The Waterfowl of Lake Wingra 2016-2024
by David Liebl
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Water and Winter Salt Workshop
Friday, January 30, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pmUW-Arboretum Visitor Center Come celebrate freshwater ecosystems, learn about smart winter salt practices, and explore citizen science opportunities. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather if participating in the optional hike. Free, no registration required. Presented by Friends of Lake Wingra and UW-Arboretum as part of
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2026 Donations
Please consider a gift to Friends of Lake Wingra. Your donation – no matter the size – helps protect our beloved lake through education, community action, and clean water initiatives. Every drop counts, and so does every Friend. Stay engaged, join our events, and help keep Lake Wingra healthy for generations to come. IRA Qualified
2025 Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride
Get info on the 2026 bike ride HERE. Join us on Sunday, September 28, 1-3 pm, 2025 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
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Zebra Mussels and the Future of Lake Wingra
Zebra Mussels and the Future of Lake Wingra by David Ortiz, Board Member Primarily juvenile zebra mussels on an aquatic plant from Lake Mendota 2022. Photo taken by David Ortiz During the yearly removal of docks from Wingra Boats (in Wingra Park) in October 2024, zebra mussels were found for the first time within Lake
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Don’t Judge a Lake by Its Color: Understanding What Water Clarity Really Means
Don’t Judge a Lake by Its Color: Understanding What Water Clarity Really Means Kyungdoe “Doe” Han1,2 1Friends of Lake Wingra, PO Box 45071, Madison, WI 53744 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706 Most people assume that a crystal-clear, blue lake is the ultimate sign
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2025 Lake Wingra Shoreline Cleanup Day
Photo by Lisa Grueneberg Give back to the lake that gives you hours of recreation all summer! Hop on a Wingra Boats canoe or your own watercraft to pick up trash in the lake as part of your Earth Day celebration. Saturday, April 26, 10am-noonWingra Boats, 824 Knickerbocker St. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Lake Wingra
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Friends of Lake Wingra WATER Grant
We are thrilled to have completed our one-year UW-Madison Arboretum WATER grant project this summer! In the WATER (Water Action to Encourage Responsibility) project, the UW-Madison Arboretum along with neighborhood, city, and county partners in the Lake Wingra watershed worked together to pilot programs and neighborhood-focused actions that minimize the harmful effects of stormwater that
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Musky Data Collection at Wingra Dam
by Sally Lehner May 11, 2022 Every other year, the DNR stocks and tags 100 Wisconsin muskellunge (muskies) in Lake Wingra. On May 4th, DNR staff were below the Wingra Dam, in Wingra Creek, collecting musky data for Lake Monona’s five year comprehensive fish survey. Staff collect data on population, movement (based on tagging the
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The Springs of the Lake Wingra Watershed
May 2022 by Steve Glass Springs are locations where up-welling groundwater discharges to the earth’s surface, the “Big Spring” (pictured below) on the shore of Lake Wingra in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, is an example. The flow of fresh water from springs helps supply wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Spring flow supplements rainfall and
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Building a Rain Garden at Thoreau School
by David Thompson April 14, 2022 In October of 2012, Jack Nolan asked the Friends of Lake Wingra for help in selecting an Eagle Scout project. Jack wanted to do something to help the lake, and after I gave Jack a tour of the watershed, learning about some of its problems, Jack decided to build a
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