Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission to Honor Waters Champions Thursday, June 7

June 13, 2007
Contact: Sue Jones, Watershed Management Coordinator, 224-3764, 235-3153 (cell) jones.susan@co.dane.wi.us
Land & Water Resources

Who: Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission What: Dane County Waters Champion Awards Ceremony When: Thursday, June 7 5:30 p.m. Reception 6:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony Where: Madison Club, Terrace Room 5 East Wilson Street, Madison Note: 7:00 p.m., State of the Waters address and Waters Champions recognition will take place at the County Board meeting in the City County Building, Room 201 The following individuals and organizations will be honored for their outstanding commitment to protecting and improving the quality of Dane County’s water resources from a scenic, economic, recreational and environmental standpoint. The Awards are presented as part of the 13th annual Take a Stake in the Lakes Week (formerly Yahara Lakes Week), which will take place from June 9-17. Award Winners: Steve Haak – Haak is a farmer and member of several conservation groups, including the Upper Sugar River Watershed Association, the Dane County FSA Committee and the Dane County Land Conservation Committee who has devoted more than 2000 hours towards resource protection and enhancement in the Upper Sugar River Watershed. Dr. Jennifer Hauxwell – DNR researcher Hauxwell has been an invaluable resource for the county’s aquatic plant management committee, and is assisting with implementation of its recommendations, particularly concerning methods to control Eurasian water milfoil, and restoration of native plant communities. Yahara Waterways Water Trail Project Team – This Team worked together to develop an environmental, historical and cultural guide to the Yahara River from Cherokee Marsh to Lake Kegonsa. Team members include representatives from Madison Audubon, Capitol Water Trails, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Mad-City Paddlers, Friends of Lake Kegonsa Society, Rutabaga Paddlesport Shop, Rock River Coalition, and others. Glenn Stephens Elementary School – Teacher Julie Fuller and the fourth and fifth graders at Glenn Stephens built a rain garden at the school. Students applied for a grant from the school’s PTO, selected the site and the plants, planted the rain garden, tended it, and conducted tours and educated more than 400 students from the entire school on the importance of protecting Dane County’s waters. For more information, visit www.takeastakeinthelakesweek.com. ###