Hi! My name is Susan and I am the new Volunteer Coordinator for Friends of Lake Wingra. I am also a graduate student in the new Environmental Conservation Professional Master’s Program from the Nelson Institute at UW. I have a strong interest in native plants, urban natural areas and stormwater mitigation techniques. I hope
New Volunteer Coordinator Read More »
Among the cuts proposed in the recently revealed budget for the next two years in Wisconsin is a complete repeal of the state’s “Complete Streets” law. This law currently works by requiring that roadways be designed and operated in ways that allow all users access for safe and convenient travel. This includes bicycles, pedestrians, public
Protect the Complete Streets Law Read More »
Lake Wingra water quality is severely degraded by nutrient-containing soils and sediment that enter the Lake via the City of Madison storm water drains. Three storm drains discharge into Lake Wingra at the Ho-Nee-Um Pond and near the Wingra Park boat house (aerial photo: Ho-Nee-Um Pond Storm Sewers). Storm water entering the lake at these
SW Bike Path Stewardship Read More »
Construction site erosion due to improperly installed/maintained erosion-control measures is a serious problem. Soil that is transported off a construction site as sediment-laden runoff can eventually reach storm sewers which discharge into Lake Wingra, causing a host of water quality impairments. On a per-unit-area comparative basis, residential and commercial construction is shown to cause more
Construction Site Monitoring Read More »
Homeowners in many parts of the country are catching on to rain gardens – landscaped areas planted to wild flowers and other native vegetation that soak up rain water, mainly from the roof of a house or other building. The rain garden fills with a few inches of water after a storm and the water
FOLW, with partners from the Madison Department of Public Health (MDPH), Madison Information Services, State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH), US Geological Survey (USGS), and the University of Wisconsin Extension, are working on a US Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) grant-funded comprehensive water quality monitoring program at three Madison
EMPACT Beach Water Quality Study Read More »
FOLW volunteers met with Roger Goodwin, Director of the City of Madison Streets Department, twice to discuss the possibility of extending the City’s intensive street sweeping program to one or more neighborhoods in the Wingra Watershed (specifically the Vilas and Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhoods). The goal of the intensive street sweeping is to improve Lake Wingra’s water
Intensive Street Sweeping Project Read More »
Windows on Wingra (WOW) is an ongoing series of seasonal events that provides opportunities for members of the watershed community to learn about and contribute to the health of Lake Wingra. Friends of Lake Wingra began the WOW series in the summer of 2004 with All About Rain Gardens, a workshop that taught participants how
Friends of Lake Wingra is proud to present the culminating document of a three year process of developing a vision for the future of Lake Wingra. You can download a pdf of the document now. Hard copies have been sent to our mailing list. You can also pick up a copy at upcoming FOLW events.
Lake Wingra: A Vision for the Future Read More »
FOLW and partners have proposed shoreline habitat restoration practices that will lead to improvement of water quality in Lake Wingra. Proposed practices are the result of comprehensive and inclusive planning among numerous partners (including the public), and are aimed at the restoration of native species and natural habitats, the control of exotic and/or invasive species
Shoreline Restoration Read More »
