And….we’re back!

Greetings Lake Fans! Hope everyone had a great summer. We sure did – lots of activities and even more meetings! Our momentum is almost breathtaking. So much to share…so little room. We’ll have more summer fun updates next month.

Sincere thanks for your continued support.

Dane County Water Champion Awards

In early June, the Clean Lakes Alliance hosted an awards reception at the Edgewater Hotel. This is the second year we have hosted the event, and we were happy to be part of the special awards going to Kathleen Falk and Dave Cieslewicz for their support and love of our lakes. Great lake friends, and fun fare – culminating in a sweet thunderstorm rolling across Lake Mendota.

Yahara Pride Farm Conservation Team

With the help of Kevin Connors at Dane County Land and Water Resources, a fantastic group of energetic, progressive farmers has formed a strategic committee to help self-organize the farm community. The team has been meeting monthly since February at our CLA offices and has made a ton of progress in identifying best land-management practices and beginning to lay out an incentive and recognition-based plan that will lead to better farmland conservation.

We are excited to have the following Ag Professionals on the committee: Jeff Endres, Dave Fahey, Will Hensen, Rob Klink, Walter Meinholz, Bob Uphoff

Ex Officio: Kevin Connors, Dave Merritt

City Slickers: Don and James

September Community Board Meeting Highlights

1. A presentation from InVision, which is donating services to develop not only a business plan for organizing CLA but also a strategic plan for the 2012 launch of the Clean Lakes Initiative.
2. A report on the 5th Annual Clean Lakes Festival held on August 27 2011, which raised nearly $100,000 and drew a record attendance of 4,000-plus people who enjoyed fun-filled day connecting to our lakes.
3. News that CLA has secured/requested $155,000 in dedicated funds and commitments to finance an Engineering Report that will prioritize all activities related to a 50-percent phosphorous reduction in the Yahara Watershed.
4. A presentation on Adaptive Management under consideration at the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District. This strategy involves meeting the Rock River Basin total maximum daily load (TMDL) by investing in targeted Yahara Watershed improvements rather than spending at least twice as much for a brick-and-mortar addition to deal with problems such as storm-water outfalls.

Strategic Direction Committee

This past spring, the Community Board determined that the best way to identify the direction of the Alliance in terms of watershed work was to pare down to a strategic direction committee and meet more frequently to chart our course.

Committee members:

• Lloyd Eagan – DNR
• Kevin Connors – Dane County
• Sue Jones – Dane County
• Greg Fries – City of Madison
• Genesis Steinhorst – City of Madison
• Lars Barber – Baird
• John Magnuson – UW Limnology
• Dave Taylor – MMSD
• Randy Peterson – Lands’ End
• Tom Groth – Thermo Fisher
• Mike Gerner – CLA
• John Kothe – CLA

Here are the highlights of their progress so far:

• Set a goal of 50 percent reduction of phosphorus to the lakes.
• Agreed that the Yahara CLEAN report had the information needed to develop a road map to achieve the goal.
• Determined that a private engineering firm with Yahara Watershed knowledge would be best suited to create the road map.
• Created an RFP and sent it to six local/regional firms.
• Reviewed proposals and presentations and chose Strand Associates as the firm best suited for this task.
• Set January 15 as the completion date of the road map.

Lots of progress…and lots more work to do. Stay tuned for next steps!

Aquapalooza – A Wet Music Fest!

In late July the Clean Lakes Alliance joined Skipper Bud’s in hosting Aquapalooza near Picnic Point on Lake Mendota. Hundreds of boats and a floating band stage rocked the lake for the 90º afternoon. Raised money. Raised Awareness. Raised a glass to Madison’s lakes.

Clean Lakes Festival - A splash for the whole family!

If you missed the fifth annual Clean Lakes Festival…you missed a great time. A sun-kissed day at Olin Park, with Madison’s beautiful skyline as a backdrop, the Festival was filled with boats and music and food and fun for everyone.

