Ozaukee County and Milwaukee River Watershed Farmers are pleased to announce their Winter Soil Health Workshop. This year the key speaker will be Russell Hedrick. Mr. Hedrick comes from Hickory, North Carolina and is a first generation farmer.
Please call the land and water office or Jim Melichar to reserve your spot to listen and learn from a farmer speak about his experiences with soil health.
Agenda
The draft Water Quality Improvement Plan is tentatively scheduled to be included in the next issuance of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's WPDES permit in March. Once complete, the draft will be presented to DNR for review. We anticipate a TMDL Implementation Team meeting will be held to share review comments and suggested revisions in April/May of this year.
Milwaukee River Watershed Planning
Cedar, Pigeon, Mole, Ulao, L. Michigan Frontal Lobe Watersheds
The draft nine-key element plan for these watersheds has been reviewed by DNR and submitted to the EPA for this review of the 9 Key Elements required in the EPA Watershed planning process. Once their review is complete, EPA will return the plan, results of the review, and any comments that might need to be addressed.
Fredonia-Newburg Nonpoint Source Watershed Restoration
DNR staff are working with MMSD to begin the nine-key element review process. The final draft reports are available for download via the MMSD website:
The Menomonee River Watershed Restoration Plan is the next in line to being updated to meet the EPA nine-key elements. The and Kinnickinnic (KK) has been submitted to DNR and is under review.
The updated and finalized Large-Scale TRM grant application and instructions have been posted on the DNR TRM Grant website:
DNR TRM Grant Website
- Applications for the 2021 Runoff Management Grants are now posted, including the following:
- Small-Scale TRM
- UNPS-Construction
- Urban TMDL TRM
- Large-Scale TRM application and instructions will be posted by the end of January.
- Watch GovDelivery and WI Land+Water listserv for more information.
Grant application webinars:
- UNPS-Construction: scheduled on February 26, 2020 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 p.m. Click here (exit DNR) to register for the webinar.
- TRM Grants: scheduled on February 26, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Click here (exit DNR) to register for the webinar.
- Applications are due by April 15, 2020
Madison, Wis. – January 27, 2020 – Farmers and forest landowners will want to plan ahead and sign up early for USDA conservation funding. Angela Biggs, USDA−Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist in Wisconsin, announced farmers and forest landowners interested in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) need to apply by February 28, 2020, for funding in 2020. Applications are being taken at all USDA Service Centers in Wisconsin. Read more...
Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants are awarded by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The grants go to projects that focus on ways to prevent and reduce runoff from farm fields and that work to increase farmer participation in these voluntary conservation efforts. Each application must come from a group of at least 5 farmers in the same watershed, collaborating with conservation agencies, institutions or nonprofit organizations. The maximum grant award per group will be $40,000, with a total of $750,000 available funding each fiscal year. There are 31 total projects that have been funded since the program's inception.
To register and for details, click here.
In the 2019 Annual Report, you will see snapshots of our approach in getting conservation practices on the ground to use our land productively. You’ll learn about conservation results and highlights of the work we do, which is strongly focused on meeting Farm Bill responsibilities.
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"Everyone should be able to drink water straight from their tap." - Gov. Tony Evers
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today the release of the Year of Clean Drinking Water Report prepared at his request by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) outlining the path to clean water for all. The full report can be found here.
Gov. Evers declared 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water. Action began immediately with several key initiatives that were included in the Governor’s 2019-21 biennial budget proposal. At the governor’s request, the DNR compiled the Year of Clean Drinking Water Report which focuses on accomplishments and plans for achieving and maintaining clean drinking water throughout the state.
“My administration is continuing to connect the dots to address the challenges of getting safe drinking water to all Wisconsinites. But we are going to need to take more action in the future to achieve our goals and that will take bold legislative action,” Gov. Evers said. “This report and the previous recommendations to the Speaker’s Water Quality Task Force provide a good road map for the tough work ahead.”
The report highlights the fight for Wisconsin’s drinking water, unsafe levels of nitrates posing drinking water dangers statewide, emerging health concerns regarding PFAS contamination across the state and the need for lead service line replacement. Read more...
