fbpx

News

2014_clean-lakes-festival_3Thank you to everyone who came out to the Clean Lakes Festival, including the nearly 300 riders who looped Lake Monona by bike! The weather was perfect for recreation, relaxation, and exploration of all that our lakes have to offer. The photos speak for themselves: take a look at festival highlights here.

Consider joining us for a Yahara Lakes 101 presentation on “Blue-green algae in Lake Mendota: the mystery of the missing nitrogen” with Dr. McMahon on Thursday, August 14th, and a volunteer day at Olbrich Park on Thursday, August 21st. Also, we encourage you to support our lake education programs by becoming a lake buddy.

In the meantime, keep getting out on the lakes, and don’t forget to send us pictures. We’ll keep you up-to-date on our adventures.

In Partnership,

The Clean Lakes Alliance team

Read More

Waves in the Watershed
Volume I, Issue 3
July 22, 2014

Photo of the isthmus across Monona Bay from Brittingham Park - by Michael Matheson

Photo of the isthmus across Monona Bay from Brittingham Park – by Michael Matheson

We just wrapped up our Community Board meeting last week. We’d like to take a moment to update you on progress towards our goal of reducing phosphorus runoff in the Yahara watershed by 50% by 2025.

The Clean Lakes Festival is only days away; we hope you can join us on Saturday, July 26th at Law Park in one of the many activities that connect us to the lakes.

And, of course, since we are in the middle of peak lake season, we have a lot to share! Project implementation, development, engagement… thank you for taking the time as a donor to read and learn about our many initiatives.

We appreciate your support of our organization and our mission.

In Partnership,

The Clean Lakes Alliance Team

Read More

lake-o-gram_header

Healthy Lakes, Healthy Community.

Volume IV, Issue 5

Incredible, stormy sunset over Lake Mendota at the Terrace yesterday. Photo by Anna Sunderland.

Incredible, stormy sunset over Lake Mendota at the Terrace yesterday. Photo by Anna Sunderland.

What better time than summer to relax and play with family and friends! See below for opportunities to bike, paddle, swim, ski or chill by and on our lakes. Also, Also, show your love for the lakes by volunteering with the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA). (Psst – most of our volunteer needs are great excuses to be outdoors and around other lake lovers!)

Amidst all the fun on the lakes, remember that the CLA is still hard at work to protect them. Donate today and start receiving Waves in the Watershed, our bimonthly report on phosphorus-reducing projects and progress.

What is the Lake-O-Gram? The Lake-O-Gram is a monthly digest distributed through our website and e-mailed out to the surrounding communities to keep citizens up-to-date on the latest events and efforts taking place to protect and preserve the water quality of the Yahara watershed. Subscribe to get the Lake-O-Gram in your inbox!

Read More

Have you seen the special promotional section included in Madison Magazine’s June Issue? Please read below and find out why Clean Lakes Alliance is Crazy 4 Lakes — watch for short biographies of some of our stellar board members, Leslie Even, Michael Kosolcharoen, Bob Uphoff, and Jim Welsh. Also, look for a message from the Mayor Paul Soglin of Madison and Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi. The section includes a feature story titled “Partnership Makes it Possible” by Judy Dahl, and the 2013 State of the Lakes report, by Dea Larsen Converse.

witws 111

CLA launches the second year of our citizen water quality monitoring program, with over 40 near-shore sites and first in the nation mobile app integration in partnership with 100state, the City of Madison, and Dane County.

CLA launches the second year of our citizen water quality monitoring program, with over 40 near-shore sites and first in the nation mobile app integration in partnership with 100state, the City of Madison, and Dane County.

Welcome to Waves in the Watershed, an in-depth newsletter for donors of the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA). Waves in the Watershed is published every two months and details the progress that CLA is making toward our goal of reducing phosphorus in the Yahara watershed by 50% by 2025 and in engaging the community in our efforts.

Please note – the Lake-O-Gram will continue to be delivered each month to the inboxes of over 8,000 individuals who have expressed an interest in CLA’s initiatives and events. The Lake-O-Gram is a brief digest that promotes upcoming events and volunteer opportunities and includes highlights and snapshots of lake efforts in the watershed.

In Partnership,

The Clean Lakes Alliance Team

Read More

lake-o-gram_header

Healthy Lakes. Healthy Community.

Volume IV, Issue 4

memorial-union-terrace_stripHere at the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA) office, we are counting down the days (and maybe even the minutes) until summer. Technically, there are still 19 days to go, but you don’t have to wait until 5:52 a.m. on June 21st to enjoy the lakes… just look at all the lake lovers on the Terrace!

Read on for updates on our water quality monitoring program, our lake user survey, information about summer lake events, and highlights of CLA and the lakes in the news!

WHAT IS THE LAKE-O-GRAM? The Lake-O-Gram is a monthly digest distributed through our website and e-mailed out to the surrounding communities to keep citizens up-to-date on the latest events and efforts taking place to protect and preserve the water quality of the Yahara watershed.