Thousands of lake lovers landed at Olin beach early in the day to enjoy canoes, kayaks and paddleboards from Wingra Boats. They tried their hands at rowing with the Camp Randall Rowing Club. And they rolled around the beach on a log with the Madison Log Rolling Club.

Free Betty Lou cruise rides were provided by the Clean Lakes Alliance all day and into the night.

As afternoon disappeared, the Mad-City Ski Team took to the water for a fun ski show. Then Steez hit the sound stage for the last of four concerts held throughout the day. It’s hard to explain the atmosphere with a great band playing and the by-now glistening city lights at their backs. Madison at its finest.

The event again raised nearly $100,000 from festival proceeds and generous sponsors. Thanks to everyone who had a chance to join us.

See you next year!

CLA in the News

It was hard to miss us on TV, radio and print this summer. We were very honored to kickoff our lake season with a panel on WISC’s “For the Record” show with Neil Heinen. You can watch that show here.

CLA was also featured in the Lakes issue of Madison Magazine in June, in editorials at Wisconsin State Journal in June and July, and lots of coverage before and during the festival. Ads for our Crazy4Lakes.com website ran all summer long on Channel 3 and channel3000.com

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

To our wonderful sponsors, members and donors that have made 2011 a breakthrough year for the Yahara Lakes: Without your support, we would not be able to maintain our momentum and keep the fire lit under this important cause.

The complete list of supporters is updated regularly on the Clean Lakes Alliance website.

New Business Members of the Alliance

• American Family Insurance
• Placon Corporation
• Metcalfe’s Market
• CG Schmidt
• CresaPartners
• Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
• HyCite Corporation
• ATC
• Bruce Company
• UW Alumni Association

New Friends of Clean Lakes

• Natural Heritage Land Trust
• Friends of Lake Waubesa
• New Community
• Board Members
• Bob Miller, Monona Mayor
• D. Michael Mucha, Chief Engineer and Director at Madison Metro Sewerage District
• Katie Crawley, Assistant to the Mayor of Madison
• Melissa Mallot, Chair, Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission
• Bryan Thompson, Lake Kegonsa Representative
• Jim Welsh, Executive Director, Natural Heritage Land Trust

Contact us Anytime!

Don Heilman
don@cleanlakesalliance.com

James Tye
james@cleanlakesalliance.com

Phone:608.836.6973

The Lake-O-Gram is intended to keep our members and partners up to date with our current efforts. If you have any suggestions to improve our Alliance or this newsletter, please let us know.

Thank you for your support of our lakes.

Striving to return to a clean and thriving watershed.

Science Forum yields Big Ideas

The first Yahara Lakes Science Forum, sponsored by Thermo Fisher was very successful… and enlightening. Many of the participants were among the initial authors of the Yahara CLEAN report and have significant knowledge about our watershed. Add to that a new mix of private sector minds and it made for great atmosphere for everyone. Thanks to the following people for their participation:

Steve R. Carpenter, UW-Madison Center for Limnology
Paul Hanson, Center for Limnology
Jennifer Hauxwell, Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources
Jeffery Hirsch, Thermo Fischer Scientific
Dominic O’Donnell, ThermoFischer Scientific
Randall D. Jackson, UW-Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences
Chris Kucharik, UW-Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences
Richard C. Lathrop, UW-Madison Gaylord Nelson Inst Environmental Study
Jim Lorman, Edgewood College
Mark Reidel, Baird
John J Magnuson, UW-Madison College of Letters and Science
Michael Parsen, University of Wisconsin-Extension
Dale Robertson, U.S. Geological Survey Wisconsin Water Science Center

First Annual Friends of the Lakes Conference

Will be held Saturday April 2, at Edgewood College, hosted by CLA Community Board member Dr. Jim Lorman. The purpose of the conference is to gather the many grass roots organizations in the area that spend lots of time and energy to keep our lakes and streams clean and to share with each other the vision for the watershed. Information about a new endowment fund setup at Madison Community Foundation will be unveiled as well as the plans to allow for future grants to be written to these kinds of organizations to help in their efforts. Should be exciting!

Aquapalooza will be a big splash for the lakes!

