not especially good for the lakes waters (2). This proved to be a threat to the waters of Lake Mendota, but not as big of a threat as the natural run off coming from the streets and yards and fields of farmers and gardeners. Madisons Isthmus is the highest point of the whole city with the lakes Wingra, Monona and Mendota beneath them. So, rainwater and snowmelt would flow across the land and pick up soil particles, organic wastes, fertilizers, and other pollutants and carried them to surface or groundwater (7a.). This, over-abundance of nutrients in lakes causes what is known as algae blooms. Algae feed off of the nutrients and grow (bloom) at a rapid rate. They grow so fast, in fact, they can eat up most of the available oxygen and sunlight, leaving other organisms to suffocate or become to shy to survive from a lack of a good tan (6). Actually the algae grow, multiply and then die and when they decompose it leaves a nasty scent behind, hardly hiding the stench of the huge amounts of dead fish that appear at the surface of the waters (2). Fish kills from algae blooms have been reported in Madison back in 1931, 1946 and even in more recent years (1).The first recorded problem with algae and algae blooms in Madison was in 1882 (1). Summers shortly after, the lake turned clear again, so nothing was done until the algae blooms occurred again in the summer of 1946, also creating a major fish kill problem. In 1947, the Lake Mendota Association was formed by a group of individuals, including Aldo Leopold. The Association was formed because of the noticeably worsening conditions of Lake Mendota throughout the years. Nasty odors of dying perch on the shore and decomposing algae in the water finally became too much for people to bear. Madison finally became concerned with correcting the algae problem in Lake Mendota, when they realized the city would need a portion of the lakes water for its domestic water supply (4). One of the fi...
