Located in south central Wisconsin, Dane County is home to those living within the state capital, surrounding metropolitan area, and neighboring agricultural communities. The county is composed of 33 townships, 8 cities, and 20 villages and is expected to have a population of 530,000 people by 2020. Most of the work force is employed in government, trade, or business. Changing agricultural practices and the conversion of agriculture to urban development continues to change the County’s landscape. Madison, the state's capital and home to the main campus of the state university, is central to the region.

The County has plentiful aquatic resources with the Yahara chain of lakes centrally located in Madison. There are 69 names lakes and ponds, over 475 miles of stream and rivers, and plentiful groundwater resources that provide drinking water for residents. Maintaining the quality of these surface and groundwater resources necessitates collaboration among all levels of government, nonprofits of various sizes, and citizens from throughout the region.