Watershed Management and Water Quality

Mapping of Wingra Watershed Management Issues

Storm water issues
Invasive species issues
 

Ongoing Studies

1. Beaches and water quality

Public Use of Vilas Beach: Study of Beach Usage (2001-2002)
Water Quality and Beach Safety: Study of Beach Safety Issues (2001-2002)
2003-2004 Student Beach Study
Lake bacteria levels (Bruesewitz, Corder, Farnum, Stewart 2005)

Bacterial levels in lake sediment (Dvorak, Joosten, Prochnow, Thibaudeau 2006)

Seasonal changes in lake bacteria levels (Ciha, Dennison, Hendrickson 2006)

Seasonal changes in bacteria (E. coli) in Lake Wingra (Kane, Nilson, Oliversen, Pavlik 2007)
Effect of carp exclosure on water quality (Massey, Richardson, Rusch 2008)
Bacteria in springs (Haroldson, Schuette, Sullivan 2008)
Effect of temperature during the fall/winter seasons on E. coli and coliform levels in Lake Wingra and Edgewood spring (Kokott 2009)
E. coli and coliform bacterial levels of Edgewood's watershed (Schneider & Reed 2009)

2. Road salt and water quality: How much salt is used, and under what conditions? What are the policies or guidelines for use? To what extent are these policies and guidelines followed?

Meltdown: Road Salt in Wingra Watershed
Chloride Levels 2003-04 (Roach, Newman, Gilles, Brania 2004)
Chloride in Watershed 2003-2004 (Plucker, 2004)
Chloride levels in groundwater (Budwig & Wood, 2005)
Chloride levels 2004-2005 (Bruckner, Doman, Stolte, Zardicka, 2005)

Salt run-off and soil pollution (Sapon & Zellner 2006)

Excessive salt use use (Byrd-Felker, Drechsel, Matyi 2006)

Salt levels in springs (Klar, Kusch, Ross, Seeley 2007)

Health of springs (Callen, Klamm, Longley, Sullivan 2007)

Salt levels of Edgewood retention pond (George, Marti, Schultz, Weigert 2007)

Seasonal change in salt levels in soil (Daleo, Matya, Phillips, Wood 2007)

Absorption of salt by different soil types (Blue, Minor, Pink, Thorpe-Kavanaugh 2007)

Road salt in soil (Hayes, Klochan, Leist 2007)

Salt tolerance of native versus invasive aquatic plants (Samaca 2007)

Effect of salt level on wild rice germination (Garfield 2007)
Chloride levels in retention pond (Denruiter, Meier, Schweitzer, Wagner 2008)

Chloride levels in Edgewood retention pond (Johnson & Klitzman 2009)
Road salt use on the Edgewood campus (Zillner 2009)
Effects of sodium chloride on earthworm populations (Elsberry, Nikolay, Van Dyke 2009)

3. Geese in the Wingra Watershed

4. Composting

2001 student study

2003-2004 student study

2004-2005 student study

Effect of beer on composting rate (Baus, Grover, Sauerzopf, Washicheck 2006)

Worm composting (Croak, Parish, Peerenboom 2006)

5. Rain Gardens and Stormwater Management

Edgewood Rain Garden web page

Student study 2004

Effect of soil type and compaction on infiltration (Labno & Runde 2007)

Effectiveness of Edgewood retention pond versus bioinfiltration (Ripp 2007)

6. Leaves and nutrient input to lake

Effectiveness of leaf disposal educational campaign (Lutz & Marenes 2006)

Phosphorus leaching from leaves (Kuhl, Moses, Oliva, Reiss 2006)

Fate of nutrients and bacteria from goose feces (Loomer & Rubash 2006)

Leaching of phosphorus from leaves (Krikelas, McElroy, Van Epps 2007)

Effect of salt on nutrient leaching (Green & Haack 2007)

7. Plant growth and water quality

Growth of Chara in response to water quality (Hartmann & Hudson 2006)

Salt tolerance of native versus invasive aquatic plants (Samaca 2007)

Effect of water quality on plant growth (Patterson & Underwood 2007)

Useful Resources
Friends of Lake Wingra
Madison and Midwest U.S. weather information
University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
U.S. Geological Survey "Science in Your Watershed"
U.S. Geological Survey - Water Resources in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Limnology
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey