community Center (Pine Bluff)
This was an opportunity to develop an action-oriented framework for a Black Earth Creek Management Action Plan that will be used to build support for, and guide development of, good management practices in the Watershed by landowners, local and county governments and the Department of Natural Resources.
TROUT AND TRAIL FEST
SEPTEMBER 19, 2015— 1 TO 4 PM
Lake Marion, Mazomanie September 19, 2015
Black Earth Creek Watershed Health Summit
July 28th, Rosemary Garfoot Public Library | Cross Plains
Join Us to Hear About –
- Trout Population Troubles from Scott Stewart & Kurt Welke, DNR
- Updates on Local Government Actions Affecting Water Quality
- Campaign to Highlight Black Earth Creek Support
Wolf Run Trail Grand Opening
Saturday June 6, 2015 12-3PM
Crescent Street Trail Head
Program at 1 pm and Lunch at 2:00 PM
Trout Days May 2, 2015 in Cross Plains
—Join us for “Bugs by the Creek":
Meet back of the CrossRoads Coffee Shop— 1-3 PM.
Black Earth Creek Clean-up with Trout Unlimited
April 25, 2015 : Salmo Pond
Second New Zealand Mudsnail Public Meeting:
Cross Plains Library at 6:30pm
Bugs by the Creek
October 4, 2014 - BECWA will offer as part of the Taste of Cross Plains event. Join us back of the Ice Age Trail building where Dr. Bobbi Peckarsky invites all interested students—young and old— to examine the small creatures from the Black Earth Creek. We will collect, identify and examine the small life forms that inhabit the BEC and then return them to the Creek.
BEC Stream Clean-up with Trout Unlimited.
April 19, 2014 @ Salmo Pond. Brief presentation at 9 AM by River Alliance of ways to prevent spread of New Zealand Mud Snail (NZMS) followed by clean up crews moving out.
Preventing Spread of NZMS Workshop
April 26, 2014 - Festge Park
River Alliance, Dane County, DNR and Village of Cross Plains
Trout Days in Cross Plains
May 3, 2014 - BECWA will have display in AM and will offer “Bugs by the Creek” at 1:00 PM with Dr. Bobbi Peckarsky to identify aquatic life in BEC. Meet back of Ice Age Trails building.
Dr. Bobbi Peckarsky (in red vest) offered “Bugs by the Creek” on May 3, 2014. Young students examined the various water critters found in the sample collected from the Black Earth Creek back of the Ice Age Trails Alliance building in Cross Plains.
Trout Days in Cross Plains
May 3, 2014 @ Salmo Pond. Natural Heritage Land Trust will honor the participants from Operation Fresh Start who helped build the new accessible fishing sites for those with limited mobility. Join us to thank these folks who worked so hard on such a worthy project.
On May 3 2014, Jim Welsh from Natural Heritage Land Trust joined by folks from Madison Community Foundation and Dane County honored participants from Operation Fresh Start who helped build the accessible piers at Salmo Pond.
Board meeting 2014
March 29th at the CP Fire Station
Annual Black Earth Creek Spring Clean Up
Saturday April 24 | Salmo Pond
Lake Marion and Lower Black Earth Creek Corridor Meeting
April 29th | Wisconsin Heights High School
Board Meeting on Monday
April 27th | Cross Plains Library
Creek Clean Up Day
Held on April 25, 2009 | Salmo Pond
Stream Monitoring Workshop
May 16, 2009 | Cross Plains Fire Station Detailed Flyer (PDF)
DNR Presentation on Cedar Hill Subdivision Development Impacts
May 18, 2009
Board of Directors Meeting
January 26 | Cross Plains Fire Station
Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, October 27 | Cross Plains Library.
SPRING 2008 PAST ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS
April 19, 2008 Annual Black Earth Creek Clean Up, with Trout Unlimited and Local Schools -- Salmo Pond
Trout Days Event
May 3, 2008 BECWA Display at Cross Plains
UW-Arboretum Native Plant Sale
May 10, 2008
Family Fishing Day
May 10, 2008 , Lake Marion Begins
Primer on Lake Marion
May 12, 2008 6:30 PM Lake Marion
Trout Days in Cross Plains
Saturday May 5, . Check out the BECWA display back of the brat stand on Main Street.
Family Fishing Day
Saturday May 12, 2007 at Lake Marion, 10 AM to 3 PM
Black Earth Creek Annual Earth Day Clean Up
April 21,2007 Meet between 8:30-9 AM Salmo Pond or back of old fire station in Cross Plains to get bags and section assignments.
Annual Trout Days Cross Plains Lions Club
Saturday May 5
"REFLECTING ON WATER; THE BLACK EARTH CREEK AS A LINK BETWEEN COMMUNITIES"
The Black Earth Creek Watershed Association Invites You To Explore The History of the Black Earth Creek Watershed
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2006
Delivering Plants
July, 2006 Carl Jones (left), BECWA board member and Bobbi Fehr (right) Garfoot Library Volunteer and Master Gardener transporting prairie and rain garden plants. These plants were provided by a grant from the Graham-Martin Foundation and have been or will be planted on the site of the new Garfoot library in Cross Plains.
Lion's Club- Trout Days Activities
Date: 5/06/2006
Trout Days in Cross Plains
BECWA will have a display booth
Earth Day: Black Earth Creek Stream Clean-Up
Date: 4/22/2006
Fly Fishing in the Black Earth Creek
Date: 4/06/2006
Scot Stewart: Fly Fishing in the Black Earth Creek
Black Earth Library