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Miles of phosphorus-laden muck must be removed from streambeds that lead to Madison’s lakes.

It’s the most promising and dramatic way to improve the health of Mendota, Monona and the other lakes in the Yahara chain, which has been fouled by heavy weeds and algae most summers.

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi’s plan to vacuum the polluted sediment from the bottom of streams deserves support from the County Board and public. The sludge has built up over more than a century from manure and other nutrient-rich material washing off barnyards and fields.

Parisi is proposing spending $12 million over four years to remove 870,000 pounds of phosphorus from 33 miles of waterways leading to Madison’s lakes. The result — when combined with other efforts to keep new sources of manure, soil, leaves and other organic material out of the water — should be cleaner lakes, which are vital to the region’s identity, quality of life and economy.

The muck is more than 2 feet thick in some stream sections. This includes part of Dorn Creek, which leads to Governor Nelson State Park and Lake Mendota. The phosphorus that settled in Dorn Creek long ago steadily leaches into the water at what officials believe are potent concentrations.