Stormwater
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides an overview of storm water runoff.
Ripple Effects is an education and outreach effort in Dane County that promotes and supports practices to reduce stormwater runoff into Dane County lakes, rivers, and streams.
In the City of Madison, the Engineering Division Stormwater Utility Section manages stormwater services and projects. View additional resources at their “Programs and Initiatives” and “Education” pages.
The Arboretum has produced two educational publications about stormwater that can be downloaded as PDFs:
- Understanding Stormwater and Healthy Watersheds: A Community Guide, designed and illustrated by Liz Anna Kozik. Learn about stormwater, how it affects our neighborhoods and natural waterways, and ways to reduce its impact.
- A Property Owner’s Guide to a Healthy Lake Wingra Watershed, developed by Laurie Elwell. This useful guide offers tips and resources neighbors can follow to help prevent and reduce stormwater pollution, runoff, and flooding.
Nutrient Pollution
Yahara Watershed Improvement Network (Yaraha WINS) provides inspiration and education about phosphorus reduction efforts.
Ripple Effects Leaf-free Streets provides information the role leaves play in nutrient pollution and actions you can take.
Salt Pollution
Wisconsin Salt Wise Partnership provides training and resources to reduce salt pollution in our lakes, streams, and drinking water.
Beach Closures
Public Health Madison Dane County’s Beach Water Quality page shares information about beach closures due to coli bacteria or blue-green algae contamination.
Clean Lakes Alliance Lake Forecast posts beach closures, in addition to water quality monitoring data from additional shoreline sites in Dane County.
Take Action!
Ripple Effects supports several Actions to Protect Our Waters that you can use in your yard or neighborhood.
- Plant Dane offers native plants for sale in the spring and resources for installing a downspout or rain garden.
- Sign up for Leaf-free Streets alerts to remind you to remove leaves from streets in the fall before rainfall causes stormwater to carry nutrients to our lakes, rivers, and streams.
- Raise awareness about stormwater and help prevent stormwater pollution through Storm Drain Marking, Storm Drain Murals, or Adopting a Storm Drain.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shares What You Can Do to Help to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff. Visit the DNR’s Rain Gardens page for information on why and how to install a rain garden.