The Clean Lakes Alliance and Skipper Buds are teaming up to produce the third annual Aquapalooza floating music concert near Picnic Point on Lake Mendota.
Save Sunday July 31st for some great water fun and bring your boat and party attitude. Mid Life Crisis is jammin the tunes and DL Anderson is floating the stage. Fun stuff on the water.

Clean Lakes Open House Series

Starting in the spring/summer of 2011, The Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA) is planning a series of small open houses on all fours lakes. The open house(s) will be hosted by current friends, family and supporters of CLA who live on a lake. The host(s) will invite their immediate neighbors to come over on a weekday early evening to introduce them to the CLA staff, board members and start a conversation about what is needed to do to clean up the Yahara Watershed.

If you are interested in hosting a CLEAN LAKE OPEN HOUSE please contact James at james@cleanlakesalliance.com.

The Corporate Gauntlet has been thrown

Spectrum Brands is extending a challenge to the other sponsors of the Clean Lakes Festival as well as larger employers in Madison to compete “biz to biz” in a series of events the day of the festival. The competition is yet to be determined, but may include paddling, log rolling, water skiing endurance, frisbee golf. More to follow.

The challenge also extends to fundraising for the lakes. Dave Lumley, CEO of Spectrum Brands is formally challenging CEOs of other large companies to engage their employees and vendors to raise money. We all win!

Retain the Rain Workshop

UW-Extension and Sustain Dane are offering a workshop on rain gardens, rain barrels and drip irrigation on Saturday, April 9, 2011. The workshop will explain how rain gardens and rain barrels work, how to plan for and install them, as well as how to install a drip irrigation system. These simple yet effective tools help conserve water, and help water soak into the ground instead of allowing storm water pollution to make its way to our lakes and streams.

The cost for the workshop is $5 and the registration form can be found online here. Registration is open to the public. Details of the Plant Dane! Cost-Share Program will also be covered for those interested in ordering plants for their gardens and yards.

Many find replacing turf and ornamental plants with plant species native to Wisconsin a rewarding landscape alternative. Once established, natives do not require the maintenance inputs that turf and ornamentals need. Yet, native wildflowers provide blooms season round and provide a home for beneficial insects and food for birds.

Space is limited, so register today!

Contact:
Marcia Hartwig
MAMSWaP Storm Water Education Coordinator
608-224-3746, hartwig@co.dane.wi.us
www.myfairlakes.com

CLA Field Trip to Milwaukee

As findings from our current Cultural Planning process show, Madisonians are broadening their definitions of art and its place in our public spaces. We are looking more and more to integrating art and the environment, and at solutions that will improve storm water handling and enhance shoreline design.

My name is Karin Wolf and I am the Arts Administrator for the City of Madison. On a recent “Art, Innovation and Water” tour, I brought Clean Lakes Alliance Development Director James Tye to see some of Milwaukee’s most successful examples of ecological art and creative design.

Entering Milwaukee along the Hank Aaron State Trail, we saw examples of interpretive signage, public art (like kathryn e. martin’s “A Place to Sit,” a grouping of high-back chairs that honor the spirit and people of Wisconsin’s American Indian tribes), shallow marsh plant and prairie restoration projects, and how well designed overlooks and resting spots can be used to enhance a multi-use path.

We then went to the Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin. Here, we were able to witness connections between innovation, science, technology and the environment in interactive exhibits. We also walked along the pier that is used all summer as a floating classroom for water education and conservation programs, day and night sail launches, and private receptions.  From there we visited Sweetwater Organics, an urban farm located in an unused warehouse in the Bay View neighborhood, that uses aquaponics to grow fresh, safe produce and fish for local Milwaukee residents, restaurants and groceries. While there, we had the opportunity to talk with UW Milwaukee art students who, as part of a service learning project, are designing the educational classroom spaces that will allow Sweetwater volunteers to teach Milwaukee public school students about urban agriculture, nutrition, and water.

