Stormwater Management

The Village of Maple Bluff is a member of a group known as MAMSWaP (Madison Area Stormwater Partnership). This collaborative group shares a Wisconsin DNR Individual Permit under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination (WPDES) program. The Village and 22 other local municipalities in Dane County are permitted by WDNR to discharge stormwater into Lake Mendota and other bodies of water through a stormwater permit known as an MS4. Through the partnership, the Village can join forces with other local municipalities to save time, money, and resources. Members are required to contribute and participate in the MAMSWaP Information and Education Program, which is a plan that outlines avenues municipalities can educate the community about its’ efforts to clean and reduce pollutant discharge to area water bodies. The goal of the municipal stormwater discharge permit is to reduce adverse impacts to water quality in our lakes, rivers, and streams from urban sources of stormwater runoff.

Our actions on land can have major impacts on Lake Mendota and all of it’s connections. Stormwater is rainwater or snow melt that runs off hard surfaces such as rooftops, roads, driveways, parking lots, and even lawns. Runoff can wash dirt, grease, trash, leaves, and other debris from these surfaces which lead directly into Lake Mendota. Storm water carries excess nutrients like phosphorus, which can also impact algae blooms, more specifically, blue-green algae creating a foul smell.

The way to protect and clean our lakes, rivers, and streams is to make sure only rain and snow melt and nothing else goes into the storm drains and ditches. You’re just clicks away from a world of ways you can easily work for cleaner wetlands, streams, and lakes in Maple Bluff and Dane County. It all starts with making sure that only the rain goes down our storm drains and ditches.