In fall 2024 Friends of Starkweather Creek volunteers surveyed twenty waterbodies in Dane Co to measure levels of PFAS chemicals. We wanted to find out if PFAS were still flowing into Starkweather Creek and the downstream Yahara Lakes from longstanding fire-fighting foam used at the Dane Co Airport. We also sampled several other waters around Dane County for comparison.

We repeated sampling in 2025 and 2026 for Starkweather Creek, the Yahara Lakes and the Madison Metro Sewage District outfall into Badfish Creek. We were please to see some reduction in the Creek, with levels elsewhere staying about the same. We also took a sample of Madison drinking water in 2026, which showed PFAS levels well below standards.

Read all about it on our PFAS Page