Friends of Lake Wingra

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Friends of Lake Wingra http://lakewingra.org

Those slimy, green mats of stringy filamentous algae that cover parts of Lake Wingra in summer are beginning to sink as ...
10/09/2026

Those slimy, green mats of stringy filamentous algae that cover parts of Lake Wingra in summer are beginning to sink as temperatures drop and their growth slows. With less oxygen produced through photosynthesis, the algae lose some of the buoyancy that kept them afloat all summer.

Some algae will die and decompose on the lake bottom, but these organisms are remarkably resilient! Some can survive - and even continue growing - under the ice, ready to grow again when spring arrives. Come spring, warmer temperatures and increased sunlight ramp up photosynthesis and oxygen production, bringing algae back to the lake’s surface.

So what determines how much algae grows next summer? Nutrients!

Lake Wingra receives way more phosphorus than it needs, much of it from stormwater runoff. When rain washes through leaves piled in the streets each fall, it picks up phosphorus and carries it through storm drains and into the lake. That extra phosphorus fuels algae growth when warm weather returns.

Algae are a natural part of a healthy lake, but too much can make the water less enjoyable for swimming and paddling. As algae decomposes, it can also deplete oxygen in the water, affecting fish and other aquatic life.

Want to help keep summer algae in check? Clear leaves from the street before it rains. Keeping phosphorus out of storm drains today can help keep Lake Wingra healthier tomorrow!

Learn more at: https://lakewingra.org/leaf-free-streets

The City of Madison has finished installing the new terrace rain gardens on Meyer Avenue in the Westmorland Neighborhood...
10/06/2026

The City of Madison has finished installing the new terrace rain gardens on Meyer Avenue in the Westmorland Neighborhood. A big thank-you to the Meyer Avenue residents who chose to have these gardens installed!

The City has dug the gardens, added flumes to direct stormwater from the street into them, and planted some awesome native plants. Now it’s up to the homeowners to take it from here.

A little extra care during the first few years will help the plants become established and, eventually, result in a rain garden that requires much less maintenance.

To help terrace rain garden owners get started, we held a terrace rain garden workshop in August. We put together a summary of the workshop with tips on watering, weeding, mulching, winter care, and more:

https://lakewingra.org/terrace-rain-garden-workshop-summary

If you have a terrace rain garden in the Lake Wingra Watershed and have questions, check out the workshop summary. You can also email us anytime at [email protected].

Why are terrace rain gardens important to Lake Wingra?

The health of Lake Wingra is closely tied to stormwater. Rainwater running off streets, sidewalks, driveways, and other hard surfaces can pick up pollutants and sediment and carry them toward the lake. Because these surfaces are impervious, much of that water runs off quickly instead of soaking into the ground.

Rain gardens help change that. They capture stormwater and allow it to slowly infiltrate into the ground, where soil and plant roots help filter pollutants. Infiltration also helps recharge groundwater, which feeds the springs around Lake Wingra. And by slowing and reducing the amount of stormwater flowing toward the lake, rain gardens can help reduce erosion and flooding.

And there’s more to come!

Based on the City of Madison’s October 1 public meeting, residents on nearby Euclid Avenue and Birch Avenue will have an opportunity to get terrace rain gardens installed during next summer’s street construction project.

A small garden can make a difference—for your neighborhood and for Lake Wingra.

Wow! That was a lot of rain in the Lake Wingra Watershed yesterday - almost 2 inches! That much rain was enough to overw...
10/02/2026

Wow! That was a lot of rain in the Lake Wingra Watershed yesterday - almost 2 inches!

That much rain was enough to overwhelm some of the stormwater infrastructure around the watershed.

The open stormwater channels in the Nakoma neighborhood can be particularly challenging during big storms. Leaves, sticks, and other debris can collect at the tunnel barriers, blocking the flow of water. That’s exactly what happened at Nakoma Park yesterday. The channel quickly overflowed, sending stormwater across the park.

Luckily, Nakoma Park is designed to accommodate flooding during large storms. The large grassy area gives floodwater a place to spread out before flowing back into the street below, where it quickly enters a large storm drain that was recently added to help manage flooding.

But what happens to all that water matters beyond the park.

As stormwater flows over the landscape, it can pick up leaves, grass, soil, and other organic material. Those materials can carry phosphorus downstream, contributing to the nutrient pollution that fuels algal growth in lakes. Fast-moving water can also erode soil and carry large amounts of sediment downstream.

Fortunately, the large detention pond at the bottom of the hill is designed to slow the water down and help remove some of those pollutants before the water continues toward Lake Wingra.

