May 1, 2014: Peter Lindblad- The Waunakee Tribune
Here are the key accomplishments for the Yahara WINs project in 2013:
– Phosphorus reductions were quantified for the period from 2008 through 2012. These reductions can be credited against reductions required under the Rock River TMDL. In the pilot watershed, this amounts to a reduction of 4,653 pounds per year, or about 42 percent of the reduction goal for the pilot project.
– The Dane County Land Conservation Department completed background inventory work on 7,625 acres or 70 percent of the agricultural land base in the pilot watershed project area.
– Phosphorus loads were calculated for all four major tributaries to Lake Mendota. This load data shows that 75,000 pounds of phosphorus was delivered to Lake Mendota during water-year 2013.
– Yahara WINs provided funding to Yahara Pride Farms that helped producers test phosphorus reducing practices on almost 3,000 acres of land. Preliminary estimates are that these practices provide 3,000 pounds per year of phosphorus reduction.
– Dane County awarded $1.5 million in Urban Water Quality Grants throughout the watershed which are expected to reduce phosphorus losses by over 1,100 pounds per year.
– The Rock River Coalition’s Citzen Water Quality Monitoring program placed 21 volunteer monitors at sites throughout the watershed.
– With funding from Yahara WINs, the University of Wisconsin Resources Management Practicum identified pilot project area sites where phosphorus containing sediment accumulates and developed potential mitigation approaches which could cost-effectively control phosphorus.
– The Yahara CLEAN SWAT model was expanded to include the entire Yahara Watershed, which will help improve phosphorus reduction estimates associated with a full-scale adaptive management project.
– The Yahara WINs website was updated, at http://www.madsewer.org/Programs-Initiatives/Yahara-WINs
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