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May2022 Training with FOLKS

LakeForecast water quality monitoring in 2022

 In 2022, our volunteers embarked on the 10th season of LakeForecast water quality monitoring. This work involved collecting nearshore condition reports at piers, beaches, parks, and access points around the five Yahara lakes. From May through September, volunteers measured water clarity, recorded air and water temperature, identified the presence of green algae and cyanobacteria, and noted additional visual observations. Reports are entered into the LakeForecast app where all data are updated in real time.

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Water Quality Monitoring

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. 

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Cyanobacteria on Lake Mendota at the Memorial Union

Cyanobacteria

All five Yahara lakes saw cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms throughout the summer of 2019. One bloom in particular on Lake Mendota was quite large, covering at least an area from Picnic Point to the Memorial Union on August 1st. The bloom was well-documented by photos from community members as having a green pea soup-like consistency.

Cyanobacteria blooms are often bright green, but can also appear in shades of brown, blue, and white. Typically, blooms are spotted on warm days with calm winds. On August 1st, Madison reported a high of 81 degrees with an average wind speed of two miles per hour. 

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Flooded pier on Lake Mendota

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.

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Lake Mendota Ice

This is the start of something big

A message from Clean Lakes Alliance Executive Director, James Tye

Dear Friends,

As we close the books on a difficult year for our lakes, I want to take a moment to reflect on what went well, and what we can do to start 2019 off in the right direction.

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About the talk

Madison is defined by its lakes. The five lakes of the upper Yahara River create Madison’s unique geography as well as the recreational opportunities that enrich life in Dane County.

Fishing is one of the outstanding recreational activities the lakes provide. Each lake has its own character and resulting fish community – the different species of fish one can expect to find.

David’s presentation will discuss the methods the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources uses to survey and assess the fishes of the Madison lakes as well as an overview of each of the five lakes and their fish.

We’ll also be joined by local fishing guide Austin Ragotzkie of Blue Ribbon Outdoors who will give an angler’s perspective on fishing the five Yahara lakes.

About our speakers

David Rowe is the Fitchburg-area Fisheries Team Supervisor with the Wisconsin DNR.  David has worked for the department since 1998 when he started as an LTE with DNR Fisheries Research.  David grew up in Middleton Wisconsin, completed a Bachelor of Science in Zoology at University of Wisconsin- Madison, a Bachelor of Science in Education at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Masters of Science in Fisheries Biology at Iowa State University.

Austin Ragotzkie is a local fishing guide with Blue Ribbon Outdoors. Blue Ribbon Outdoors, founded in 2012, provides quality outdoors experiences in Southern Wisconsin as a premier guide service and outfitter. Blue Ribbon offers Lake Michigan charters, guided duck hunting trips, and ice fishing and shanty rentals on the Madison chain of lakes.

About the series

Yahara Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. Yahara Lakes 101 is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with hosting sponsor The Edgewater, presenting sponsor First Weber Group, supporting sponsor The Evjue Foundation, and media sponsor The Isthmus.

Yahara 101 is held both indoors and outdoors (weather permitting) at The Edgewater. Come at 7:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet and to enjoy your coffee, pastries, and fruit. The program begins at 8 a.m., and class is dismissed by 9 a.m.

If you already are a Friend of Clean Lakes (minimum $35 donation/year), then admission is free. Become a Friend today. If you are not a Friend yet, admission is $10 per event. Registration for each event is requested for all attendees. Special event parking will be available at The Edgewater.

Jake Vander Zanden and Mike Spear

About the talk: What do invasive zebra mussels and spiny water flea mean for water quality in the Madison lakes?

The Madison lakes have been invaded by two new invasive species in recent years – spiny water flea in 2009 and zebra mussel in 2015. Both species have important implications for the Madison lakes and the ongoing efforts to improve water quality through phosphorus loading reductions. Dr. Jake Vander Zanden talk about what these invasions mean for our lakes and water quality moving forward.

About our speaker

Jake Vander Zanden is a Professor at the Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research aims to understand how human activity impacts our lakes, and what we can do about it. Many of his recent studies have focused on the role of aquatic invasive species. While the primary emphasis of his work is the study of Wisconsin’s lakes, he has also worked in places such as Mongolia, Iceland, Mexico, and New Zealand. He maintains an active outreach program, and teaches the popular ‘Limnology’ and ‘Ecology of Fishes’ courses at UW-Madison.

About the series

Yahara Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. Yahara Lakes 101 is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with hosting sponsor The Edgewater, presenting sponsor First Weber Group, supporting sponsor The Evjue Foundation, and media sponsor The Isthmus.

Yahara 101 is held both indoors and outdoors (weather permitting) at The Edgewater. Come at 7:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet and to enjoy your coffee, pastries, and fruit. The program begins at 8 a.m., and class is dismissed by 9 a.m.

If you already are a Friend of Clean Lakes (minimum $35 donation/year), then admission is free. Become a Friend today. If you are not a Friend yet, admission is $10 per event. Registration for each event is requested for all attendees. Special event parking will be available at The Edgewater.

Jenny Seifert and Jeremy Solin

About the talk

Achieving a future with clean and healthy lakes and rivers requires new ways of thinking. This talk will present and engage participants in two innovative thinking tools that can enhance community engagement efforts among lake associations and related organizations. ThinkWater is a national initiative to promote and enable systems thinking in water education, outreach, and research. Yahara 2070 is a Wisconsin-based scenarios project intended to encourage long-term thinking in decision-making about land and water. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of these related ways of thinking and how they can employ them in their own outreach efforts.

About our speakers

Jenny Siefert is the Science Writer and Outreach Coordinator at the UW-Madison Water Sustainability and Climate Project.
Jeremy Solin is the Wisconsin ThinkWater Coordinator at University of Wisconsin-Extension.

About the series

Yahara Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. Yahara Lakes 101 is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with hosting sponsor The Edgewater, presenting sponsor First Weber Group, supporting sponsor The Evjue Foundation, and media sponsor The Isthmus.

Yahara 101 is held both indoors and outdoors (weather permitting) at The Edgewater. Come at 7:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet and to enjoy your coffee, pastries, and fruit. The program begins at 8 a.m., and class is dismissed by 9 a.m.

If you already are a Friend of Clean Lakes (minimum $35 donation/year), then admission is free. Become a Friend today. If you are not a Friend yet, admission is $10 per event. Registration for each event is requested for all attendees. Special event parking will be available at The Edgewater.

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