This is the watershed connection: what happens on a street, in a park, or in a stormwater channel can eventually affect the lake downstream.

Because Lake Wingra is an urban lake, the way we manage stormwater throughout the watershed plays an important role in the health of the lake.

The next time you see water rushing down a street or through a park after a big rain, take a moment to think about where that water is going - and what it might be carrying with it.

The 2nd annual Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride was a huge success! More than 100 riders joined us on Saturday, Sept. 26,...
09/29/2026

The 2nd annual Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride was a huge success!

More than 100 riders joined us on Saturday, Sept. 26, to explore the 6.5-mile Lake Wingra Loop, enjoy the beautiful weather, and learn more about what makes Lake Wingra so special. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day!

A special thank-you to District 13 Alder Tag Evers for helping us kick things off. Our volunteer experts at the stops were engaging and informative, and we loved hearing from so many participants who came away knowing something new about Lake Wingra. Free ice cream and fun prizes added to the excitement—and we especially loved hearing so many riders say, “Do this again next year!”

A huge THANK YOU to all of the donors, volunteers, participants, and organizers who made this event such a success. And thank you to our neighborhood sponsors: Dudgeon-Monroe, Vilas, and Greenbush Neighborhood Associations.

You’re what makes the Lake Wingra community shine!

Photos by Sarah Pabian, Amy Callies, and Jake Griffin

It’s WI Stormwater Week! And one connection we want everyone to know about is the link between leaves in street gutters...
09/25/2026

It’s WI Stormwater Week! And one connection we want everyone to know about is the link between leaves in street gutters and algae blooms in our lakes.

With black locust trees already turning yellow and dropping their leaves in the Lake Wingra Watershed, now is a good time to remind everyone: please keep leaves out of the street and clear them from street gutters before it rains.

Here’s why: When rainwater flows through gutters filled with leaves, it leaches nutrients - especially phosphorus - out of the leaves, creating what we like to call “leaf tea.” That nutrient-rich stormwater flows into storm drains and eventually into our lakes, where excess phosphorus can fuel large algal blooms.

Want to help?
• Clear leaves from your street gutter before rain events.
• Don’t rake or blow leaves into the street.
• Sign up for rain alerts to get a reminder when it’s time to clear the gutters.

If you live in the Lake Wingra Watershed, you can also report your leaf-clearing efforts so we can celebrate all the work our community is doing to protect Lake Wingra. You can even request a “Leaf-Free Street” yard sign!

Learn more and sign up:
lakewingra.org/leaf-free-streets

The Lake Wingra Loop is a 6.5-mile route that winds around Lake Wingra and is loved by bicyclists, runners, and walkers ...
09/23/2026

The Lake Wingra Loop is a 6.5-mile route that winds around Lake Wingra and is loved by bicyclists, runners, and walkers alike. It is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to experience both the natural beauty of the lake and the vibrant neighborhoods that surround it.

But the loop is more than just a scenic path.

Along the way, you travel through several Madison neighborhoods, each with its own unique character; pass near Native American mounds of great cultural significance; move through restored natural areas that reflect decades of conservation work; encounter springs that have shaped the lake’s ecology and history; and see innovative stormwater projects designed to help keep Lake Wingra healthy.

To celebrate this special community treasure, Friends of Lake Wingra is hosting the Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride on Saturday, September 26, from 2–4 PM, beginning and ending at Vilas Park Shelter.

- Free ice cream
- Educational booths along the route
- Ride at your own pace
- Free and family-friendly

Whether you are a regular loop user or have never explored the full route, this is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenery, learn more about Lake Wingra, and connect with your community.

Learn more at https://lakewingra.org/2026-lake-wingra-community-bike-ride

It’s WI Stormwater Week!Did you know that understanding and reducing stormwater pollution is one of the most important t...
09/21/2026

It’s WI Stormwater Week!

Did you know that understanding and reducing stormwater pollution is one of the most important things we can do to protect the health of Lake Wingra?

When rain falls on streets, roofs, parking lots, and other hard surfaces, it can pick up pollutants and carry them into storm drains—and eventually into our lakes.
Celebrate WI Stormwater Week by learning more about stormwater through free webinars and events happening throughout the week. Find the schedule and more information at wistormwater.com.

The Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride is part of WI Stormwater Week!

Join us Saturday, September 26, from 2–4 pm at Vilas Park for a free, self-paced ride around the Lake Wingra Loop. Along the way, you’ll have several opportunities to learn how stormwater affects Lake Wingra from Ripple Effects, City of Madison Stormwater Engineering, Friends of Lake Wingra, and more!

Come ride, explore, and learn how the water flowing through our neighborhoods eventually makes its way to Lake Wingra.

Vilas Park Shelter, Madison
Saturday, September 26
2–4 pm

More information: https://lakewingra.org/2026-lake-wingra-community-bike-ride

The Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride is just ONE WEEK AWAY! We are so excited to bring this event back to the community!...
09/19/2026

The Lake Wingra Community Bike Ride is just ONE WEEK AWAY!

We are so excited to bring this event back to the community! We’ve been busy getting everything ready:

- Our experts are ready to teach you all there is to know about Lake Wingra
- Lake Loop T-shirts are printed and ready for purchase
- Ice cream scoopers are standing by
- Prizes are waiting for you at the end if you get your passport stamped along the route

When: Saturday, September 26, 2 – 4 pm
Where: Start/finish at the Vilas Park Shelter, Madison

Don’t have a bike? No problem!

There are three BCycle stations located around the Lake Wingra Loop, and you may be able to get a free BCycle pass through the Madison Public Library if you plan ahead. You can also walk or run the entire loop, or just a part of the loop and still get in on the action.

Come celebrate Lake Wingra with us!

More information at: https://lakewingra.org/2026-lake-wingra-community-bike-ride

What’s happening to the UW Arboretum wall along Manitou Way? If you’ve driven past the UW Arboretum on Nakoma Road latel...
09/17/2026

What’s happening to the UW Arboretum wall along Manitou Way?

If you’ve driven past the UW Arboretum on Nakoma Road lately, you may have noticed that a section of the historic wall is coming down.

Don’t worry—the wall isn’t disappearing. It’s being carefully taken apart and stored so a major stormwater project can continue. It will be restored when construction is complete.

Here’s why it matters to Lake Wingra:

About 200 million gallons of stormwater pass through this area every year - the largest stormwater drainage area flowing into Lake Wingra. The drainage basin covers over 1,600 acres, stretching from the Nakoma neighborhood to areas as far away as Whitney Way and Tokay Boulevard.

Last year, the City of Madison replaced a small 6' x 4' stormwater culvert with a much larger 7' x 14' culvert at Nakoma Road, Cherokee Drive, and Manitou Way. The upgrade is designed to move much more water and reduce flooding, including during a 100-year flood event.

But the new culvert stopped at the Arboretum boundary, leaving one last section of the old culvert in place.

Now they’re finishing the job.

Once the new culvert is connected to the Manitou Detention Pond, stormwater will continue through the Arboretum’s natural filtration system:

- Detention pond: captures sediment and slows the flow of stormwater into Lake Wingra
- 90 acres of wetlands: naturally filter the water
- Lake Wingra: receives the treated stormwater

So, while the construction may look like a lot of disruption right now, it’s part of a much bigger effort to reduce flooding and protect Lake Wingra’s water quality.

And yes—the wall will come back!

Sometimes even native plants can get a little…weedy.It’s easy to think of a “weed” as an exotic, invasive plant - one th...
09/15/2026

Sometimes even native plants can get a little…weedy.

It’s easy to think of a “weed” as an exotic, invasive plant - one that was brought here from somewhere else and can quickly take over, outcompeting native plants and reducing diversity. But the story isn’t always that simple. Some native plants can also spread aggressively and become a nuisance under the right conditions.

Right now, areas all around the Lake Wingra Watershed are covered in the delicate white flowers of White Snakeroot. This native plant specializes in colonizing disturbed edges. And humans create lots of disturbed edges! Given the right conditions, White Snakeroot can spread quickly and dominate an area.

White Snakeroot was once notorious for causing “milk sickness,” but today we also recognize it as an important late-season source of food for pollinators. You might not want it taking over your garden, but in less-managed areas, it can be a valuable part of the plant community.

Canada Goldenrod tells a similar story. In a large prairie, it can coexist beautifully with a diverse mix of native plants. But in smaller plantings - especially where soils are particularly rich - it can spread rapidly and take over. This year, we’ve noticed several gardening groups removing Canada Goldenrod that was beginning to dominate their native plantings.

Both of these plants provide important benefits to pollinators and the ecosystem. But when one plant starts crowding out many others, removing some of it can actually help maintain a more diverse plant community.

The lesson? Native doesn’t always mean well-behaved.

Understanding how even valuable native plants can become a nuisance is one example of the complexity of ecosystems that humans have heavily altered and managed. Sometimes the goal isn’t to eliminate a plant - it’s to find the right balance so that many different plants can thrive.

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PO Box 45071
Madison, WI
53744

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