We concluded the visit with a trip to the Urban Ecology Center, a neighborhood-based, environmental education, nonprofit. The Center, which transformed a formerly underutilized urban park into an active learning center, inspired us with their green building techniques and creative uses of storm water for everything from flushing toilets to creating an attractive pond. There students can learn about the environment in ways that are creative, hands on and fun.

Following a very full day, James and I headed back to Madison inspired by the integration of art, history, ecology, and planning. As Madison continues to define and refine their creative vision for our shoreline I am happy they have expressed that art and design should be a core part of that vision.

Karin Wolf
kwolf@cityofmadison.com

Congratulations to Stephen Carpenter

Limnologist Stephen Carpenter, a scientist and Stephen Alfred Forbes Professor of Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been awarded the 2011 Stockholm Water Prize — the top award for scientists studying water-related activities.

The award, which comes with $150,000 and a specially designed crystal sculpture, honors individuals and organizations “whose work contributes broadly to the conservation and protection of water resources and to improved health of the planet’s inhabitants and ecosystems,” according to the group.

Children’s Museum makes lakes a priority

Thanks to the generous and supportive efforts of the Madison Children’s Museum, a portable lakes exhibit will be created to help with education at the K-4 level and will mark the return of “SeeMore the Bluegill”. The exhibit is set for initial display at the Clean Lakes Festival and will be available for use by groups and schools within the watershed area.

Talks are underway for an expanded watershed exhibition at the museum too. Mad fun for the whole family!

All Aboard!

Betty Lou Cruise Boats are going to be running non-stop at the Clean Lakes Festival, thanks to the generous accommodations of the Von Rutenberg Family. A schedule will be published and advance reservations will be taken. These rides are a big hit and we are thankful we can offer extended service.

Save the Date!

Don’t miss the Clean Lakes Festival this summer on Saturday August 27, 2011 at Olin Park.

The CLF Planning Committee is in full swing with a complete reorganization of the grounds and a revised timetable for events. Four bands are booked and the beer is ordered. The boats are just waiting for the ice to melt.

Meet the CLA Community Board

The Community Board is comprised of a vast cross section of stakeholders, community stewards and government agencies that represent the Yahara Watershed and steer the efforts of the Clean Lakes Alliance. It is a growing and evolving group of community leaders and organizations. Members, and/or proposed positions, have been identified through interview and referral by other members. The board is purposefully seeking high-ranking officials, owners, and policy makers to ensure that the process moves efficiently and effectively. The vacancies indicated on the attached list should be filled within the next 60/90 days.

Community Board Member List

New Members of the Alliance

Sandy Ager

Dennis Presser

Skipper Buds

Bob Sorge

University Book Store

Clean Lakes Festival Sponsors

Lands’ End

Spectrum Brands

DeJope Gaming

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Skipper Buds

Alliant Energy

MG&E

The Gialamas Company

UBS The Burish Group

Baird and Associates

Wisconsin Distributors

John Roach Projects

Clear Channel Radio

Thanks Gialamas!

For our generously donated offices and utilities.

Contact us Anytime!

Don Heilman
don@cleanlakesalliance.com

James Tye
james@cleanlakesalliance.com

Phone:608.836.6973

First Community Board Meeting

The first CLA Community Board meeting took place on January 18 in the boardroom at Spectrum Brands, thanks to Dave Lumley, CEO. The time was spent getting the group up to speed on our developments to date. A clear direction came from the board – to focus on funding a “project manager” position that will create a master plan for implementation of the 70 recommendations of the Yahara CLEAN report – compiled by government agencies over the past several years. We have entitled this first phase “The Yahara Watershed Initiative.” Next meeting date is March 15.

Spectrum Brands has really stepped up as an organization in this effort with strong financial support, employee engagement … and they are bringing the Spectrum company picnic to the Clean Lakes Festival!

Click here to see who is on the Community Board

Madison Mayor buys in

Mike Gerner (Community Board Chair), James and Don attended a meeting with Mayor Dave and his staff to lay out our objectives. After some discussion, the mayor agreed to support and pursue a budget amendment to invest in a public/private partnership for the “Yahara Watershed Initiative.”

