By Sandy Stark Four neighborhoods along the SW Path maintain native prairies, flower gardens, and wooded areas in the Lake Wingra Watershed. Work crews provide tools and treats, and you take what you learn to your own yards and rain gardens. Most have both regular and flexible schedules. Come meet and work with us for […]
Summer Gardening, Educational, & Service Opportunities on the SW Path Read More »
Maintenance team at Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District learning from Connie Fortin and Craig Eldred Reducing the application of road salt is key to reducing chloride levels in Lake Wingra, which was identified as one of the three goals of the Lake Wingra Watershed Management Plan. The average chloride concentration in Lake Wingra was 115 mg/L
Friends of Lake Wingra hosts Road Salt Applicator Training Read More »
We know that a low salt diet is good for our hearts, it’s also good for our lakes! Winter has finally arrived and with winter comes the need for winter maintenance of streets, parking lots, sidewalks, etc. Road salts are often used by those doing winter maintenance and often over used as the above picture
A low salt diet for Lake Wingra Read More »
(Overly salted parking lot – photo by David Thompson) Road salts are toxic to aquatic life in Lake Wingra and are virtually impossible to remove from the lake once they are put there. It is important to reduce the amount of road salts that are used throughout the Lake Wingra watershed. Many applicators use 5
Take Action about Road Salts Read More »
(Friends of Lake Wingra pop-up park station – photo by David Thompson) by Ben Yahr Visitors to the annual Monroe Street Festival on October 10th got to experience more than good deals from merchants thanks to a new theme developed in part by Friends of Lake Wingra, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and the Edgewood College Sustainability
Greening of the Monroe Street Festival Read More »
(Badger Volunteers rake leaves out of the street – photo by Roger Bannerman) This fall, Friends of Lake Wingra has been working together with City of Madison Engineering on the second year of a leaf management pilot project in the Lake Wingra watershed. Proper leaf management is a priority because wet, decaying leaves in the
Leaf Free Streets Pilot Update Read More »
Catholic Multi-Cultural Center Rain Garden – Photo by David Thompson By Susan Frett Throughout 2016 Friends of Lake Wingra will be asking property owners throughout the Lake Wingra watershed to do their part to help implement the Lake Wingra Watershed Management Plan (WMP). The WMP was developed by Friends of Lake Wingra over the last
Lake Friendly BMP’s for Property Owners Read More »
Friends of Lake Wingra asks you to do your part for Lake Wingra this fall and rake your leaves out of the street. Fall is a beautiful time in Wisconsin, the leaves are turning colors and the weather is still nice which makes it a great time to spend outside. However, falling leaves contribute to
Rake your leaves out of the street! Read More »
Fall is just around the corner and that means it is time to start thinking about how to manage all the leaves that fall around the watershed. Did you know that when leaves fall in the street, get wet and start to decay they produce a leaf “tea” that is a major source of phosphorus
Lake Wingra Watershed Leaf Pilot – Year 2 Read More »
One of our watershed residents, Liz McBride, recently took up the cause of promoting the installation of rain gardens during a recent street reconstruction process. Liz learned that the City of Madison had received a grant which lowered the cost of a terrace rain garden for eligible property owners to $100 for a limited time.
Successful Rain Garden Promotion Effort! 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 »
