Yahara Lakes Association to Present County Executive Falk with Award Tonight

June 29, 2010
Joshua Wescott, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk will receive a prestigious award from the Yahara Lakes Association at the group’s annual meeting this evening.  Falk will be honored as the “Public Official of the Year.”

“All of us at the Yahara Lakes Association have appreciated the County Executive’s support and leadership in helping to improve and protect our lakes in the Yahara Lakes Chain,” said Joe Tisserand of the Yahara Lakes Association.  “We appreciate her being instrumental in getting the manure digester in place and also her support of the phosphorus ban which are a great benefit to our Lakes.”   

“Working together - - - our farmers, business leaders, those who like to spend their summers fishing and boating on our beautiful waters - - - we’re all making a difference today to ensure these lakes can be enjoyed for generations to come,” Falk said.

Falk noted in just the past several months, a number of new important efforts have started to help the lakes.  Tops on that list is the upcoming construction of the first “community” manure digester in the country that will have advanced technology to remove algae-growing phosphorus that otherwise runs into the Lake Mendota watershed.   Ground-breaking for this facility will take place next month.

In addition, Falk recently joined officials from the City of Middleton and Clean Lakes Alliance to announce a new partnership to construct a storm-water retention basin that will stop tens of thousands of pounds of crud from running off into Lake Mendota each year.  Dane County also recently received word that its application to the United States Department of Agriculture for $2-million in funding to help farmers in the Lake Mendota watershed reduce runoff was successful.  Those federal dollars will help farmers make improvements to help keep nutrients out of the lakes that are the leading grower of green algae in the lakes.

The Yahara Lakes Association is a local nonprofit that works to improve and preserve the lakes and rivers in the Yahara chain of lakes.  Its diverse membership includes local business leaders, environmental advocates, lakefront owners, and many others interested in the health and well-being of the lakes.

Tonight’s award ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. at Blackhawk Country Club.