LAKE INFO

Lake Mendota
Surface Area: 3,985 ha
Max Depth: 25.3 m
Mean Depth: 12.7 m

Lake Monona
Surface Area: 1,326 ha
Max Depth: 22.6 m
Mean Depth: 8.3 m
Lake Waubesa
Surface Area: 843 ha
Max Depth: 11.6 m
Mean Depth: 4.7 m
Lake Kegonsa
Surface Area: 1,299 ha
Max Depth: 9.8 m
Mean Depth: 5.1 m

Partnership

EFM

City of Madison

Dane County

WDNR

LTER

NSF

 

Vilas Beach - Lake Wingra

ADDRESS:
1339 Vilas Park Dr, Madison
DIRECTIONS:
Adjacent to Henry Vilas Zoo
DESCRIPTION:
Vilas Beach is a popular regional city beach located along the north shore of Lake Wingra, adjacent to the Henry Vilas Park and Zoo. It is the most heavily-use beach in the city. The Vilas family deeded the property to the City of Madison in 1904 for use as a public park with the restriction that an entrance fee can never be collected. A zoo has been located within the park since 1911.

The beach is approximately 250 feet long and 65 feet wide, with a 7% slope. The nearest storm outfall from the direction of the prevailing winds is approximately 1800 feet away (to the west).

There is a large goose population frequently located near the beach, which almost certainly have caused the beach to close on numerous occasions due to high bacteria levels. Even so, during the past 5 years Vilas beach has been the least frequently closed city beach due to bacteria or blue green algae levels. When it has closed, it was most often due to high levels of bacteria. From 2005 through 2009, the beach was closed just once for high blue green algae levels, for a total of 3 days. It was closed 8 different times for high bacteria levels (15 days total). It is currently listed on the EPA's 303(d) list of impaired beaches for high bacteria levels.

In July 1999, a major rain event caused contaminated storm water to flow from a malfunctioning holding tank into nearby Wingra Creek. Because Vilas beach is located "upstream" of the storm outfall that drained that part of the zoo, it was not affected. However, Olin beach on Lake Monona, approximately 2 miles downstream, had to be closed due to high bacteria levels traced to the contaminated effluent. Since then, measures have been taken at the zoo to prevent a recurrence.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING:
PHMDC
Vilas Beach

Vilas Beach
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More information is available on the Public Health, Madison & Dane County website