Dane County Announces Recipients for Lakes Clean-up Partnership Program

May 29, 2020
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive, County Executive

Three projects in local communities will receive nearly $400,000 as part of Dane County’s Urban Water Quality Grant Program, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced today. The selected projects in Fitchburg and Middleton directly address urban runoff and help clean and reduce stormwater volume to area lakes.

Dane County’s successful cost share program assists municipalities in constructing storm water management facilities that reduce stormwater volume and capture trash and phosphorus-laden debris, such as yard and pet waste, from washing directly into lakes and streams during heavy rain or snow melts. The goals of the Urban Water Quality Grant Program are to improve the quality and quantity of urban stormwater runoff entering Dane County lakes, rivers and streams, increase public awareness of urban water quality issues, and provide public education about urban stormwater quality improvement practices.

“By working together with local municipalities to help clean our lakes, we are able to get more done and make a bigger impact,” County Executive Joe Parisi said. “We are happy to partner with this year’s recipients of the Urban Water Quality Grant Program and take another step in improving the quality of our waters.”

Since starting the grant program in 2005, the Urban Water Quality Grant Program has helped fund projects totaling almost $10 million that are estimated to have removed more than a half million pounds of debris and more than 2,000 pounds of phosphorus annually. One pound of phosphorus removed from the county’s watersheds prevents up to 500 pounds of algae growth in area lakes.

Financial assistance was available to municipalities in the form of cost sharing up to 50 percent of the total project cost, not to exceed $500,000. To be eligible, projects needed to 1) be constructed and fully functional within 2 years of the grant being awarded; 2) be designed to improve the quality or reduce the volume of stormwater runoff from developed drainage areas that do not meet current standards; 3) treat urban runoff draining to a lake, river, or stream.