Clean Lakes Grants support phosphorus reduction and education

With the completion of the 2018-2019 Clean Lakes Grants cycle, Clean Lakes Alliance has given out more than $1,000,000 in project support since 2011. This landmark achievement fulfills our mission of building capacity among our partner organizations and supporting on-the-ground practices for clean, healthy lakes. The Yahara River Watershed is a large and complex system and will require a community-wide effort to improve water quality.

“When we founded Clean Lakes Alliance, I was told by mentors and community members that it’s not our job to clean the lakes, rather it’s our job to raise awareness and bring the right people to the table so the entire community can work together,” said Clean Lakes Alliance Founder and Executive Director James Tye.

Lake project funding began with a $50,000 grant to the City of Middleton in 2011 for a stormwater retention pond. More than $1,000,000 later, Clean Lakes Alliance continues to focus on supporting those doing great work to benefit our lakes.

Over time, 82% of our project funding has been directed toward phosphorus reduction on farmland, 13% toward phosphorus reduction in urban areas, and 5% to education and lake management (see figure below).

2018-2019 Clean Lakes Grants

In this past grant season alone, Clean Lakes Alliance awarded more than $81,000 to eleven projects across the watershed including carp barriers, children’s education, and construction erosion control. As a result, we helped provide quality lake education to 610 children and diverted 435 pounds of phosphorus from entering our lakes. With one pound of phosphorus capable of producing 500 pounds of algae, that’s the equivalent of more than 217,000 pounds of algae!

2018-2019 Clean Lakes Grant recipients

• Connecting kids with water with Madison Friends of Urban Nature (FUN)
• Phosphorus crediting Study with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Lake Kegonsa leaf management project and carp removal projects with Friends of Lake Kegonsa Society (FOLKS)
• Leaf management in the City of Madison
• Building an agricultural partnership to reduce phosphorus with Partnership for Ag Resource Management (PARM)
• Carp bubble barriers with Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy
• Investing in construction erosion management with Dane County Land and Water Resources

A watershed effort

We have not done this alone. Clean Lakes Grants have leveraged an additional $400,000 contributed by partner organizations since 2011. This effort is the culmination of dedicated individuals, environmentally conscious businesses and organizations, innovative farmers, receptive government entities, and tremendous community support. These are our lakes after all, and it’s our job to protect them.