13.72 Acres
Shallow Headwater
2024
Poor
Acute Aquatic Toxicity, Excess Algal Growth, Chronic Aquatic Toxicity, Eutrophication
Chloride, Total Phosphorus
Dane
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
The maximum depth is between four and five feet.
There is no rhyme or reason to naming lakes. Odana Pond, as we've called it, is a natural pothole or kettle pond similar to Tiedman's, Essers, Stricker or Graber's ponds in Middleton. All are perched ponds, meaning they have little spring inflow and tend to have relatively impermeable bottoms. Their water comes primarily from runoff. None have natural outlets. It is not a dug detention pond as claimed by some. It is readily apparent on the original surveyor's maps and native American artifacts have been found along its boundaries. At various times, a surface outlet was constructed with the most recent being a pipe placed through the Odana Golf Course at the time of the golf course creation.
Odana Pond today is primarily open water with a monoculture of cattails surrounding the pond. The water tends to be very turbid with a Secchi depth of about 1 foot. It is nutrient rich, and has a surprising Chlorophyll a concentration. It has experienced recent fish kills. In the past (1950s), it has supported a largemouth bass population (how, I don't know) and a large diverse amphibian population. Today, it is primarily carp and turtles. So, it is highly likely that the decline in the aquatic population is human activity induced.
I should mention that the pond does not freeze to the bottom as the depth may imply. The winter water stratifies based on chloride concentrations, with the heavier high chloride concentration water at the bottom. I'd call it a shallow, mixed drainage lake, however, for the majority of the year.
Date 2010
Author James Baumann
Impaired Waters
Odana Pond (WBIC 3000513) was listed for total phosphorus and chloride in 2012. The 2018 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was not meeting its designated uses and was considered impaired. Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.
Date 2017
Author Ashley Beranek
Condition
Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.
Reports
Recommendations
Lake Classification
Dane County Lake Classification-Phase 2: The Phase 1 classification grant classified all county lakes and streams. This grant will take the next step by developing a management program based on the classification.
Lake Classification
Dane County Department of Planning and Development will hire a project staff in order to develop a Lake Classification project, which is seen as the first step toward developing a consistent set of county-wide standards and procedures to protect Dane County Waters.
Management Goals
Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable
Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.
Monitoring
Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.
Grants and Management Projects
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 3000513 | Unnamed | 10021231 | Odana Pond - Deepest Point | 6/6/2005 | 8/26/2024 | Map | Data |
| 3000513 | Unnamed | 10035733 | Unnamed - Area of Open Water | 6/28/2009 | 9/22/2017 | Map | Data |
| 5035940 | Unnamed | 10033192 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 5035940 | Unnamed | 10035733 | Unnamed - Area of Open Water | 6/28/2009 | 9/22/2017 | Map | Data |
| 3000513 | Unnamed | 10033192 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 3000513 | Unnamed | 133523 | N Side Pond - Odana Hills Park- Madison | 8/18/2004 | 8/30/2005 | Map | Data |
| 3000513 | Unnamed | 10036929 | Odana Pond Spring | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Unnamed is located in the Yahara River and Lake Monona watershed which is 93.73 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily suburban (24.80%), urban (23.90%) and a mix of agricultural (14.50%) and other uses (36.90%). This watershed has 101.97 stream miles, 6,275.33 lake acres and 5,158.72 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available for runoff impacts on lakes and High for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of High. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.
Odana Pond is considered a Shallow Headwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.
Shallow headwater lake describes the depth and location of the lake in a watershed. These variables affect the lakes response to watershed variables.