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Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is undertaking a comprehensive facilities plan to meet the District’s water management needs through 2050.
2050 Facilities Plan study objectives focus on optimizing the capacities of MMSD asset systems to achieve the highest overall performance in meeting desired levels of service, at the least cost, while maintaining an acceptable level of risk. The 2050 Facilities Plan study is focusing on the MMSD’s conveyance system, water reclamation facilities, watercourses it naturalizes, green infrastructure it funds and their other owned facilities.
As part of this study, MMSD has contracted with Beth Foy & Associates and Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc. to obtain public feedback on the District’s level of service and planning priorities.
A public survey was identified as a useful strategy to obtain feedback and an assessment of District level of service from residents. The survey has been designed to replicate, as closely as possible, a public opinion survey for the 2020 Facilities Plan completed in 2003. This design provides an opportunity to compare how public opinion of water quality-related issues has changed over the past 15 years.
The results of the public survey can be viewed in the following document:
Public Involvement Report
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The Urban Nonpoint Source & Storm Water (UNPS&SW) Management Grant Program offers competitive grants to local governments for the control of pollution from diffuse urban sources that is carried by storm water runoff. Grants from the UNPS&SW Program reimburse costs of planning or construction projects controlling urban nonpoint source and storm water runoff pollution. Urban Nonpoint Source & Storm Water (UNPS&SW) Construction Grant Applications for planning projects beginning in 2021 are now available on the DNR’s UNPS&SW webpage.
Application materials for UNPS Construction projects beginning in 2021 are due April 15, 2020. UNPS Planning grant applications will not be solicited in 2020. They will be solicited again in 2021.
Eligible planning projects include:
- Construction of structural urban best management practices (BMPs) including detention, wet, infiltration, or wetland basins, or infiltration trenches.
- Engineering design and construction services for BMPs installation.
- Land acquisition and easement purchase, including appraisal cost.
- Storm sewer rerouting and removal of structures.
- Streambank and shoreline stabilization.
For more information, visit the program website and be sure to review each of the information tabs:
Urban Nonpoint Source & Storm Water Management Grant Program
"BMP Maintenance and More!"
Registrations are now being accepted for the 19th annual Waukesha County Stormwater Workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at the UW Milwaukee, Waukesha Campus in Waukesha. This year's event will feature experts from around the state sharing their experiences in evaluating municipal systems, forming compliance plans, and implementing regulations.
A preliminary agenda is included in the registration link below. Due to limited seating, you are encouraged to register early.
Get your registration form with agenda now.
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The year of 2018 was one of the wettest on record for Wisconsin. Increasing storm intensity and rainfall depths are dropping more rain on our communities and causing challenges for our urban infrastructure, such as storm sewer and sanitary (wastewater) sewer systems. Wisconsin Public Radio recently produced a radio program addressing these challenges.
Note: this program is not a product of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), does not represent the views, policies, or opinions of the DNR, and is shared for informational purposes, only.
Wisconsin Public Radio:
"In 2018, Wisconsin experienced the most sewage overflow events since 2010, according to a WPR analysis of state records. A reporter explains the numbers and how some communities are trying to prevent discharged waste from entering waterways."
Midwest Water & Wastewater Operator Expo 2020
Date: Tuesday and Wednesday, February 4th and 5th, 2020
Location: Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI
For more information, visit the MWOE 2020 event site.
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Grant Information
The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources supports an annual call for proposals to focus on water problems and issues that are of a regional or interstate nature or relate to a specific program priority identified by the Secretary of the Interior and the Institutes.
The U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Institutes for Water Resources requests proposals for matching grants to support research on the topic of improving and enhancing the nation's water supply, including evaluation of innovative approaches to water treatment, infrastructure design, retrofitting, maintenance, management, and replacement; evaluation of the dynamics of extreme hydrological events and associated costs; development of methods for better estimation of the physical and economic supply of water; alternative approaches and governance mechanisms for integrated management of ground and surface waters; and the evaluation and assessment of conservation practices.
USGS Grant RFP Announcement - Deadline March 19, 2020
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