Quann off-leash dog park is now fenced!

The last section of fencing along Expo Parkway went up on June 10, 2006, just making the promised deadline of “before the Goodman Pool opens” on June 12th.  If you’ve been waiting for the park to be fenced, now is the time to come check it out!  But please take a moment to read the following caveats.

1. The off-leash dog exercise area is divided into two enclosures:  The main field is completely enclosed with 4 foot tall chain-link fencing.  The path/creek corridor is fenced on three sides, but open to Wingra creek.  Please use the path/creek corridor only if your dog is under sufficient voice control to prevent any chance of interference with bicyclists and pedestrians on the other side of the creek, or going around the fence and conflicting with bikes/peds on and near the bridge.  There is also the risk of getting into traffic on Olin Ave if they go around the fence at the far north end.
2. All the chain link fencing is up, but the fence does not yet run all the way down to the creek edge in the path/creek corridor.  The city plans to put up livestock type fencing in these two locations so that the trees and other vegetation would not need to be cut down.  Please make sure your dog(s) do not go around the end of the fence and interfere with bikes/peds on or near the bridge.
3. The dog beach is being relocated into the off-leash section north of the bridge.  The new area has been roughly mowed, but the water entry has not yet been prepared.  The city plans to bring in some fill or pea gravel to make a more sloped entry and firm up the mucky bottom in the new location.  You are welcome to use this area if you like, but be warned that the bottom is black muck.
     a. The path south of the bridge and the old dog beach area are technically no longer part of the off-leash area.  If you use this area for your dog(s) to swim, while we wait for the city to finish the new dog beach it is critical that you keep your dog(s) off the bicycle path.  There is no guarantee that you wont be ticketed/fined for using this area – use at your own risk!
     b. This section of Wingra Creek is scheduled to be restored as part of the Wingra Creek Project. The current plan is therefore just a temporary low-cost solution.
4. The fencing of the main field is complete, but there remain some gaps under the fence that small dogs or escape artists could get through.
     a. The worst areas are under the 8 foot chain link along the north edge separating the dog park from the municipal buildings (including fence in the path/creek corridor).  Some of these gaps are large enough for even medium or determined large dogs to get through.  City engineering is supposed to be bringing in fill to raise the ground level up to the bottom of the fence.
     b. There are at least 12 gates scattered around the perimeter of the off-leash dog park.  Many of the gates have significant gaps under them because of sloping or irregular ground.  The city parks division has been advised of this problem but has not yet responded with a plan or time frame to correct this.

Because Quann off-leash Dog Park is a large park, you may be able to stay far enough away from these potential problem areas so that your dog wont escape.  It will depend on having good voice control (which is a requirement anyway to use the off-leash dog parks), but you know your dog better than anyone else, so use your best judgment on whether it is safe to bring your dog now or need to wait.  Many of these problems should be corrected as the summer progresses; messages will be posted to quann4dogs@yahoogroups.com as they get done.  Updates on this website take longer.

In other good news, the city has mowed some paths and short grass areas within the Quann off-leash park for us!