A new 3-million-gallon digester in the town of Springfield, WI is scheduled to start generating electricity this December. In partnership with Gundersen Lutheran System of La Crosse, WI, and U.S. Biogas, the new Dane County facility is designed to produce electricity and reduce the nutrient level and volume of cow manure, which will eventually be used on nearby farms for fertilizer. The reduced nutrient content of the fertilizer is expected to mitigate runoff from farms that are a major source of smelly overgrowths of weeds and algae in area lakes. The facility is equipped with a 15-million-gallon storage structure that is built partly below and above ground, and incorporates other safety precautions to avoid spills as well.