Read More

Mallards and loons and paddlers, oh my! As the weather warms up and the skies clear, there are plenty of opportunities for lake-lovers (like us!) to get outside.

Please read below for a brief digest of our upcoming programs & events, including a recap of the 3rd annual Save Our Lakes Community Breakfast and a link to the 2013 State of the Lakes report.

P.S. Be sure to watch the three new videos premiered at the Breakfast: The State of the Lakes; Schooling for Cleaner Lakes; Projects & Progress in the Watershed

Read More

Greetings!

As the old saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”. April, and the coming of spring, also brings the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA) new opportunities to continue protecting and improving our lakes! This Lake-o-Gram highlights upcoming events and programs, as well as recent announcements to share with the community. The CLA thanks all those who support its efforts.

– The CLA Team

Crazy 4 Lakes Run/Walk

The CLA in the Community
CLA Accomplishments

Please join us on Thursday, April 10, 2014 in welcoming back Dr. Doug Soldat, associate professor of soil science at UW-Madison, to Yahara Lakes 101 (YL101) for his presentation “Lawn Care, Soils and Water Quality”. Dr. Soldat was our very first YL101 speaker last May, and we are happy to welcome him back to the podium this spring.

DATE: Thursday, April 10, 2014

TIME:
7:30 am – Coffee, pastries & fruit
8:00 am – Presentation
9:00 am – Q & A
LOCATION: Bluephies Café at Verex Building
(150 E. Gilman St.) Located on Level B


PRICING: 
Admission is $10 at the door or free to Friends of Clean Lakes. Become a Friend today!

Doug will provide information on: 
  • How green lawns and clean lakes need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, dense vegetation can play an important role in protecting surface waters from nutrient runoff.
  • How soil properties and the negative consequences of over-management play a critical but often overlooked role in environmental protection and pollution.
  • The primary pathways of nutrient losses from urban environments and discuss some practical and effective strategies for keeping nutrients out of the lake.

About Doug:
Dr. Doug Soldat is a Wisconsin native and a Ph.D. associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Soil Science, specializing in turfgrass and urban soil management. He earned a Ph.D. at Cornell University studying how phosphorus is lost from lawns. At Wisconsin, he advises the students in the turfgrass and grounds maintenance program, and teaches three classes including “Turfgrass Nutrient and Water Management” and “Lawns, Society and the Environment”. His research program focuses on finding ways to maintain turfgrass for optimum function using fewer inputs of nutrients, pesticides and water.

*Please Note*

PARKING: Please park in James Madison Park or in parking ramps listed below. No Parking on East Gilman St. from 8 a.m. to noon and in the Verex Plaza surface lot or underground lot.

PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE: Yahara Lakes 101

The Save Our Lakes event is a community breakfast and the annual meeting of the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA). Save Our Lakes was created to bring the community together to review our progress towards cleaner, healthier lakes. This event is a time to celebrate and assess the past year and to launch new programs and initiatives for the year ahead. Presentations include the State of the Lakes report– the community report card for water quality in the Yahara lakes – and the CLA Annual Report, presented this year as a combined report.

DATE: Friday, April 25, 2014

TIME: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

LOCATION:
Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center,
Main Exhibit Hall

PRICING:
$1,000 per table of 10
$100 per seat
$35 per student seat

This year’s theme is “Schooling for Cleaner Lakes”. Just like fish that school together in the same direction, this theme recognizes that many groups and entities are working toward a shared goal of cleaner lakes.

This spring, the CLA and American Family Insurance DreamBank invited the public to participate in the Schooling for Cleaner Lakes community art project. The idea for this initiative, designed to increase understanding of our lake ecosystems, materialized in response to an exhibit at DreamBank that identified “clean lakes” as a top priority for the Madison community. The CLA and DreamBank encourage dreamers of all ages to participate in their hands-on, creative project. For more information, please visit Schooling for Cleaner Lakes.

2014 Breakfast Speakers:

Read More

Welcome to the first Lake-o-Gram of 2014!

Snowmelt season is upon us, and spring is right around the corner! As we wrap up a [very long] season of enjoying our frozen lakes with cross country skiing, ice skating and ice fishing, we’re excited to look ahead to the thaw. Here at Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA), we’re gearing up for spring programming and projects, and we hope you get involved. Read on for more on these opportunities.

In Partnership,

The Clean Lakes Alliance Team

Read More

Welcome to Waves in the Watershed, an in-depth newsletter for donors of the Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA). Waves in the Watershed will come out every two months and will detail the progress that the CLA is making toward our goal of reducing phosphorus in the Yahara watershed by 50% by 2025 and in engaging the community in our efforts.

Please note – the Lake-o-Gram will continue to be delivered to the inboxes of over 7000 individuals who have expressed a general interest in the CLA’s initiatives and events. The Lake-o-Gram is a brief digest that promotes upcoming events and volunteer opportunities and includes highlights and snapshots of what we’re working on. 

In Partnership,

The Clean Lakes Alliance Executive Team
Don Heilman, James Tye and Elizabeth Katt-Reinders

Read More