Dane County Land & Water Resources Department

Winter weather is on the way! Remember what goes down the storm drain washes into our waterways. Reach for the shovel and broom this season to clear the snow before the salt. WI Salt Wise

Dane County is required under NR 109 Wis. Admin. Code to update Aquatic Plant Management Plans every five years for waterbodies where the county harvests aquatic plants. Beginning in 2023, the department began the process to update the plans for both Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Drafts of the updated plans are available on our website.

If you wish you comment on the draft documents please see the feedback section below for details. Comments will be accepted through December 30, 2023.

Learn more at: https://lwrd.countyofdane.com/What-We-Do/lake-management/aquatic-plant-management/Aquatic-Plant-Management-Plan-Updates

Do you want to help us grow native plants to give away to local schools and community organizations? We still have 4 spots left in our workshop this Sunday! This training will provide an overview of native plants and teach you everything you need to know to grow the plants - no prior experience is needed.

Since the program began in 2016, more than 31,500 plants have been distributed to 160 different groups, including schools, neighborhood associations and community centers.

Learn more and register here:
https://lwrd.countyofdane.com/Event/Detail/1604

Join our Department!

Check out the latest episode of ! County Executive, Joe Parisi, joins our Assistant Director, John Reimer, at Babcock County Park to spotlight Dane County’s Yahara Chain of Lakes Sediment Removal Project.

Dane County’s Yahara Chain of Lakes Climate Change Mitigation Project | Parisi in the Park County Executive Joe Parisi joins John Reimer, the Assistant Director of the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department, to spotlight the county's Yahara ...

We have some new equipment that will help monitor progress on Dane County government's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The equipment allows our staff to track changes in soil carbon levels by taking soil samples in various locations. A hydraulic coring machine on the back of a UTV drills one meter into the soil to obtain samples, which can then be used to monitor changes as the county undertakes other conservation efforts.
https://www.channel3000.com/news/equipment-to-help-dane-county-track-efforts-to-become-carbon-neutral-by-2030/article_f79cf87e-4c58-11ee-9e9e-0f5c4d201045.html

Check out more photos of this process on our Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?sort=date-taken-desc&safe_search=1&tags=soilcarbonsamples&user_id=193832275%40N08&view_all=1

Equipment to help Dane County track efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030 MADISON, Wis. -- New equipment will help monitor progress on Dane County government's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, County Executive Joe Parisi said Tuesday.

We are hiring! Join our team as a LTE Erosion Control Specialist.
Learn more and apply online: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/countyofdane/jobs/4185699/lte-erosion-control-specialist

The latest Parisi in the Park episode provides a nice overview of some of the multi-year restoration work that is happening at Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Check it out!

Prairie Restoration at the Pheasant Branch Conservancy | Parisi in the Park Dane County Executive Joe Parisi joins Laura Hicklin, the Director of Dane County's Land & Water Resources Department, to spotlight the Pheasant Branch Conse...

Dane County plans to acquire about 625 acres near Verona to add to the Sugar River Wildlife Area. The roughly $12 million land purchase will be the largest purchased for conservation by acreage and cost in the county’s history. Learn more in the post and article below.

This week we distributed over 4,200 free native plants to 38 local school and community groups through our Free Native Plants program. These plants were grown by local volunteers to donate to these projects. Since the program began in 2016, more than 35,700 plants have been distributed through our spring and summer application cycles!

To learn more about this program, visit our website: https://lwrd.countyofdane.com/grants-and.../free-plants

If you want to learn to grow your own plants or become a volunteer grower, we are offering two fall workshops. Find them on our event calendar: https://lwrd.countyofdane.com/Events?id=12

Join us on celebrating Wisconsin Stormwater week next week! Follow Ripple-Effects Wisconsin for events happening throughout the week.

