Located in the Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center One Fen Oak Court Room 234 Madison, WI 53718-8812 Map to Fen Oak 608-224-3730 lakes@co.dane.wi.us
See how native plants and rain gardens beautify yards, improve lakes and streams
Information Center at Brant Park, McFarland: exit on Siggelkow Road from Hwy 51 and go west two blocks towards Lake Waubesa.
The 9th Annual Better Lawns and Gutters Tour, sponsored by the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, will take place on Saturday, August 14th, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in McFarland, WI.
Rain garden help reduce stormwater runoff and the amount of nutrients, chemicals and other pollutants that are carried from our lawns, gutters and streets to our lakes and streams.
The Tour Information Center (located at Brandt Park) will also have ideas on beautifying your landscape, saving time and money on maintenance, attracting beneficial wildlife and helping our lakes, rivers and streams. Event partners include the City of McFarland, Madison Audubon Society, Wild Ones and Healthy Lawn Team. Gardeners will be available during the Tour to answer questions at the Tour sites.
Native plants can replace all or part of a traditional lawn. They are hardy, low-maintenance, a delight to the senses and attract butterflies and birds. They do not require frequent mowing and watering that traditional lawns do. In dry weather, native plants are one of the few green things in yards, because their roots go so deep. They are better suited to this climate and can withstand periods of drought.
Rain gardens are shallow depressions positioned near downspouts to keep rain where it falls. By allowing stormwater to soak into the ground rather than becoming runoff, rain gardens cut down on the untreated stormwater that makes its way—along with the sediment, fertilizer, oil, pet waste and other pollutants it carries—to our lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands.
The Better Lawns and Gutters Tour is a program of the Dane County Office of Lakes & Watersheds, focusing public attention on the importance of protecting and improving the quality of our lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands. Check back in late July for Tour maps and more information, as well as other ways residents can help reduce stormwater runoff.
Yahara Waterways Water Trail Guide now available!
