Along with our community of supporters, Clean Lakes Alliance is reacting to the global pandemic, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and its effect on all operations and public events.
Operations
Clean Lakes Alliance staff has prepared to work remotely due to school closings and social distancing recommendations. A limited staff presence will be maintained at the office as many staff members will be working remotely. The organization will continue to raise funds and plan projects in the watershed. All in-person meetings will be canceled through April 30th.
In 2019 water quality monitoring took place at piers and beaches around the five Yahara lakes. Volunteers measured near-shore water clarity, air and water temperature, and noted several visual observations during the monitoring season, which runs from May to September.
Frozen Assets nets more than $1,200,000 since 2012
More than 10,000 attendees visited The Edgewater and frozen Lake Mendota over eight days this February, making 2020 our biggest Frozen Assets yet! THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, guests, volunteers, and event partners who made this year’s festival, fundraiser, and new evening events a huge success.
Join Clean Lakes Alliance for FREE ice skating, s’mores, networking, sleigh rides, and more!
Get ready for a full slate of activities on ice and on land at the 2020 Frozen Assets Festival! Clean Lakes Alliance’s sixth annual winter festival is expanding to a full week of fun at The Edgewater in Madison, Wisconsin from Sunday, February 2nd through Saturday, February 8th.
Warm December and early January temperatures caused a delay in Lake Mendota’s ice-on date. However, the recent cold air temperatures combined with light winds and cold water helped Lake Mendota officially freeze on Sunday, January 12th, 2020, as declared by the Wisconsin State Climatology Office.
Announcing our 2019
Clean Lakes Community Awards Winners
On December 3rd, 2019 Clean Lakes Alliance honored seven outstanding individuals and groups at the Clean Lakes Community Awards. This event, presented by Town Bank, recognizes the accomplishments of individuals, volunteers, businesses, farmers, and other entities working to protect our Yahara lakes.
How much do you know about thefrozen lakes that make Madison winters so special? Test your knowledge with this quiz! Or, read more about our Mendota Freeze Contest.
As farmers across the area rush to get crops out of the fields, wet soil continues to slow this season’s harvest. In many cases, the wet soil made it impossible for farmers to get large trucks and trailers into the fields. As a result, farm equipment continues to be parked and loaded on the road.
“The rain and snow we experienced this fall has delayed the harvest by almost two months. When farmers are forced to park on the road it creates a safety issue when motorists drive too fast or too close to those trucks.”
Jeff Endres, Yahara Pride Farms Chairman
Combine used during harvest (Courtesy Illinois Farm Bureau)
Helping with the harvest
Yahara Pride Farms’ partnering organization, Clean Lakes Alliance, wanted to draw more attention to area farmers working in altered conditions. This week Clean Lakes Alliance purchased more than 50 safety strobe lights that can attach to vehicles and equipment parked on the road.
“Yahara Pride farmers work to incorporate farming practices every day that help keep our lakes clean and safe, so it’s important to us to promote safety as they work to finish their harvest.”
James Tye, Clean Lakes Alliance Founder & Executive Director
Yahara Pride Farms board members will distribute the lights to the participating farmers in the watershed in the next few days. The goal is to have them in use as soon as possible. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office is reminding motorists to avoid distractions and be mindful of speed limits as farmers work during hours of darkness to harvest their crops.
Working together since 2011
Yahara Pride Farms is a farmer-led nonprofit working to promote the adoption of conservation practices within the Yahara River Watershed. Clean Lakes Alliance founded and incubated this farmer-led organization. We have invested more than $500,000 to-date. Our investments have helped expand the group’s reach and impact.
At Clean Lakes Alliance, we’re thankful to be part of a community that is surrounded by five beautiful lakes. Our Yahara lakes provide ecological diversity, recreational opportunities, economic benefits, and endless beauty to the Greater Madison area, its residents, and guests.
Madison Boats owner Tyler Leeper “paddles’ the extra mile for our lakes
Tyler Leeper has a deep connection to our lakes, and an even greater investment in their health. As the owner of Madison Boats, which includes Wingra Boats, Brittingham Boats, and Marshall Boats on Lakes Mendota, Monona, and Wingra, his family business is dependent on water quality and lake health.
