NEWS
Study: Lake quality concerning
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Melissa Gilbert:
- Rosemary with time (November 4, 2005)
- Study: Lake quality concerning (November 16, 2005)
Related Stories:
- Students, Madison residents question Mendota water quality (February 27, 2003)
- UW helps out Madison's Italian sister city (May 4, 2004)
- Alderman discuss lake cleanup efforts (April 8, 2005)
- City pushes to ban phosphorus fertilizer (October 7, 2003)
- Madison beaches close frequently due to high bacteria test levels (September 3, 2004)
by Melissa Gilbert
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The beautiful lakes surrounding Madison have become a recent concern for the city's future.
New studies find that after 150 years of damage, Madison's lakes are taking a turn for the worse, and this is cause for concern among academics and Madison residents.
According to University of Wisconsin Environmental Studies Professor Stephen Carpenter, extreme nutrient pollution has transformed Lake Mendota and Lake Monona from crystal clear to cloudy and dirty.
"The lakes were much cleaner 150 years ago when Madison was founded," Carpenter said. "It was probably at its worst in the 1950s. There have been some improvements since then, but we still have a long way to go."
Carpenter said nutrients polluting the lakes come from the excessive amounts of plant nutrients — primarily phosphorus — being added to the waters of farm fields, landscaped lawns and golf courses.
"We are most concerned about phosphorus because it is the primary cause of the algae blooms in the lake," he said. "The algae blooms form the green, smelly scums that sometimes wash on shore during summer."
Some of these algae are toxic, he added.
Fritz Kroncke, Madison recreational supervisor, said the lakes still seem to exhibit the same beauty, but the build-up of invasive nutrients has begun to catch people's attention. The effects of the phosphorus have not destroyed the beauty of the lakes so much this year, he added.
"The lack of rainfall from the summer has stopped the nutrient runoff that we are concerned about," Kroncke said. "The lakes have actually been clear this year because the phosphorous settled at the bottom of the lakes; once it reaches the top then the polluted conditions will become apparent."
According to Kroncke, the lakes are safe for recreational enjoyment.
By creating awareness about the harmful effects of phosphorus, people will begin to understand the lakes may not be safe forever, he said.
Carpenter said reversing the pollution done to the lakes may take time, but a solution is certainly possible. If erosion and phosphorus runoff were reduced within 10 to 20 years the lakes could be cleaned up significantly, he added.
"This is technologically feasible and cost-effective," Carpenter said.
While there appear to be clear strategies for remedying the lake pollution, Kroncke said students and citizens need to take action soon. Although the lakes often appear clean and safe, they could potentially reach a hazardous state.
"It takes the community to interfere with this problem, the citizens and the students," he said. "We have to be strong in order to save our lakes."
The time and effort put into saving the city's lakes will be well worth it for Madison and its future, Carpenter added.
Both he and Kroncke made it clear ignoring this problem could cause a permanent state of pollution within Madison's lakes, which would ruin a large part of what makes the city and the university appealing to many.
"The children of today's UW students would enjoy a clean lake when they attend UW a generation from now," Carpenter said. "We must work for our future generations."
