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Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust (aka SWWT Water) is not accepting proposals for presentations at the 15th annual Clean Rivers, Clean Lakes Conference.
Nov. 14th, Alverno College
Participants from nonprofit, government, business and academic organizations gather each year for the Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference to learn about improving the health of our watersheds through policy innovation, technical and engineering advances, watershed restoration planning and practices, and collaborative stakeholder involvement.
The conference is an all-day event that includes oral and poster presentations, exhibits, an awards presentation for Sweet Water Water Quality Mini-Grant recipients, and a celebration of our Watershed Champions.
Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc. (Sweet Water) is now accepting presentation proposals for its 2019 Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference that will be held at Alverno College’s Sister Joel Read Center on November 14, 2019. This year’s theme will be Leveraging Experience for Future Success.
The conference theme was selected to showcase our shared past experiences and our goals for the future. Where were we 10 years ago? How much progress have we made? Where should we set our sights and put our efforts next? How do we leverage our past experiences and what we’ve learned to reach our future goals?
Proposals for traditional presentations and 'Shed Talks will be due no later than FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 AT 11:59 PM.
The second phase of stakeholder engagement to record feedback from the watershed community of practice about the WQIP Strategies for Integrated Watershed Management is about to commence. The first phase of outreach to introduce stakeholders to the WQIP Options Paper was completed in early July.
This phase will consist of engaging a WQIP Strategic Advisory Work Group to identify which strategies will have the greatest potential benefits and fewest impediments and will garner the most interest from stakeholders. This work group convened its first meeting in the third week of July and will meet at least three more times by early September. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Kristin at kristin@swwtwater.org.
More Information about the Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP)
Sweet Water is developing a Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) that will recommend Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) approaches for restoring the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds. The WQIP will help accelerate and focus efforts aimed at meeting TMDLs and is called for in MMSD's WPDES permit. A ‘WQIP Options Paper’ providing a preliminary analysis is available at https://www.swwtwater.org/wqip-outreach.
A set of final recommendations will be developed following stakeholder reflection, participation, and feedback on the options paper. The final version of the WQIP will be a reflection of the priorities and interests of watershed stakeholders, and the WQIP’s utility will be directly proportional to the degree to which it draws out continued stakeholder involvement and investment. If you would like more info on the WQIP, please visit the SWWT Water Quality Improvement Planning website.
WATERTOWN — Gov. Tony Evers today announced additional efforts by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to address nitrates in ground and surface water.
“I am committed to protecting Wisconsin’s waters and ensuring every Wisconsinite has access to clean drinking water,” said Gov. Evers. “In the Year of Clean Drinking Water, I’m proud that my cabinet is working with the agricultural and environmental communities to address nitrate contamination.”
As part of the announcement, Gov. Evers directed DNR to pursue rulemaking through NR 151 to reduce nitrate contamination by establishing targeted nitrate performance standard for soils that are most likely to experience nitrogen contamination. Read the entire news release...
Conservation Observance Day recognizes the hard work and success of Wisconsin farmers who are protecting our soil and water. Conservation Observance Day is a great opportunity to learn more about the farming industry and how farmers are protecting our natural resources. You are invited to this free event on Friday, August 23, 2019 at T&R Dairy, N700 County Road Q Watertown, WI. Topics such as:
- multi-species cover crop mixes,
- no-till farming methods,
- planting green,
- soil health,
- aerial seeding,
- 60” corn rows,
- Wagyu beef grazing, and more will be discussed and showcased.
The Peirick family has been awarded the 2019 Conservation Farm Family of the year and will be hosting Conservation Observance Day. T & R Dairy LLC., near Watertown is run by brothers Tony and Ralph Peirick, and their sons Josh and Dan. T&R Dairy has been utilizing no-till for 24 years, implementing cover crops for 10 years, and has been planting green for the past 3 years. Additionally, the Peirick family will be starting to experiment with other conservation methods including innovative interseeding techniques, rolling cereal rye, and raising new breeds of cows not common in the area
Registration will start at 9am with the tours to follow. Please RSVP by August 9th online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-conservation-observance-day-tickets-66884596629 or by calling the Dodge County Land and Water Conservation Department at (920) 386-3660.