$25,000. Good first step.

County likes the idea too

Topf Wells(County Executive Chief of Staff) and Dave Merritt(Director of Policy & Program Development ) were very receptive to ourplan to hire a top shelf person to create the initial plan. After some discussion, it was suggested that this person be someone that could not only weave through government channels and mounds of data, but coordinate the development and long-term implementation of the plan.

In addition to the County’s commitment in their 2011 budget of over
$200,000 to the Clean Lakes Initiative (for which the Alliance spoke in favor) — one full-time phosphorus trading program staffperson (Dave Merritt) and additional non-point phosphorus reduction program dollars, the County agreed to assist with a significant contribution for the recruiting, advertising, supervising, and housing the new position at the Office of Lakes and Watersheds.

Dane County Towns Association is engaged

A presentation was made to their executive board and we fielded questions. All are aware of the need to accelerate our actions and they will be very helpful with our work in the ag community in the future.

The “Initiative” is a group effort

As you can see, there will be a number of investors in the “Initiative” to create a plan. In addition to the City and County, we are actively pursuing private and corporate sponsors to round out a diverse group that will oversee the first-phase project. A public/private partnership.

Party at Sardine!

Phillip and John at Sardine have agreed to produce two events to help us raise money and awareness! The first one will be a VIP invite-only reception to educate and engage the most influential players in Madison. David Mollenhoff has already agreed to speak.

The second will be a run/walk in downtown Madison. Preliminary idea is to start at Marigold and end up at Sardine for a BIG party outside. Grills, Bands, Tent. Phillip says it’s all about the party. All in favor say “Aye!”

Dick Lathrop is a wealth of knowledge!

Had a great sit down with Dick, a former DNR and UW Research Scientist, at the CLA offices last week and learned a lot about the history and his ideas for solutions. Dick will make a brief presentation to the CLA Community Board on March 15.

David Mollenhoff is inspiring…and inspired.

After years of preaching to the choir, David sees the promise of the CLA “Initiative” and has agreed to help with presentations to the various stakeholder groups we will be assembling, as well as help define our vision for the watershed. Thanks David!

Kevin Connors and the Ag world

Kevin Conners (Director) and his staff at Dane County Land and Water Resources spent a good deal of time with us last week sharing the processes and budgets they currently work with. Wasn’t difficult to see that they have a great crew that has a great relationship with the farmers; just not enough money to make a dent in the issues with phosphorus runoff. Kevin and Pat Sutter are pulling together some basic data for us that will include numbers of farms, cows, etc. for the ag part of our presentations.

Save the Date!

Don’t miss the Clean Lakes Festival this summer on Saturday August 27, 2011 at Olin Park.

Science Forum on tap

The Clean Lakes Alliance is hosting the first-ever Science Forum next month. An expert panel of scientists, limnologists, hydrologists assembled by Steve Carpenter of UW Madison to frankly discuss the issues and solutions of the Yahara Watershed. More details to follow.

LANDS’ END

LANDS’ END has again agreed to the title sponsorship of the Clean Lakes Festival for 2011 and will be taking on a stronger position with the Alliance and engaging their employees in the cause. More to follow.

Thanks Lands’ End!

New Members of the Alliance

Gordon Flesch Company

Smith & Gesteland

Yahara Lakes Association

Doug Bach

Jane and Chris Clark

Michael Gay

Patrick and Kim Walters

YLA Board

Yahara Lakes Association has asked Clean Lakes Alliance to appoint a representative to their board.

Thanks Gialamas!

Special thanks to The Gialamas Company for the generous donation of the Clean Lakes Alliance offices and utilities.

2010 Clean Lakes Festival Sponsors

Lands’ End

Spectrum Brands

DeJope Gaming

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Alliant Energy

MG&E

The Gialamas Company

UBS The Burish Group

Baird and Associates

Wisconsin Distributors

John Roach Projects

Clear Channel Radio

Contact us Anytime!

Don Heilman
don@cleanlakesalliance.com

James Tye
james@cleanlakesalliance.com

Phone:608.836.6973