This week, the Clean Lakes Alliance held its 2023 community breakfast where the annual State of the Lakes Report was presented.

Overall, the report concluded that lakes Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa had a positive 2022 in terms of water quality, precipitation, and phosphorus levels.

During the community breakfast, the Clean Lakes Alliance also checked in on its Renew the Blue guide. Debuted at last year's event, this guide lays out actions and initiatives that the community can take to make our local lakes as clean and healthy as possible.

The organization shouted out Madison for taking these actions:

Implementing a salt ordinance to reduce excess chemicals making their way to the lakes
Increasing native plant diversity in stormwater treatment systems
Adding a third permeable pavement street to decrease runoff by trapping + slowly releasing precipitation
Switching to a low-disturbance biosolid injection during wastewater treatment to reduce phosphorus runoff on farms