Amazing regulatory failure--Monona Bay polluted 13 times by Ghidorzi

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This is a summary of the sediment spills into Monona Bay by construction at 1102 S. Park St., by the Ghidorzi Companies.

The demolition and construction progressed from May of 2012 to July of 2013. During that time, Steve Vanko and David Thompson documented--with the photos shown below--13 sediment spills to the bay, and one extreme dust incident.

These spills were the result of failure to follow many elements of the required erosion control plan, which we'll document elsewhere.

Since 1102 S. Park Street has contaminated soil,* and because soil particles carry phosphorus, muddy runoff from the site is real pollution.

Findorff Construction spreads litter on L. Mendota

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On Sunday March 10, Findorff was again unprepared for rain and thaw.  The rain amounted to .93 inches, augmented by melting snow.

The area furthest from the lake had been recently excavated, but no erosion controls were visible along the fence.

Out on the ice of Lake Mendota, Findorff had been dumping snow excavated from the construction site.  The dumping of snow was intentional--it was in large piles dropped by a power shovel.

Construction ready to begin at Edgewater site

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This is a very steep site, with a high, caving bank over the lake.  Let's hope Engineering is up the the challenge that erosion control will present!  Trees are being cut.

Erosion control plans often "limit" sediment loss to no more than 7.5 tons/acre. For this 2-acre site, that would "allow" 15 tons of sediment to the lake, LEGALLY.

Chip sealing--and how dust affects our lakes

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Today, most concerns about air pollution focus on global warming.  Yet for those of us working for the health of our lakes, air pollution remains an important issue.

Dead fish in Shangri-La

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All around the world, lakes are in trouble--with fish kills or toxic algae blooms.  Usually, the culprit is excess nutrients washing into the lake.  It's happening even at pristine lakes, long thought to be immune to these problems.

From time to time, I'll feature problems of lakes in a different parts of the world.  The root cause is growing populations and affluence, plus the difficulty of managing thousands of small sources of nutrients.

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Indian Kashmir used to be a place people compared to mythical Shangri-La--verdant and unspoiled.  And Nigeen Lake (above), in a green valley surrounded by the Himalayas, is considered by waterways officials to the least polluted waterway in the city of Srinagar (population 1.3 million).

Introducing Friends of Olin-Turville Park

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This is a beautiful example of how encouraging cultural activities at a park can have many benefits.  Neglected public spaces--even tiny greenways--can become places where neighbors connect.

"Know your watershed" lawn sign contest

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Take a Stake in the Lake days are coming up in June.  The Friends of Lake Wingra are developing a sign to promote watershed awareness.  We need your ideas!

Why watershed awareness?  To solve problems of stormwater control and lake quality, it's helpful to think big, in terms of the whole watershed.  That's why Friends of Lake Wingra is working with the City to develop a management plan for the Lake Wingra watershed.  A sign will help promote the watershed perspective.

Walt Kelly, father of Pogo the Possum cartoons, designed a poster for the first Earth Day.  The Pogo cartoon above is more appropriate for watersheds--but we need something without an alligator!

Ideas for a better slogan?   Do some kids want to try some art or cartoons--on the theme above, or something else entirely?  If you have something to contribute, call David Thompson at 233-9589.

Pop quiz !

Which lake does the runoff from your driveway run to?
Can you describe the rough boundaries of the Lake Wingra watershed?

If you didn't get 100%, you may need a lawn sign!

Take a Stake in the Lakes--2012

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The 25th Annual Take a Stake in the Lakes

A volunteer cleanup of local lakes and streams will be held on June 9th (Lakes Mendota and Kegonsa) and 16th (Lakes Monona, Waubesa and Wingra), although volunteers can join in the fun anytime June 1-17.

Take a Stake event during 2010

What "sustainability" really means

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"Unsustainable" means... "change is coming."  And, you might not like the form change takes.



By the time people start talking about the sustainability of something--like spreading salt on streets--you can bet it's been going on for a long time.  And, you can bet there's a good reason why people don't want to change.  So, sustainability issues always involve tough choices.  And if we don't make those tough choices, then reality forces change upon us.

The Power of a Pond

Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden during his two-year stay in a tiny shack on the shores of the pond. It became a best-seller when his literary friends promoted it after his untimely death. As Thoreau gained a worldwide following for his environmental philosophy, the pond itself became a celebrity.

