Lake Wingra Monitoring Volunteers Update – April 19, 2019 For the last three days, a flock of Red Breasted Mergansers have stopped on our lake to rest and feed (Figure 1 and featured image above). We saw them diving in…
Lake Wingra Monitoring Volunteers Update – April 17, 2019 Birds migrating north are beginning to stop over in Lake Wingra. We recently had the fun of watching a flock of migrating Bonparte’s Gulls diving into the lake to catch fish…
Sounds of delight were heard as students from Toki middle school caught fish in the waters around the Lake Wingra dam (Figure 1). The fishing action was steady with Wingra’s large supply of pan fish. The students’…
June 24, 2018 A large decrease in water clarity did not discourage young anglers from trying their luck in Lake Wingra last weekend. Joseph Julie was spotted catching blue gills on the Arboretum side of the lake (Figure 1). …
By Peter Nause The beginning of the Madison Park System in 1931 grew out of the rich legacy of the “Park & Pleasure Drive Association” starting in the 1890’s by wealthy benefactors with notable names we recognize today as parks…
By Roger Bannerman Rain gardens help improve the quality of our lakes by capturing pollutants and infiltrating runoff. One additional benefit for Lake Wingra is that increased infiltration can help restore spring flows, which is the main source of year-round…
by Casey Hanson A lot of activity is happening in our watershed this year! We have Monroe Street construction, Vilas bridges reconstruction, Wingra shoreline restoration, and more. While many of these activities are physical in nature, some aren’t visible to…
By Casey Hanson Beach and boat season are almost in full swing! These activities are relaxing, playful, adventurous, and downright unpredictable. To borrow from Forest Gump’s mama, having an experience with aquatic vegetation (aka macrophytes) “is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to…
by Phil Gaebler, City of Madison Engineering The Monroe Street reconstruction project is underway and the City would like to provide an overview of the erosion control and post construction storm water management. During the actual construction process, the Monroe Street project is taking efforts…
By Casey Hanson Lake Wingra’s natural setting and calm waters may lead you to believe that erosion is not a large concern there, but it is at Wingra Park. Erosion, a natural process that results in part from…
