MONITORING -This Committee is responsible for monitoring the water quality on Lake Kegonsa and the surrounding area and then reporting the data to FOLKS members. The Committee continues to develop an extensive database of water quality data for the Lake. To view the data, click here. The Committee also:

• Works closely with Clean Lakes Alliance (CLA), Rock River Coalition (RRC), Dane County Land and Water Resources (LWRD), and UW Limnology.

• Provides volunteers and coordinates 12-16 monitoring sites for data collection under the CLA ‘End of Pier’ monitoring program.

• Purchases and maintains clarity and temperature equipment for the Lake Kegonsa ‘End of Pier’ monitoring program.

• Provides volunteers and coordinates sample collection under the RRC water data programs at important sites:

  • Yahara River inlet (Fish Camp Park)

  • Yahara outlet (LaFollette dam)

  • Door Creek (at the inlet to Lake Kegonsa)

  • Door Creek (at Co Rd MN)

• Provides phosphorus sampling at opposite points on the lake to expand current data.

• Provides continued monitoring and seasonal water sampling at the ‘Deep Hole’, the deepest part of Lake Kegonsa.

• Monitors the lakeforecast.org (CLA) and SWIMS (RRC) databases where nutrient and observational data is stored.

• Cooperates with and provides volunteers to UW water quality studies such as Microcystin testing and foam collection for PFAS study.

• Monitors lake levels and communicates with Dane County to provide feedback.

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RUNOFF - This Committee identifies, samples and monitors sites that have water running into Lake Kegonsa. The objective is to determine and alleviate major sources of phosphorus entering the lake. The phosphorus coming into the lake is determined by the level of P in the run-off water times the amount of run-off flowing into the lake at that point. The Run-Off Committee previously identified sites on Lake Kegonsa where water is flowing into Lake Kegonsa on a regular basis or periodically after rain events and sampled some of these runoff sites to determine a baseline phosphorus level. The committee:

• Samples selected run off sites after major rain events, to determine phosphorus level.

• Prioritizes run off spots based on phosphorus analysis and estimated flows.

• Designs projects that will slow or alleviate the run off at sites contributing significant phosphorus to the lake.

•  Promotes best practices such as planting native plants on shorelines through workshops and subsidizing the use of rain barrels to reduce run-off.

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LEAF COLLECTION -This Committee is responsible for educating members of FOLKS and the community on the impact leaves have on our lake. Other responsibilities include:

• Work with the City of Stoughton (the City) to continue the sharing of their leaf vacuum with the Towns of Pleasant Springs and Dunn (the Towns).

• Develop a budget for the project to provide grants to the Towns to help them with the annual leaf collection around Lake Kegonsa.

• Work with the Towns to determine appropriate weekends for leaf collection in the fall.

• Work with the Towns to develop educational materials for distribution to residents.

• Work with the Towns to make refuse site hours easily accessible to residents.

• Develop grant requests as necessary.

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AQUATIC PLANTS - This Committee monitors aquatic plant growth in Lake Kegonsa.   The committee evaluates the problems, needs, and effectiveness of aquatic plant harvesting in cooperation with Dane County.   They also determine if aquatic plants have become a big enough problem to consider additional plant harvesting. The committee coordinates aquatic plant and debris pick-up with Dane County.

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PERMANENT PRAIRIE -This Committee works with landowners, municipalities, and state agencies to encourage creation of permanent native prairies that slow runoff and improve the water quality of Lake Kegonsa.

​Committee Members:

Monitoring/Runoff

Kim Walz (Chairperson)

Connie Hagen

Janice Kellogg

John Bottorff

Claudia Quam

Mike Krueger

Leaf Collection

Claudia Quam (Chairperson)

Aquatic Plants 

John Bottorff (Chairperson)

Permanent Prairie

John Bottorff (Chairperson)