An update on Dane County’s “Suck the Muck” initiative

With spring comes warmer temperatures, budding trees, and the opportunity for Dane County to continue “Suck the Muck,” a $12 million initiative introduced in my 2017 budget and implemented by the Department of Land and Water Resources to achieve healthier lakes. When complete, Dane County will have cleaned up to 33 total miles of area streams that previously held sediment with high amounts of phosphorus, which can increase the frequency of hazardous algae blooms in our lakes.

Last year Dane County reached completion on the first phase of its “Suck the Muck” initiative with the removal of 11,000 tons of phosphorus-laden sediment from a nearly 3 mile stretch of Dorn Creek. Between 3 and 4 feet of sediment was removed — twice as much as initially anticipated.

We will continue relying on a data-driven approach in 2019 to identify the highest concentrations of sludge in streams and prioritize where “Suck the Muck” is needed next. Testing showed Token Creek has about 1 mile of creek impacted by high phosphorus sludge, making it a prime location for us to begin work this spring. My 2019 budget includes $2.5 million for this year’s work.

A potential “Suck the Muck” location is Door Creek. Accrued sediments over the years have tested this area’s ability to absorb floodwaters. My 2019 budget has $200,000 to begin restoring this wetland area. By sucking the muck out of a stretch of this creek and implementing a comprehensive wetlands restoration effort, we hope to improve this wetland’s water quality, flood capacity and fish habitat.

Dane County will continue to make investments in our environment to ensure it can be enjoyed for generations to come. 2018 was a productive year for “Suck the Muck,” and we have an equally busy schedule on tap for 2019.