Lakes Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Kegonsa, and Waubesa
About the Yahara Lakes
Coming soon.
History of the Yahara Lakes
From Maria Powell’s Poisoning Paradise: An Environmental History of Madison:
1898-1920: Progressive Madison fouls its ‘Sylvan Deities’ with Sewage
1925-1929: Citizens organize, lakes and rivers commission formed, Olbrich Park
1930s: Madison Metropolitan Sewage District created, despite citizen resistance
1930s: Madison is bane of downstream communities
1930s: Chemicals to fix Burke, Oscar Mayer, lake problems
1930s: City growth means more sewage, landfills, dredging
1940-1941: Chemicals fail, Kegonsa-Waubesa residents protest
Other news and information about the Yahara Lakes from the Midwest Environmental Justice Organization (MEJO):
General Lake Issues:
2023: Why does the Dance County Lakes & Watershed Commission ignore toxic chemicals?
2022: Lakes & Watershed Commissioners clueless about public engagement… or they just don’t care?
2022: Miracle! Or magic? Design teams can fix Lake Monona!
2019: Report: Watchdogs not looking hard enough for public health hazards in lakes, fish
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Fish Contamination and Consumption:
2021: Fish from all Yahara Lakes except Mendota and Wingra on advisory for PFAS
2021: Yahara Lakes fish advisories reflect “two Madisons”
2013: Still invisible: The risks of eating locally caught fish from polluted waters
2008: MEJO survey: Shoreline anglers eat a lot of fish
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PFAS Contamination:
2022: Lakes & Watershed Commission has finally learned about PFAS
2021: Oops! We poisonined the “Giants among us” – the Yahara Lakes
2021: How much PFAS is in the much Dane County’s Dragon Dredge will such from Yahara River?
2021: PFAS from 2019 MGE fire continues to ooze, drain, and slosh into Lake Monona
2021: Monona Bay, downtown Madison’s toxic cesspool
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Monona Terrace / Law Park Landfill:
See here
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Interconnection between the lakes and Madison’s deep aquifers (aka drinking water supply):
See here.
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