WI Stormwater Week is Aug. 5th-13th! Join us for a week dedicated to learning about stormwater pollution and actions we can all take to keep our waters clean. Tune in to a webinar, order a downspout garden plant kit, or participate in the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Event.

https://ripple-effects.com/WI-stormwater-week

Join Phil Gaebler (City of Madison) and Christal Campbell (Dane County Land and Water Resources Dept. and the Madison Area Municipal Stormwater Partnership) to learn how timely removal of street leaves before the rain can help keep our waters clean.
Register today at https://www.wistormwater.com/toolkit/webinars

Great opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste during WI Stormwater Week. Proper storage and disposal of chemicals, cleaners and other potential pollutants help ensure that only rain goes down the storm drain to our waterways. Open to all Dane County residents.
Purchase tickets at: https://www.vil.waunakee.wi.us/1098/Clean-Sweep-Event

It’s Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week! This week recognizes the contributions of women landowners, farmers and conservation professionals and their vital work for the stewardship of land in our state.

To celebrate we are featuring some of the conservation professionals at our department. Meet Amy Piaget! Amy is the County Conservationist and oversees the Land Conservation Division at the department. We asked Amy about her journey to conservation work and what she would share with other women interested in the field – here’s what she had to say:

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” – Loren Eiseley, The Immense Journey, 1957. This quote has stuck with me as one of the pillars of my conservation ethic. Water is a critical resource for life on Earth. Growing up surrounded by lakes and streams, I knew I wanted to play a role in protecting and improving our water resources for today and generations to come.

It’s Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week! This week recognizes the contributions of women landowners, farmers and conservation professionals and their vital work for the stewardship of land in our state.

To celebrate we are featuring some of the conservation professionals at our department. Meet Angela Rivera! Angela joined our team recently as the Education Coordinator based at our Lussier Family Heritage Center facility and oversees education programing for our department. We asked Angela about her journey to conservation work – here’s what she had to say:

“Growing up in a family that didn’t do a lot outside, when I went to summer camp it was my opportunity to engage with the outdoors. I was hooked and starting working with youth at 14 outside and still do today! The best part of working in conservation is seeing youth connect with their environment, may it be the awe of having a Sandhill Crane family walk pass or learning to bike for the first time. I know that getting our youth engaged with our natural work is the first step in building a future of conservation-minded generation.”

Governor Tony Evers has proclaimed July 10-16 Wisconsin Women in Conservation Week, citing the growing influence of women owning and managing land in Wisconsin, as well as the historic contributions of women conservation professionals and educators.

To celebrate this week, we wanted to highlight some of our staff. From conservation implementation and natural resource management to environmental education and women conservation everything in between – the contributions of are vital to the ongoing success of our department!

Our rainfall simulator has been out and about across the county this month! 🌧 The mobile demonstration showcases how different land use types handle runoff and infiltration after rain events.

Staff recently shared the presentation to families at the Dane County Breakfast on the Farm, audiences at two Garden Summits with our friends at Rooted and students attending an Upward Bound Program from Forward Service Corporation at Edgewood College.

💧🌱

Thank you to everyone that came out to our first ever Planting for Pollinators event on Wednesday evening. Participants were able to learn all about our pollinators, design a native garden to attract them, practice planting and maintaining a garden in the outside demo area, AND leave with plants to start their very own native garden! A total of 51 households participated and left with a garden kit.

A huge THANK YOU to the organizations that partnered with us to make this event happen: Wild Ones Madison, Dane County Extension, Ripple-Effects Wisconsin, City of Madison, Wisconsin Government, Friends of Capital Springs Recreation Area, Lussier Family Heritage Center, The Xerces Society, and the Insect Ambassadors program from the UW-Madison Department of Entomology

Does your school or community group need free native plants for a rain garden, pollinator garden, or prairie area? If so, you can apply for our Free Native Plants for School and Community Projects program!

The summer application is posted now and is due July 2023. Learn more on our website:

Free Native Plants for Schools and Community Projects | Land and Water Resources Department School and community groups in Dane County can apply to receive free native plants from this program

Have you worked with Marie Raboin, one of our Conservation Specialists? She won this year's "Outstanding Conservation Employee" award from Wisconsin Land+Water Conservation Association. Congratulations Marie!

