At B.B. Clarke beach, on a recent sunny warm afternoon, the sweet beach air filled the senses. Glassy waves sparkled as sand swirled in the air around the patches of weeds along the shoreline. But the big wooden chair was missing its lifeguard, no children were making sandcastles, and nobody was in the water.
Only a few sunbathers and dog walkers were present for a quintessential summer moment. This is increasingly common in Madison: The beach-going population is dwindling at the city's In 2006, Madison added a popular alternative to the beaches with the construction of the Goodman Pool at 325 Olin Ave. Nancy Miller, a Madison resident, and her family rarely visits the beach as a result. "Goodman Pool allows us to not have to worry about the water quality of the lakes and just spend a nice day swimming," she says. That seems to be a common sentiment among many beach-goers. Yet the experts dispute the notion that water quality in the lakes has worsened. Some believe that the water quality has not changed over the last 50 years, while others maintain that the water is actually cleaner today because of stepped up vigilance. Fritz Kroncke, the city's recreation services supervisor, acknowledges that "water quality has suffered over the last three decades with the lake weeds and bacteria growing." But much of the safety concern is overblown, he feels. All of the publicity regarding algae, bacteria, sewage, and chemical treatments, he says, "adds to the perception that the lakes aren't good to swim in." Kroncke notes that new plans are underway to improve water quality. "We will lease land along the water and grow plants there to create a natural filter for storm water runoff," he notes. "Also, there is a possibility that we will reduce up to one foot of the lake level to encourage more growth in the wetlands." Still, through good times and bad, Madison remains a lake town. Lisa Salazar, of Rockford, Ill., comes to Madison with her husband and children several times a year for the lakes. When asked what keeps her visiting her personal favorite, Vilas Beach, she says, "When the kids were younger, under four, I would be worried about letting them swim in the lake. But now, I trust my kids and the water quality more, so I let them swim." Kroncke, in closing, admits that as a parent he chooses the pools over the unpredictable lakes in part because "his kids like it better." But he hasn't given up on Madison's lakes yet, "In the future, there is still hope that we'll see some changes." Elizabeth Levine is a staff writer at the Simpson Street Free Press and interned at Isthmus this summer through the Summer Media Institute.