Terms to know

Compost: organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled and can be used as fertilizer

Cover Crops: crops planted primarily to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality, water, weeds, pests, diseases, and wildlife

Kegonsa: Kegonsa, which means fish, is the third largest lake in the Yahara chain of lakes

Mendota: Mendota, which means great, is the largest lake in the Yahara chain of lakes

Monona: Monona, which means beautiful, is the second largest lake in the Yahara chain of lakes

No-till System: a way of growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage every year

Nonpoint Source Pollution: pollution that occurs indirectly; fertilizer runoff is a good example of nonpoint source pollution

Point Source Pollution: any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship, or smokestack

Phosphorus: an element that is essential for human, plant, and animal growth.

Strip Tillage: a conservation practice that uses minimal tillage. The soil that contains the seed row is the only portion that is disturbed.

Total Maximum Daily Load: a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that load among the various sources of that pollutant

Vertical Till Injector: a machine that allows farmers to inject liquid manure into their fields – then the manure does not interact with stormwater runoff

Watershed: an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas

Waubesa: Waubesa, which means swan, is the fourth largest lake in the Yahara chain of lakes

Wingra: Wingra, which means duck, is the smallest lake in the Yahara chain of lakes

Natalie EndresTerms to know