Join our team! We are hiring a full time Land and Water Scientist position. Duties will include:

💧Provide development, tracking, implementation and reporting of our ecosystem services program and projects. Examples of services include, but are not limited to carbon, phosphorus, runoff volume retention, wetlands and stream restoration.
💧Create workflows and procedures for quantifying and measuring environmental metrics.
💧Coordinate conservation project planning and project implementation.
💧Collect, analyze, and evaluate measured and modeled metrics.

Application deadline: June 19, 2023
Salary: $39.82 - $51.47 Hourly

Learn more and apply online:

Land and Water Scientist The Dane County Land & Water Resources Department is hiring a Land and Water Scientist (1.0FTE). The Eligibility List created will be used to fill future vacancies over the next six (6) months.

When you are out in your yard, you may have some unwanted insects and spray insecticides. Unfortunately, these insecticides can have harmful effects on pollinators. This spring and summer, limit your insecticide use as much as possible, and don’t spray flowering plants or areas where pollinators may be nesting.

Dane County Land & Water Resources Department now offers a limited number scholarships for middle and high school aged youth to attend the Wisconsin Land+Water Conservation Association Conservation Camps. These camps provide positive educational outdoor experiences, foster an appreciation for nature, and introduce a variety of careers in natural resources and conservation.

Scholarships cover 50-100% of the cost of the camp and include a backpack with a rain poncho, headlamp, and water bottle. Sleeping bags are also available based on need. The number of scholarships and award amounts are based on the number of applicants and available funding.

Applications are due May 12th.

Learn more and apply on our website:
https://lwrd.countyofdane.com/Youth-Conservation-Camp-Scholarship

Youth Conservation Camp Scholarship | Land and Water Resources Department The Official Website for LWRD of the Dane County Government of Wisconsin.

Need help planning a native garden? Sign up for a free, hands-on Planting for Pollinators workshop on June 21 where you can learn all about our pollinators, design a native garden to attract them, AND leave with plants to start your garden!

Learn more and sign up here: https://www.danecountyparks.com/Event/Detail/1482

Dane County Parks, Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Extension

Hate long commutes? So do pollinators, like bees. Bees have the very important job of aiding in plant reproduction, and they normally only travel about 200 yards from their nests to do their job. Help lower bees commutes by giving bees a home. Bees love building nests in bare ground, hollow twigs, and logs. Leave flower stalks intact over the winter and when pruning dead stalks in the spring, leave approximately 8-24” for future nesting habitat.

Learn more here:https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0145/8808/4272/files/G4001.pdf

Dane County Parks, Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Extension

Pollinators work hard for us! They pollinator over 150 different food crops across the United States. All that work makes them hungry, so consider planting native plants to supply pollinators the pollen and nectar they need for food! Plant species that bloom in early spring when food sources are scarce for pollinators.

Not sure where to buy native plants? The UW-Arboretum will be hosting their annual plant sale on May 20, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Learn more here: https://arboretum.wisc.edu/get-involved/friends/native-plant-sale/

Dane County Parks, Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Extension

Does your yard, school, community center, or any other place you love have habitat for pollinators? Pollinator populations have been declining, and habitat loss is one thing causing this. Take the Wisconsin Pollinator Habitat Assessment to help you identify actions you can take to support pollinator habitat.

https://pollinators.wisc.edu/habitat/

Dane County Parks, Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Extension

Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other animals serve as important pollinators in our environment and aid in plant reproduction. Many of the plants that rely on pollinators are plants that provide us food–odds are, you can thank a pollinator for the last meal you ate. Unfortunately, pollinator populations have declined due to habitat loss, nutritional deficiency, pests, pathogens, insecticides, and extreme weather events.

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting actions you can take to help pollinators. Follow along with us and let us know in the comments what actions you will take to help.

Learn more here https://dane.extension.wisc.edu/natural-resources/pollinator-protection-in-dane-county/

Dane County Parks, Lussier Family Heritage Center, Dane County Extension

Find out what we've been up to in our 2022 Annual Report - hot of the *virtual* presses!

