Clean Lakes Alliance

10/16/2026

🍁 Thinking of doing some raking this weekend? Raking leaves out of the street edge (three feet from the curb) and onto your lawn is a great way to help our lakes from your home.

🍂 Leaves contain phosphorus, and when they break down, they can create one of the largest sources of urban phosphorus pollution. 50% of the annual phosphorus loading to our lakes from urban areas comes from fall leaf debris in the streets.

Leaves can also be composted or used as mulch around your yard or properly bagged/piled on the grass street terrace for municipal collection. View the list of municipal leaf collection guidelines:

Leaves are one of the largest sources of urban phosphorus pollution. You can help by raking leaves from the street! Learn how you can help our lakes.

10/15/2026

Learn how Public Health Madison & Dane County monitors water quality at public beaches, uses field observations and lab results to inform beach closures, and tracks the sources of bacteria that can impact recreational waters.

Watch the presentation: https://youtu.be/RJIgoQAFfrY

Thank you sponsors: NGL Insurance Company, The East Side Club, Johnson Financial Group, Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership (Extension Lakes), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, UW-Madison, WKOW 27, Alliant Energy, and Ashurst Perkins Coie. Thank you, Wisconsin Distributors for providing a free Bell's Brewery b**r for our Friends, and to Dana Fulton, our emcee.

About this talkPublic Health Madison & Dane County monitors water ...

10/14/2026

🌱 Healthy lands help support healthy lakes!
Clean Lakes Alliance is partnering with WKOW 27 for Lakes Week! Watch Tuesday’s story at Endres Berryridge Farms LLC in Waunakee and learn how cover crops and composted manure help improve soil health, reduce runoff, and keep phosphorus out of our lakes.

Watch:

WAUNAKEE, Wis. (WKOW) — After the fall harvest, many farmers are left with empty plots of land, which could lead to erosion and runoff.

10/13/2026

Clean Lakes Alliance is excited to partner with WKOW 27 for Lakes Week – watch all this week for stories about protecting our lakes and improving water quality across the Yahara Watershed. From construction and agriculture to beach monitoring and simple actions at home, discover how our community is working together for cleaner, healthier lakes! 💙

Watch Monday’s story:

MADISON (WKOW) — John Nolen Drive construction hits the one-year mark Tuesday. And while traffic headaches dominate drivers' concerns, the city is working to protect Madison's lakes throughout the massive

10/12/2026

Today, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor our partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation and recognize the deep history, culture, and connection to the land and water in our Teejop (Four Lakes) region.

As we work toward cleaner, healthier lakes, we’re grateful for opportunities to learn from the Ho-Chunk people and their longstanding relationship with the water and this place.

🎥 Learn more about this enduring connection in our award-winning short film, “Our Past Can Shape Our Future,” created in partnership with the Ho-Chunk Nation and Studio 88:

As we move forward to make our lakes better, Clean Lakes Alliance k...

10/11/2026

Join us for Clean Lakes 101 On Tap THIS Wednesday, October 14, at The East Side Club from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Learn howPublic Health Madison & Dane County monitors water quality at 27 beaches, uses field observations and lab results to inform beach closures, and tracks the sources of bacteria that can impact recreational waters.

Register:

Join us to learn how Public Health Madison & Dane County monitors beach water quality, informs closures, and tracks bacteria sources.

10/08/2026

🍁
In 2018, Clean Lakes Alliance helped fund a project in partnership with Friends of Lake Kegonsa Society to improve leaf management around Lake Kegonsa. Funding went toward a leaf vacuum, compostable bags, and educational materials to help residents learn how keeping leaves out of the street can protect water quality.

Why does leaf management matter? Leaves contain phosphorus, and when they collect in streets, rain can wash that phosphorus into storm drains and eventually into our lakes. Excess phosphorus can fuel algae and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) growth. The project showed how a simple fall practice can make a meaningful difference for our lakes. 🍂 Keep leaves out of the street, and keep phosphorus out of our lakes! 💙

Read more about the 2018 initiative: cleanlakesalliance.org/lake-kegonsa-leaf-management-project/

10/07/2026

Join us for Clean Lakes 101 On Tap on Wednesday, October 14, at The East Side Club from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Learn how Public Health Madison & Dane County monitors water quality at 27 beaches, uses field observations and lab results to inform beach closures, and tracks the sources of bacteria that can impact recreational waters.

Register:

Join us to learn how Public Health Madison & Dane County monitors beach water quality, informs closures, and tracks bacteria sources.

10/06/2026

Clean Lakes Alliance recently had the opportunity to connect with the Green Lake Association to share ideas and strategize about future advocacy opportunities. We’re grateful for the chance to collaborate with fellow lake advocates and work together toward stronger water quality protection and improvement. 💧

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