An interview with a Dane County Aquatic Plant Harvester Operator
If you’ve spent time around any of Greater Madison’s lakes, you’ve probably seen these large machines in action. Unofficially and incorrectly known as “weed cutters,” the machines and their operators play a vital role in keeping our lakes open to everyone. The proper name for the machine is aquatic plant harvester, because they’re not just cutting weeds, they’re harvesting and removing vegetation from our lakes.
So how do they work? What are they doing? Who is out there driving them? Clean Lakes Alliance visited Lake Monona on a beautiful August day to ride along on one of Dane County’s aquatic plant harvesters driven by Donn Kidd to get some answers.
Riding along with Donn Kidd on one of Dane County’s aquatic plant harvesters on Lake Monona in 2023, photo courtesy Dane County
Join us for this in-person or virtual hybrid edition of Clean Lakes 101 to learn about the existence and demise of glacial Lake Yahara. Register as an in-person attendee or to receive a Zoom link through your confirmation email and watch virtually.
Register by entering your information in the box below
About this Talk
Following the retreat of the last glaciers from Wisconsin a glacial lake formed along the retreating ice margin in the Madison area. Known as glacial Lake Yahara, this lake covered the footprint of the modern four lakes of Madison at a slightly higher lake level and persisted for several thousand years following local deglaciation.
In conjunction with research into a nearby, former glacial lake in Dodge and Jefferson counties, a series of sediment cores was collected from low-lying marshes in the Madison area. These targeted locations would have been inundated by glacial Lake Yahara but exposed as the lake level eventually fell. The cores provide chronologic and environmental data on the existence and demise of this lake.
About our Speaker
Eric Carson is a research geologist with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; he is also currently serving as Interim Director and State Geologist for the WGNHS. He received his B.S. (Geology) from West Virginia University, and both his M.S. (Geology) and Ph.D. (double major, Geology and Geography) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has 20 years’ experience in academia and research. His research at the WGNHS investigates the timing of the last glaciation in Wisconsin, processes associated with rivers and flooding, and how landscapes evolve over timescales ranging from thousands to tens of millions of years.
Event Details
This event will be held at The Edgewater hotel – grand ballroom level 5 (1001 Wisconsin Pl, Madison, WI 53703). Doors open at 7:30 a.m. The program runs from 8 – 9 a.m. A Q/A session will follow the presentation as time allows. Complimentary event parking will be available at The Edgewater parking ramp. Parking spots fill up quickly and may be limited depending on hotel capacity.
A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants in a confirmation email.
NEW! Join us for the first ever Frozen Assets Pond Hockey Tournament on rinks built right on frozen Lake Mendota! Come early for a stop at The Boathouse at The Edgewater for a brew from the beer garden and then gather round the rinks. Teams will play from 4 – 8 p.m., with the finals on Friday, February 3rd.
Clean Lakes Alliance is proud to partner with the Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation, along with other local organizations, to fund and implement a lakeshore restoration along 294 feet of Lake Mendota shoreline. Located at the iconic Executive Residence, the project will replace 7,184 square feet of existing turf with 32 species of native plants, wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs. In all, a total of 3,177 native plants will be added to the shoreline area!
Support clean, healthy lakes with Clean Lakes Alliance’s 10th Annual Loop the Lake Bike Ride. Join us in person on the official Monona Lake Loop by starting and ending at Olbrich Park on Saturday, June 18th. Or, choose to ride, walk, run, or paddle virtually, from anywhere Saturday, June 11th – Sunday, June 19th.
Loop the Lake is more than a bike ride – it’s an opportunity for our community to rally around our lakes! 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.
Join us in person on the official Monona Lake Loop by starting and ending at Olbrich Park (3527 Atwood Avenue, Madison) on Saturday, June 18th. The course will be open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. so that riders can ride at their own convenience. Riders will travel 12 miles clockwise around Lake Monona.
About the Ride: Virtual – choose your own course (Saturday, June 11th – Sunday, June 19th)
Participants may ride, walk, run, paddle, or rollerblade along any route they choose! Share your enthusiasm for our lakes and encourage others to join by sharing photos and videos from your Loop the Lake adventure with the #LooptheLake hashtag!