Read the full report here:
https://tinyurl.com/LWRD2022report

Last week, county staff co-hosted a Cover Crop Field Day with Tom Ripp of Ripp-Vale Farms and the Sand County Foundation!

The 25 attendees learned how to incorporate cover crops after winter wheat, soybeans, and corn grain to reduce erosion, increase cover, and improve soil health. Tom operates a pig farming operation in the Black Earth Creek watershed, with land that has steep slopes and valleys alongside the creek.

Attendees learned from Tom and local agronomists, including Premier Cooperative, how to incorporate a cover crops into their cropping systems such as a cover mix after winter wheat or winter rye after soybeans and corn grain. Kevin Shelley from the UW-Madison Nutrient and Pest Management Program provided nutrient management information to the group. Tom's fields are no-till and Dane County staff performed a table top rainfall simulation that featured samples from his land as well as off-site for attendees to have a visual display of tillage impacts on infiltration and runoff.

Join our Dane County Parks team!

Job Opportunities | Dane County Career Opportunities Telecommuting allows employees to work remotely for all or part of their workweek. Dane County considers telecommuting to be a viable, flexible option when both the employee and the job are suited to such an arrangement. Dane County will permit telecommuting when it benefits the productivity of the....

The Friends of Lake Wingra are looking for new board members. Do you want to help protect the Lake Wingra Watershed? Do you have the skills and experience they are looking for? Consider applying to help lead and strengthen this already amazing group!

We’re opening applications for new board members this year!

You may have noticed we’ve been quiet over the past six months. We’ve been meeting as a board to plan, reprioritize, and get ready to hit the ground running so we can better serve the community.

As part of this transition, we aim to build a full 15-person board this year that is representative of our diverse urban watershed. In doing so, our goal is to embrace the organization’s long-standing scientific integrity, collaboration, and passion for Lake Wingra.

Interested in learning more? Check out our vision on the website here and pass along to passionate folks in your network:
https://www.lakewingra.org/were-growing-applications-open-for-new-board-members

Photo credit: Richard Hurd

There are so many great local organizations looking to create native gardens across Dane County! Please consider donating funds to help these groups reach the goals and create these needed spaces to protect wildlife and our waters. https://ripple-effects.com/Order/Donate

Join our team!

Home Page Build, maintain and oversee Education Programs; Develop, revise and evaluate curriculum; Identify, build and maintain strategic partnerships to help meet department goals; Assist in training, support and evaluation of volunteers and LTE staff; Public outreach and event organization; Organize and mai...

Our conservation partners at the Wisconsin Land+Water Conservation Association are hosting a webinar this Thursday, March 9 highlighting the resources available from the Wisconsin Farm Center! Tune in to learn more about the free and confidential services offered such as:
➡️financial consulting
➡️transition planning
➡️conflict mediation
➡️veteran farmer assistance
➡️veterinary analysis
➡️Farmer Wellness Program

🔗https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ejmrbyz6832c6005&oseq=&c=&ch=

The WI Farm Center - Here When Farmers Need Us Do you or your teammates work with farmers? Hear how the Farm Center at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture (DATCP) can help them out! Services are free and confidential and include financial consulting, transition planning, conflict mediation, veteran farmer assistance, veterinary analysis, and...

We are hiring a Lakes & Watershed Program Coordinator to join our watershed team!

The position provides watershed program and policy development, communication, coordination, implementation, monitoring and reporting for the Department. Some of the current projects the position will be involved in includes Adaptive Management and Water Quality Trading, Legacy Sediment Removal (“Suck the Muck”), Community Manure Management, Yahara CLEAN, and Department Climate Initiatives.

For more information please see the full position posting here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/countyofdane/jobs/3939234

Lakes and Watershed Program Coordinator No description

Earlier this month, Conservation Specialist Katie Nicholas attended the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Katie was awarded a scholarship from NACD to attend and presented a poster highlighing the conservation implementation work that we are up to here in Dane County! 🌱