When will Lake Wingra Freeze? When will Lake Wingra freeze over this winter? Make your prediction and see if you can guess the date! You could win a Friends of Lake Wingra t-shirt or Lake Wingra Loop t-shirt. Each winter, Lake Wingra transforms as its open water gives way to ice. The timing depends on
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Thawing of Lake Wingra By David Ortiz, Board Member If you spend time near Lake Wingra during the winter, you may have noticed shorter durations of ice cover, a trend seen in lakes across the globe1. The shortest period of ice cover on Lake Wingra occurred during the winter of 2023-2024, with only 63 days
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Too Much Salt? Report it! Help protect Lake Wingra by reporting excessive sidewalk salt to the City of Madison. How to Report Excessive Sidewalk Salt 1. Visit the City of Madison’s Report a Problem page. Or find it at https://www.cityofmadison.com/reportaproblem/ 2. Fill out the Sidewalk Concerns form. 3. Submit your report. Your report helps the
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Terrace Rain Garden Workshop Terrace Rain Gardens in Madison A terrace rain garden is a shallow planted area in the street terrace that collects and infiltrates stormwater from the street and surrounding areas. City of Madison–Installed Terrace Rain Gardens During major street construction projects, the City of Madison offers homeowners the opportunity to have a
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Leaf-free Streets for a Clean Lake Wingra Did you know that leaves left in the streets during rain events leach phosphorus into our lakes leading to algal blooms in the summer? Volunteer to help keep Lake Wingra clean by helping to keep leaves out of the streets before rainfall events this fall. There are three
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Join us Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 2-4 pm to Bike, Run or Walk the 6.5 mile Lake Wingra Loop. Follow the online Story Map to learn about the history, management, science and enjoyment of the lake and surrounding watershed. Tables will be set up along the route with experts from various organizations providing unique
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Help report populations of yellow iris in the Lake Wingra Watershed by Sarah Kraszewski, Board Member Yellow iris (Iris pseudoacorus) is a non-woody perennial plant that is native to Eurasia and can escape from water gardens and ponds into natural environments in Wisconsin. This species can spread into forests, lakes, streams, ponds, and various wetland
Join our Board! We’re Growing! Applications Open For New Board Members With the ice gone from Lake Wingra and the Sandhill Cranes returning, we’re excited to see signs of spring in the watershed. We are looking for 3-5 new board members to join our organization who represent our diverse urban watershed! In doing so, our
Lake Wingra Watershed 1-on-1 Rain Garden Workshop Event Description Friends of Lake Wingra and Dane County Ripple Effects are offering personalized, one-on-one rain garden coaching sessions for residents in the Lake Wingra Watershed (see map of watershed below). Residents outside the watershed may be accommodated as space allows. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please email Sarah
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Please join us for the annual Lake Wingra Cleanup on Earth Day weekend! Brought to you by Friends of Lake Wingra and Wingra Boats. When: Saturday, April 25th, 10am-noonWhere: Wingra Boats, 824 Knickerbocker St.What: Clean up the lake along the shoreline from a watercraft. Trash bags, gloves and grabbers provided.Why: Garbage finds its way into the lake through storm sewers
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Meetings: Lake Wingra is the saltiest lake in the Madison area—due to years of excessive winter salt use. While salt keeps sidewalks safe, over-application has long-term impacts on water quality. To address this issue, we’re forming a Lake Wingra Winter Salt Working Group to brainstorm practical, community-driven ways to reduce salt use by winter maintenance contractors at
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