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County Executive's Office

Take a Stake in the Lakes Reports Findings

July 08, 2003
Louise Goldstein, 224-3601
County Executive

A muu-muu and a photo album are among the “treasures” found The over 350 volunteers who helped clean up Dane County’s lake shorelines and beaches during the 16th annual “Take a Stake in the Lakes,” held in June uncovered an array of trash and “treasures.” “The clean-up work of these volunteers makes a huge difference in the quality of our shorelines,” said Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. The volunteers focused on shorelines and beaches around the Yahara Lakes chain, including Lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, Wingra and Kegonsa. Volunteers also paddled down Wingra and Starkweather Creeks and in Monona Bay to give attention to shorelines from the water. Divers volunteered in all the lakes earlier in the spring and report that the lakes’ floors are in pretty good shape, without a great deal of litter. Volunteers also marked storm drains in several different neighborhoods, with the words “Drains to Lake” to remind people that run-off is a major source of lake pollution. In addition to the usual paper, plastic and bottles, volunteers found some interesting items as they cleaned up. Among these were a muu-muu, wheelbarrows, a bike reflector, orange traffic cones, a propane tank, a tire, a photo album, shoes, sections of a dock, a kite, two plastic tarps, and unopened bottle of vodka, an egg crate mattress, a large section of carpet and a hospital food cart. Dane County Public Works crews picked up aquatic debris and lake weeds from the piers of shoreline residents. Between this collection and the volunteer shoreline cleanup, close to 26 tons of debris and lake weeds were collected. # # #
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