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County Executive's Office

Dane County Award Communities $1.2 Million in Grants for Clean Water Projects

November 03, 2016
Stephanie Miller 608-267-8823
County Executive

 Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced five awards totaling $1,289,250 to local municipalities aimed at cleaning up urban runoff pollution in area waters. The grants help local communities construct storm water management facilities.  These basins capture trash and phosphorus-laden debris such as yard or pet waste from urban areas that would otherwise wash directly into area lakes and streams during heavy rains or snow melt. The grants will need to be approved by the county board; a resolution will be introduced tonight.

 

“Our lakes, rivers, and streams are incredibly valuable resources and an integral part of our economy and quality of life,” Parisi said.  “By working together with local communities we are able get more done and stop more pollutants from getting into our waters.”

 

Since starting the grant program in 2005, Dane County has helped fund 53 projects totaling over $10 million. These partnerships have stopped the flow of over a half million pounds of garbage and pollutants, including over 2,700 pounds of phosphorus. Phosphorus is the main culprit causing algae growth in area lakes. Every pound of phosphorus removed from the county’s watershed prevents 500 pounds of algae from growing.

 

This grant program is one of many initiatives by Dane County to clean up our lakes. Recently, as a part of Dane County Executive Parisi’s 2017 budget, a lakes clean up breakthrough was announced that will result in clean lakes decades sooner. The $12 million, 4 year project will remove legacy phosphorous that has been in streams feeding into our lakes for over the last century.

 

The following projects are receiving funding:

 

The Town of Middleton will be awarded $231,750 to reconstruct the Hickory Woods Basin which will stop 46 lbs. of phosphorus and 11,600 lbs. of sediment per year from entering our lakes. The total cost of the project is $309,000

 

The City of Fitchburg will be awarded $82,500 to reconstruct Byrne Pond Bioretention which will stop 40 lbs. of phosphorus and 10,800 lbs. of sediment per year  from entering our lakes. The total cost of the project is $165,000.

 

The City of Madison will be awarded $100,000 to reconstruct Manitou Pond Pretreatment which will stop 108 lbs. of phosphorus and 60,300 lbs. of sediment per year from entering our lakes. The total cost of the project is $340,000.

 

The city of Madison will be awarded $375,000 for Starkweather Creek which will stop 1600 lbs. of phosphorous. The total cost of the project is $5,566,000.

 

The city of Madison will be awarded $500,000 for Willow Creek which will stop 46 lbs. of phosphorus and 38,880 lbs. sediment per year from entering our lakes. The total cost of the project is $1,230,808.

 

For the fifth consecutive year, municipalities that propose projects in one of the county’s top ten target areas that discharge large amounts of phosphorus and sediment into the lakes will be eligible to receive a 75% county cost share grant. Other municipalities with eligible projects outside the targeted areas could receive 50% cost share.

 

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