05/20/2026
🌧️ Protecting Our Water Starts on Our Streets! 🌊
We recently partnered with local students in Pardeeville and Portage to stencil stormwater drains and raise awareness about where our water goes.
Pardeeville Community Day – May 6
Pardeeville High School students helped stencil 46 stormwater drains that flow directly into Park Lake and nearby wetlands. Drains along W. Chestnut St., E. Chestnut St., Oak St., Elm St., Badger St., E. Lafollette St., and Sanborn St. now display messages like “Dump No Waste – Drains to Lake” and “Dump No Waste – Drains to Wetland.”
A huge thank‑you to the Pardeeville Lakes Management District for donating paint and supplies, and to the Village of Pardeeville for providing road paint.
Portage Science Club – May 13
Students from Mrs. Thompson’s Portage Science Club joined us to stencil 42 stormwater drains that flow to local wetlands. Drains were marked along E. Collins St., School Rd., E. Slifer St., Winnebago Ave., Hiawatha Ave., Yellowstone St., Woodcrest Dr., Hamilton St., and Evergreen Trail. Afterward, students visited our office for a Watershed Science presentation and a tour.
A huge thank‑you to the City Government of Portage Wisconsin for donating road paint and to the Columbia County Highway Department for providing high‑visibility vests.
💧 These projects help remind our communities that what goes into our stormwater drains goes directly into our lakes and wetlands. Thank you to all the students, teachers, and partners who made this possible!
