Fun finds around the Yahara Watershed
Although the most beloved beaches and piers are popular for good reason, there are also some hidden gems around the watershed that may just become your new favorite as we practice social distancing!
Hidden Gems
Loop the Lake Virtual Bike Ride
June 14, 2020 @ 7:00 pm – June 21, 2020 @ 6:59 pm
Loop the Lake VIRTUAL Bike Ride: Choose your own course!
We’re going VIRTUAL! Support clean, healthy lakes wherever you are for Clean Lakes Alliance’s Loop the Lake VIRTUAL Bike Ride. Our annual bike ride around Lake Monona will look a little different this year as we follow social distancing guidelines. Instead, we invite you to bike, walk, run, canoe, or simply MOVE for our lakes from Monday, June 15th through Sunday, June 21st. All registered participants will receive a super-soft event tee. Event proceeds will support Clean Lakes Alliance’s work to protect and improve our lakes through on-the-ground projects, educational programs, and water quality monitoring.Loop the Lake 2020
Monday, June 15 – Sunday, June 21, 2020 ANYWHERE! $35 per rider FREE for children 10 & under with purchase of adult registrationRead more about the 2020 Loop the Lake Virtual Bike Ride
Related Events
Yahara CLEAN Compact, Charting A Path Forward
A shared vision for clean, safe, and accessible lakes
In August 2019, leaders from government, business, and nonprofit organizations came together with a shared vision. The vision included a future in which Greater Madison’s five Yahara lakes are clean, safe, and accessible for everyone. Together, the 19 partners and collaborators formed the Yahara CLEAN Compact and committed to sharing resources and working together to curb pollution and chart the best path forward to cleaner, healthier lakes.
8 Ways to Get Involved in 2020
Take the next step and support our lakes!
Are you looking for a way to connect with our lakes this spring and summer? Here are 8 ways you can support Clean Lakes Alliance as we work toward protecting and improving the lakes of the Yahara Watershed.
2019 Water Quality Monitoring Results
Overview
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.
Lake Leadership Spotlight
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.
2018 State of the Lakes Report
2018 takeaways
- Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms appeared in our lakes at an alarming scale, highlighting continued challenges with water quality.
- 72% of beach closures from Memorial Day to August 20th were due to cyanobacteria blooms
- June continues to be the biggest month for cyanobacteria blooms for the fourth year
Ice cover on Madison’s lakes
“Ice off” declaration from Wisconsin State Climatology Office
The Wisconsin State Climatology Office declared “ice off” for Lake Mendota and Lake Monona on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Lake Wingra’s “ice off” was declared on March 28, 2019. Lake Mendota recorded 86 days of ice during the winter of 2018/19, while Lake Monona had 97 days of ice and Lake Wingra had 111 days of ice cover.
There’s More to Lake Levels
Clean Lakes Alliance Statement to Dane County Lake Level Task Force
This statement was presented by Clean Lakes Alliance Executive Director James Tye to the Dane County Lake Level Task Force on March 5, 2019.
Clean Lakes Alliance applauds the leadership of the Dane County Board and the Dane County Executive in putting $12 million toward flood recovery and lake improvement projects in the 2019 budget, and in creating the Technical Work Group and task force to address recent flooding around the Yahara Chain of Lakes. We believe these initiatives help move us toward becoming a more resilient community. But we need to work together as a community to address the increasing volume of water and runoff BEFORE it enters our lakes and waterways.
2018 Water Quality Monitoring Results
Yahara Lakes 2018 Water Quality Monitoring Results
Overview
From May to September of 2018, 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. Visual observations included presence of algal blooms (green/blue-green), floating plant debris, swimmers, waterfowl, wave intensity, and general water appearance. Volunteers report conditions on our website, Lakeforecast.org. The website displays updated data in real time.
Highlights
- 79 near-shore and 7 offshore monitoring stations on all five Yahara lakes (Figure 1)
- Weekly off-shore measurement of Secchi depth on all five lakes
- Measured temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles on all five lakes (seven sites total)
- Weekly monitoring continued at all 25 public beaches
- 44% increase in number of condition reports from 2017 (Table 1)
- Collected continuous near-shore temperature measurements at 17 sites on lakes Mendota, Monona, and Waubesa, and Kegonsa
- Implemented E. coli sampling and cyanobacteria toxin testing pilots
- Averaged 2.3 condition reports per site each week across all sites
- Continued weekly Weekend Lake Reports with over 77,000 views on social media