Want to mimic the original Loop the Lake route? Feel free to head over to Lake Monona and follow the “Lake Loop” bike path clockwise or find a 12-mile loop in your neighborhood! You could also ride around Monona Bay, Lake Wingra, or your favorite lakeshore bike path!
Registration includes an event t-shirt, courtesy of Lands’ End. Your registration supports critical work by Clean Lakes Alliance to keep our lakes at the top of the community agenda.
Registration: $40 per in-person rider, $50 per virtual rider or in-person rider wishing to have t-shirts mailed. FREE for children 10 & under with purchase of adult registration.
Registrations are transferable but non-refundable. In the event of cancellation, registrations and sponsorships will not be refunded. Thank you for your donation to Clean Lakes Alliance!
T-Shirt Distribution
Please select your t-shirt size by Monday, May 2nd to make sure you receive your t-shirt before the event. T-shirts can be mailed to your home or business if you select the $50 ticket option. Otherwise, you may pick up your t-shirt(s) on Saturday, June 18th at Olbrich Park (3527 Atwood Avenue, Madison) from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Participant Safety
Be safe during the Loop the Lake Bike Ride! Obey all traffic laws, be careful of cars sharing the road, and wear a helmet. Participants should obey all social distancing guidelines.
If you would like to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact our Executive Director James Tye at james@cleanlakesalliance.org or 608-255-1000.
FAQs
What is the refund policy? Registrations are transferable but non-refundable. In the event of cancellation, registrations and sponsorships will not be refunded. Thank you for your donation to Clean Lakes Alliance!
In 2020 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.
Contact us at 608-255-1000 learn about opportunities for the 2020 event, including foursomes and sponsorships.
About Fore! Lakes
Clean Lakes Alliance hosts the annual Fore! Lakes Golf Outing to support ongoing lake protection and improvement efforts. The event is designed, organized, and led by a team of dedicated and talented volunteers.
Dedicated volunteers and committee members enlist community volunteers and secure sponsors for 18 holes and prizes for a raffle. By bringing in foursomes, Fore! Lakes draws in new stakeholders to our lake improvement efforts.
We are pleased to partner with Nakoma Golf Club for this event on Friday, September 11, 2020.
Fore! Lakes Golf Outing fulfills public outreach and community involvement elements of Clean Lakes Alliance’s mission, strengthens public-private partnerships, raises funds for our operations and projects to improve water quality, and builds partnerships with the golfing community.
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.
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.
Join Clean Lakes Alliance for our 2020 Frozen Assets 5K and run or walk ENTIRELY on a frozen lake!
Take a break from the hilly pavement and bring your stride to the ice. In this 5K race, participants will run, walk, or snowshoe across the ice on iconic Lake Mendota with beautiful views of downtown Madison. The course will start and end at The Edgewater, right in the heart of the Frozen Assets Festival!
The event will be chip-timed for runners, or sign up for the walk pass for an untimed event. Awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers.
Ice Access
You may access the ice down The Edgewater outdoor stairs, indoors through The Edgewater, at the end of N. Carroll Street to the west, and from James Madison Park to the east.
The sixth annual Frozen Assets Festival will take place on Saturday, February 8th at The Edgewater. As always, this family-friendly daytime event will be FREE and open to all. Learn more at cleanlakesalliance.org/frozen-assets.
Weather
Race organizers reserve the right to alter the course due to factors including, but not limited to, ice conditions and weather. If conditions are deemed unsafe, the event may be cancelled or moved to an alternate location. Participants will be notified of any changes ahead of the event.
Sponsorships
If you would like to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, email our Development Director, Laura Strickland, at laura@cleanlakesalliance.org.
FAQs
Is there parking available? Participants may park at The Edgewater parking ramp. You may also find street parking or use City of Madison parking ramps.
When can I check-in or pick up my bag? Participant check-in and registration the day of the event will begin at 9 a.m. on Lake Mendota at The Edgewater.
What happens if ice conditions are unsafe? Clean Lakes Alliance will make every effort to hold this event, while keeping safety in mind for all competitors. If conditions are deemed unsafe, the event may be cancelled or moved to an alternate location, with entrance fees being considered a tax-deductible donation to support our lakes. Participants will be notified of any changes ahead of the event.
What is the refund policy? Registrations are transferrable and non-refundable. Thank you in advance for your donation to support our lakes!