Racine County is home to a thriving producer-led committee with a goal of improving water quality throughout the county. With
the help of the Racine County Land Conservation Department,
they applied for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection (DATCP) Producer‐Led Watershed Pro‐
tection Grant and it was awarded in January 2018. With the
grant, they were able to host a winter meeting in February of
2018, and an additional Cover Crop Field Day in September
2018. Both events were a great success with approximately
60 attending each meeting. The grant is also being used for
incentive payments for farmers who install buffers and cover
crops in the Goose Lake Branch, Eagle Creek and Hoosier
Creek Watersheds. Another benefit of the grant funding is
holding informal bi‐monthly meetings for producers to get
together and talk about farming and cover crops. Read the article
Registration is open for Practical Farmers of Iowa’s third annual small-grains conference, “Rotationally Raised: Making Small Grains Work,” which will take place Aug. 15-16 at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
The two-day conference starts at noon on Thursday, Aug. 15, and will feature:
- twelve breakout sessions on topics ranging from integrating animals into a small-grains operation to marketing, rebuilding the small-grains economy in the Midwest, agronomic issues and more
- a plenary by University of Wisconsin-Madison grassland ecologist Randy Jackson,who will speak on “The Case for Diversity: Extending the Crop Rotation”
- ample time to network -- including at a networking reception to help connect small-grains buyers and sellers with one another
- a closing plenary by John and Halee Wepking,of Meadowlark Organicsnear Ridgeway, Wisconsin, on bringing the next generation to the farm with small grains
BA news release with more details is attached and copied below. The full conference program can also be accessed on our small grains conference webpage.
Please note that registration is required by Monday, Aug. 12 -- but those wishing to access the discounted hotel rate PFI has reserved must book their rooms by July 20.
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The public has until September 20, 2019 to provide feedback on two proposed rule revisions related to assessing the health of lakes and streams in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on two proposals that would update Wisconsin Administrative Code. These rules describe how the biology of a lake or stream—such as its fish, insect, plant and algae communities—are used to assess its overall health. The rule updates also establish how algae and plants will be used to determine whether a water body is responding to elevated phosphorus levels and whether it may need a different phosphorus criterion.
The first rule (Natural Resources Board order WY-23-13) addresses water quality standards that the department uses to assess waterbodies for impairments. These standards include biological criteria and indicators that a waterbody is responding to elevated phosphorus levels.
The second rule (NRB order WT-17-12) would establish a process for determining when an individual waterbody needs a higher or lower phosphorus criterion than the statewide target in order to meet its water quality goals.
The proposed language can be found on the DNR’s website for proposed permanent rules by looking up each rule’s NRB order number.
A joint public hearing will be held for both rules at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, with simultaneous telepresence in Madison and Green Bay.
A second public comment period is being held for the public to provide feedback on proposed revisions to water quality criteria for pathogens (bacteria) to protect recreation in lakes, rivers, and streams. The revisions proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources follow EPA recommendations to change from the current state criterion based on fecal coliform to one based on E. coli, as E. coli is a better indicator of the risk of gastrointestinal illness. The rule revisions will change certain permit requirements for sewage treatment facilities accordingly. The DNR is adding a second comment period because of changes based on comments received during the first comment period held in April. These changes include adjustments to how permit limits are expressed and the time frame during which E. coli permit limits are required. The previous economic impact analysis has also been updated, and the rule is expected to have a moderate economic impact. The updated economic analysis and responses to previous public comments are available with the posted materials.
The second public comment period for this rule will run through August 20, 2019. An additional public hearing will also be held during this period on Wednesday, August 7 at 2:00, in Room G27 at the Madison Dept. of Natural Resources Bldg., 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI. Materials for review may be found on the DNR’s website at https://dnr.wi.gov/news/input/ProposedPermanent.html, under rule number WY-17-15.
Comments can be submitted to: DNRAdministrativeRulesComments@wisconsin.gov. This notification is being distributed to those sewage treatment facilities that may be affected, the department's distribution list for impaired waters and water quality standards, the WPDES permit notification list, and other entities that may be interested in the proposed rules.
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Contact(s): Joanne Haas, DNR Bureau of Law Enforcement public information officer, joanne.haas@wisconsin.gov, 608-209-8147
MADISON -- Boaters, paddlers, anglers and swimmers, as well as shoreline property owners, are put at risk when boat operators throttle up and leave wakes in their paths - forcing others on the water to react quickly to the sudden rough water that slams other vessels and crashes into the shorelines.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is joining the Minnesota DNR in a public campaign urging all boaters to be aware of the risks and problems caused by boat wakes and to take steps to reduce big wakes.
