Raising Public Awareness
The State of the Lakes Report
Scientists and lake enthusiasts have been recording data about our lakes since the mid-1800s. From ice records, to fish counts and water levels the amount of information about Dane County lakes rivals the most studied regions in the world. Nevertheless most Wisconsinites lack a single authoritative source describing the health of our lakes organized in a user-friendly format. The first annual State of the Lakes Report will provide a broad review of the status of the lakes of the Yahara Watershed. Utilizing local government data along with data from the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology, and scientific agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the State of the Lakes Report will bring together information from a variety of sources into one comprehensive reader friendly package for the local community.
The State of the Lakes Report will be a ten to fifteen page report on the health of the lakes in the Yahara Watershed. This project will include data related to ice cover, water levels, beach closures, storm/weather events, weed tonnage, Secchi water quality data and Phosphorus Loading from the Yahara and Pheasant Branch tributaries and more.