Now people are loving the pond to death. It receives 700,000 visitors a year, who come to worship Thoreau’s legacy, or just to swim in one of the few freshwater ponds near Boston.

Work on Secret Pond reconstrution begins

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Eroded channel of Manitou Creek, a bit upstream of Secret Pond. More photos



Update 6/21:  According to Steve Glass, the project has begun with a misstep.  The project's Chapter 30 permit requires that the heavy equipment coming to the project be clean of soil, to avoid introducing invasive species.  The first bulldozer to arrive was dirty.

Below is a letter sent to residents by Gary A. Brown, Director, Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture:

2011 summer solstice bonfire--a perfect evening



See all the photos here.

It was a perfect balmy summer evening--dew on the air, fireflies coming out. As I approached the park, wood smoke wafted my way.

From the edge of the park on Glenway St., a freshly mulched path plunged into the darkness. There were a few candles along the path, and in the distance, a bonfire flickered. Chords of a guitar hung faintly in the air.

Although it was 10:00 pm, only 10 people remained at the bonfire. A tornado warning had put a dent in attendance.

In Scandinavia, the idea is to have a bonfire to celebrate the midnight sun--then sing, drink, and talk into the small hours of morning. I guess there weren't enough Scandinavians present (despite the memory of Jens Jensen).

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This year's event was organized by Peter Nause and other members of the DMNA Parks Committee.

Comments on City plans to control Japanese knotweed

The following comments were sent by Steve Glass, Restoration Ecologist at the UW Arboretum.  He will soon post additional comments on his blog, WingraSprings.

Not sustainable--the construction industry in Madison

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Recently, the American Lung Association named Madison as one of the most polluted cities in the nation from particle pollution--dust and smoke.

There's construction all over downtown Madison.  Dust is being tracked onto streets every day, and is being blown out of construction sites on windy days.

Covering sources of dust

Findorff site before covering, & after. Click to enlarge.

City requests proposals for control of invasive plants

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On June 3, the City Engineering Division requested proposals from landscapers for control of invasive plants.  An informational meeting will be held at the work locations on June 17, to answer contractor's questions, and bids are due on June 28. The project is being managed by Glenn Clark.  Details.

It's getting harder to find sites for new city wells

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During a recent exploration of unseen Madison spots, I had a chance to find out how hard it is to protect groundwater and find new well sites.

As Madison grows, we need more wells. As more areas become contaminated, wells have to be abandoned, and there are fewer places where you can put a new well.

Exploring an old landfill--now home to Terra

Early last spring, when I found myself on the east side of town, I decided to explore the woods by the state offices at the end of Agriculture Rd.

There was a nice path, but I quickly came to a huge dump.  Part of it was capped (imperfectly), and part was still receiving construction debris and snow removed from parking lots.

Salvaged concrete blocks were piled into mountains. 

Groundwater at Odana exceeds standards for salt



The Cogeneration plant on the west side of the UW campus is allowed to withdraw large amounts of water from Lake Mendota, based on a complicated swap agreement with DNR.

That agreement called for an infiltration field at the Odana Hills Golf Course, where up to 60 million gallons a year of stormwater are pumped into the soil.  Background.

One of the problems with this agreement is that the water being pumped into the soil is rather salty, due to overuse of road salt in the area. Several test wells in the area show levels of salt over the Enforcement Standard.  In other words, the groundwater is starting to become polluted with salt.

A trek to Secret Pond

The morning after a storm, three adventurers head into the wetlands of Lake Wingra, looking for the legendary "Secret Pond."

After more than two hours of soggy hiking, Gordon Heingartner said:

"I think my feet are beginning to rot!"

To be continued...

In the meantime, you can see more photos here.

Japanese knotweed invades the bike path

Madison has a BIG problem with Japanese knotweed along the Southwest Bike Path.  It's a big weed--standing up to 9 feet tall--and a big patch, extending over a mile along the bikeway.  It's an invader from eastern Asia, and very aggressive.  It forms dense stands that crowd out most other vegetation.

Left: Large knotweed plants. Center: re sprouting quickly after being mowed.

A sinister plant...

A recent article in Science describes the plant as "sinister"and "a Goliath"--strong words for the usually staid magazine.  "What makes this plant so menacing is its ability to grow through solid concrete foundations, forcing contractors to abandon infested building sites.  In England alone, about a half-million homes are uninsurable, and in the UK, damages and removal cost $288 million a year."