Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today the $12 million project to remove the algae- making phosphorous to clean our lakes has begun and he will be embarking on a Clean Lakes Community Forum Tour. Work on the first phase of Dane County’s multi-year effort to remove phosphorus laden sediment from streams began in Dorn Creek last week. Design and engineering work on the project, known as “Suck the Muck,” is now underway along with preliminary site work that needs to be done in and along the stream prior to the sediment being vacuumed out. Over the upcoming weeks, County Executive Parisi and County staff will present breakthrough research to clean up the lakes by removing hundreds of thousands of pounds of algae-making phosphorus from muck that’s built up in the streams feeding into our lakes. The County Executive will visit Waunakee, Monona, Middleton, Windsor and Shorewood.
The cornerstone of Parisi’s 2017 Dane County budget was a new $12 million initiative to clean up 33 miles of streams that feed phosphorus directly in the lakes on a daily basis. The work will remove 870,000 pounds of phosphorus, the chief culprit responsible for algae growth, from area waters.
The muck at the bottom of streams is nearly 125 years old and is a much greater contributor to the health of our lakes than earlier thought. Without another pound of phosphorus run-off, there’s so much material built up in these streams it would take 66 years to achieve the clean water goals laid out in the Yahara Clean Report. The work to “Suck the Muck”, from streams that feed into the chain of lakes will result in cleaner and healthier lakes.
“I am excited to kick off this important project and bring the Clean Lakes Community Forum’s across Dane County to share this important news,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “Like you, I want clean lakes in my lifetime. The time is now.”
Below is a schedule of upcoming Clean Lakes Community Forum Events:
Waunakee Village Board
Monday, August 21st – 6pm
Village Hall
500 Main Street
Monona City Council
Monday, August 21st – 7:30pm
Monona Library
1000 Nichols Rd – Municipal Room (lower level)
Middleton City Council
Tuesday, September 5th – 7:30pm
City Council Chambers
7426 Hubbard Ave
Windsor Village Board
Thursday, September 7th – 5pm
Windsor Municipal Building
4084 Mueller Rd
Shorewood Hills Board
Monday, September 18th – 7pm
Shorewood Village Hall
810 Shorewood Blvd
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Stephanie Wilson Miller
Communications Director
Dane County