Driven by a growing number of calls and complaints about excessive wakes, both states launched an educational effort urging people to "Own Your Wake - for everyone's sake." The to spread the word about the importance of minimizing wakes that might pose a nuisance or hazard to others.
Anyone with information regarding natural resource violations, may confidentially report by calling or texting: VIOLATION HOTLINE: 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. The hotline is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained staff relay information to conservation wardens. Read the full article...
Milwaukee Water Commons is hosting the Cream City Classic, a 1.5 mile open water river race in the Milwaukee River. The Milwaukee River has come a long way in recent history and the evidence is clear: Milwaukee has seen two dams removed, an increase in fish biodiversity, the establishment of a protected Milwaukee River Greenway, an abundance of anglers and kayakers, and downtown revitalization efforts that began with a Riverwalk and now extend to the Harbor District where the Milwaukee meets the Menomonee and the Kinickinnic Rivers.
Join us on August 10th as a swimmer, spectator or volunteer and help us raise our own expectations of what our waters can be.
Milwaukee Water Commons invites you to join them for their 6th annual We Are Water celebration on September 8th! As a city known for it's festivals, We Are Water adds to that tradition with a focus on water. A multicultural, inter-arts celebration, this year we will hear from a number of community voices as we celebrate that every culture has water stories.
When: Sunday, September 8th, 2019
5:30-9 pm
Where: South Shore Park Beach
2900 S. S. Shore Dr.
Bay View, WI 53207
Stay tuned for more details! RSVP on our Facebook page and invite your friends and family. All are welcome! No cost. Family friendly.
Sweet Water is proud to thank, honor, and celebrate regional Watershed Champions through our annual Watershed Champion awards. SWWT recognize individuals, communities, and organizations that have made significant efforts in securing healthy and sustainable water resources in the Greater Milwaukee watersheds. Be sure to attend the 15th Annual Clean Rivers,Clean Lakes Conference on November 14th to witness the Watershed Champion Awards!
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The DNR has reissued WPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit No. WI–S050075–3, effective May 1, 2019, which replaces previous coverage under expired WPDES MS4 General Permits No. WI–S050075–2 and WI–S050181–1.
More than two hundred municipalities in Wisconsin that include cities, villages, towns and counties within urbanized areas are required to have Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits under NR 216, Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR]. Use the links below to find out who is affected, how municipalities comply with permit requirements, and technical assistance documents. Learn more about storm water runoff.
Within the Greater Milwaukee River Basin, there were 9 MS4 communities and 2 MS4 Counties when the TMDL was published which are covered by the MS4 General Permit. Within the new General Permit, Appendix B specifically addresses TMDL Implementation for communities in the Milwaukee River Basin. For more information, please see the General Permit via the link here:
The remaining 30 MS4s covered under individual permit are in the drafting stage. Once complete, these individual permits will include new targets for pollution reduction from the TMDL report.
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Periodically throughout the year, WDNR Wastewater Staff update the status of WPDES Wastewater Permits to track progress on permit issuance and TMDL Implementation. Currently within the greater Milwaukee River Basin, approximately ten of the WPDES permits that existed at the time of the TMDL Publication in 2018 have been reissued with TMDL limits, and a large number of other permits are currently being revised to include TMDL limits. The following is a summary of total WPDES permitted facility outfalls from the TMDL report, and percentage that are Non-Contact Cooling Water (NCCW - this is water that is only used for indirect cooling purposes such as cooling in electrical generation, machinery cooling, etc.) outfalls covered by the general permit:
- Kinnickinnic: 24 Point Sources, 75% NCCW
- Menomonee: 68 Point Sources, 84% NCCW
- Milwaukee: 65 Point Sources, 62% NCCW
- Milwaukee Harbor/Estuary: 8 Point Sources, 50% NCCW
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Grant Information
11 States, Including Wisconsin, Identified to Invest in Floodplain Easements
MADISON, WIS., July 24, 2019 – In response to recent flooding impacting many parts of the United States, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announces the availability of $217.5 million dedicated to funding conservation easements on certain lands damaged by flooding and other natural disasters.
Funds are made available through the floodplain easement component of the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP-FPE). The 11 states currently identified for funding include: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Read more...
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