Historically, Native Americans made extensive use of the lands surrounding Lake Wingra, which takes its name from the word for "duck" in the language of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Lake Wingra, like other lakes in the Yahara chain (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa), is severely stressed by a combination of toxic pollutants, such as mercury and PCBs, thermal pollution, sedimentation, exotic species (plant, animal and microbial), intense human recreational use and hyper-nutrification with nitrogen and phosphorus.

In other locations, stormwater is directed to holding and settling ponds which slow flows and trap pollutants before they move downstream to the lake itself.

Restoration activities on the UW Arboretum will include removal of contaminated sediments from holding ponds which have not already been upgraded.

Efforts to restore Lake Wingra are taking place but so far, these have been small, mostly demonstration projects rather than a comprehensive basin-wide approach.