Happy New Year, Lake Wingra Friend! The winter is a great time to enjoy the treasures of Lake Wingra. As you’ll see in this newsletter, there are lots of interesting things happening below the ice, and above. I hope you get an opportunity to get out in the watershed or on the Lake this winter
Happy New Year Lake Wingra Friend! Read More »
by Tim Kuhman (Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Edgewood College and Friends of Lake Wingra board member) Every autumn as the days get noticeably shorter with each passing day and the trees throughout my neighborhood begin to drop their leaves, I watch as frustrated homeowners tackle the Sisyphean task of raking those leaves
Leaf mulch: good for the flowerbed, good for the watershed Read More »
By Hannah Buscemi, William Wirono, and Vanessa Studer Following a rain or storm, hundreds of gallons of water flow from roofs of houses through downspouts, and eventually end up in our storm drains that empty out into our local lakes. In fact, with just one inch of rain, approximately 150 gallons of water are sent down
Children Friendly Storm Water Activity: Building a Rain Barrel Read More »
By Hannah Buscemi The common bladderwort is an aquatic plant native to the Northern hemisphere, and it can be found in Wisconsin and Lake Wingra. In fact, out of all the Madison area Lakes, this includes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, Kegonsa, Lower & Upper Mud Lake, and the Yahara River, Lake Wingra was the only one to
Meet Your Local Aquatic Plant: The Common Bladderwort Read More »
By Vanessa Studer The American Bullfrog is an amphibian found throughout Wisconsin’s lakes, ponds, and creeks. You can even find and hear it at Lake Wingra! They are the largest of all North American frogs, reaching lengths of up to 8 inches. Females tend to weigh in slightly larger than their male counterparts. American Bullfrogs
Meet Your Local Frog: The American Bullfrog Read More »
July 6, 2018 Dip your fingers in Lake Wingra and you will find the temperature of the water has increased by about 10 degrees in the last 12 days. Because of our heat wave, the temperature has increased from about 74 degrees to 83 degrees. A renewal of swimming pool temperatures has increased
Hot Weather Raises Wingra Temperatures Again Read More »
June 24, 2018 A large decrease in water clarity did not discourage young anglers from trying their luck in Lake Wingra last weekend. Joseph Julie was spotted catching blue gills on the Arboretum side of the lake (Figure 1). He shared he was enjoying a steady catch of the small fish. Parents were helping
Still Catching Fish in Murky Waters – June 24, 2018 Read More »
June 14, 2018 By Roger Bannerman A dip in our lake will be a little more refreshing this week. Over the last two weeks the Lake temperatures have dropped from a swimming pool temperature of 80 degrees to a little more normal 74 degrees. Lower air temperatures and lots of rain might have helped lower
Cooler Wingra Waters Still Inviting Read More »
By Peter Nause The beginning of the Madison Park System in 1931 grew out of the rich legacy of the “Park & Pleasure Drive Association” starting in the 1890’s by wealthy benefactors with notable names we recognize today as parks – Vilas, Tenney, Brittingham & Olbrich. Unless you live on the near west side of
Historic Wingra Tributary – Glenwood Children’s Park Read More »
By Roger Bannerman Rain gardens help improve the quality of our lakes by capturing pollutants and infiltrating runoff. One additional benefit for Lake Wingra is that increased infiltration can help restore spring flows, which is the main source of year-round flows into Lake Wingra. Out of the 600 rain gardens that have been installed around
How Rain Gardens Help Lake Wingra Read More »
by Casey Hanson A lot of activity is happening in our watershed this year! We have Monroe Street construction, Vilas bridges reconstruction, Wingra shoreline restoration, and more. While many of these activities are physical in nature, some aren’t visible to the naked eye. They are behind the scenes and crucial to continue our work to
Friends of Lake Wingra Launches Strategic Planning Effort Read More »
By Casey Hanson Beach and boat season are almost in full swing! These activities are relaxing, playful, adventurous, and downright unpredictable. To borrow from Forest Gump’s mama, having an experience with aquatic vegetation (aka macrophytes) “is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” When you paddle, luck might allow you to observe a beautiful blooming white water lily or you
What’s Going on with Lake Wingra’s Aquatic Plants? Read More »
