A wet spring in Wisconsin has lifted the state out of drought, and four Madison lakes are at their highest levels in years. Still, residents are concerned after a 2018 flood.

Madison is located on an isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, and Lakes Waubesa and Kegonsa lie to the southeast.

By the end of June, the city had received 23 inches of rain, about five inches more than normal for that time of year, The Capital Times reported. In 2018, the count was 22 inches, and then nearly four inches fell in a single day in August, killing one person and causing millions of dollars in damage.

This year’s rainfall is on a similar trajectory, having been 8.2 inches above normal through July 14. When 2.5 inches fell on July 2, it was the third rainfall of 1.9 inches or more since May 24. On July 14, 2018, the annual rainfall total was 3.5 inches above normal. The lakes haven’t been this full since 2020.

So everyone keeps a close eye on the dams between the lakes.

“Right now, everything is open,” John Reimer, deputy director of the Dane County Department of Land and Water Resources, told the Times last month, explaining that the lack of elevation between the lakes makes it difficult to move water.

“It just takes time, every time we have a rainstorm, for the water to leave the system. … It’s just Mother Nature giving us more abundant rain than we’ve seen in a while.”

After the 2018 flood, the city began assessing its watershed, and it is now a model for responsible water management, although there is still a long way to go.

Madison is one of two state locations that require development and redevelopment projects to eliminate runoff, either through green roofs, ground penetration or collection. These methods can include rain gardens, water butts and other inventive measures that help reduce flood risk and save homeowners money on their water bills.

“The storms themselves have changed,” Greg Fries, a deputy city engineer for Madison, told the Times. “We can debate why, but there’s no debate that the number of major storms and the amount of rain that this area receives is significantly higher than it was 30 years ago.”

As extreme weather events become more severe and frequent due to rising global temperatures, this is just one way to respond. In the long term, individuals, governments and businesses will need to be more proactive and divest themselves of sources of dirty energy that directly contribute to such warming.

Sign up for our free newsletter for nice news And nice tips that make it easy to Help yourself while we help the planet.