A draft of the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Update is now available for public review and comments until June 26, 2020. The draft document is available online here.
The RAP is updated to summarize progress made in the AOC and to share the path forward with our partners and stakeholders. The RAP update includes a summary of the status of management actions and tracks progress on specific actions or projects that are important for reaching our delisting targets.
Eleven environmental problems, called Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC program, were identified for the Milwaukee Estuary AOC, along with management actions to address those problems. Delisting targets are specific goals and objectives established for each impairment, with measurable indicators to track results of pollution cleanup and restoration efforts. Once all impairments have met their targets and are removed, the AOC can be formally delisted.
The Milwaukee Estuary AOC was designated as one of 43 sites on the Great Lakes with significant environmental damage by the United States and Canada in 1987. Federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding, first authorized in 2010, is helping AOCs clean up pollution and restore waterways.
We are excited to share the progress that has been made in the Milwaukee Estuary AOC and to present this opportunity for stakeholders and partners to provide feedback in the update process.
Please provide feedback by June 26. Questions and comments can be sent to: Brennan Dow Milwaukee Estuary and Sheboygan River Area of Concern Coordinator 2300 North Dr Martin Luther King Drive. Milwaukee, WI 53212-3128 414-263-8651 brennan.dow@wisconsin.gov
After public comments are reviewed, a final RAP update will be shared and posted on the Milwaukee Estuary AOC website.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Distract (MMSD) submitted the draft Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) to DNR on February 28th. DNR staff are reviewing the plan and will be providing feedback.
The Menomonee River Watershed 9-Key Element Restoration Plan is being finalized and will be reviewed for 9-Key Elements once submitted to DNR. The recently issued Menomonee River Watershed MS4 Group Permit sets the stage for other MS4 (municipal separate stormwater sewer system) permits in the Southeast Region and includes improvements to the minimum control measure requirements, outlines new expectations for working towards TMDL pollutant reduction goals, and lays the Milwaukee River Watershed Planning
Cedar, Pigeon, Ulao, & Mole Creeks Watersheds
A revised draft of the draft nine-key element plan for these watersheds has been reviewed by DNR and will be undergoing review.
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 Kinnickinnic River Watershed Nine Key Element Plan was reviewed and received EPA approval March 4, 2020. The plan focuses on strategic implementation, consolidation, education, and accountability in order to localize and strengthen watershed improvement projects.
Sector Team Updates
The 2018-2019 Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants Impact Report provides information about the successes and challenges of individual producer-led groups to implement conservation practices. Through the Producer-Led Program, farmers and other conservation professionals have a platform to share lessons learned, success stories, and innovative practices for conservation efforts. The program continues to help move conservation forward in Wisconsin through grant funding conservation projects and increasing producer participation.
To learn more about producer-led watershed protection grants, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/ ProducerLedProjects.aspx.
Farmers and forest landowners will want to plan ahead and sign up early for the second round of 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 June 26, 2020.
Wisconsin DATCP Technical Standard 01 Verification of Depth to Bedrock is available for review and comment until June 22, 2020. This Technical Standard is a new standard to define the criteria and procedures to verify and document the depth to bedrock when a landowner wishes to contest the current categorization of cropland specifically for the purposes of applying manure as a crop nutrient. The purpose of this standard is to provide appropriate methods for verification of depth to bedrock to support implementation of s. NR 151.075 in areas where the bedrock consists of Silurian dolomite with a depth to bedrock of 20 feet or less. A summary of the contents of DATCP Technical Standard 01 compared to rulemaking by DATCP or DNR is available online here. We recommend that you review this document before reviewing the technical standard to better understand what is allowed within the scope of this standard.
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Virtual Aquatic Invasive Species Trainings - Washington & Waukesha Counties
To register for trainings, please contact AIS Coordinator Samantha Lammers at samantha.lammers@co.washington.wi.us or call 262-483-9687
CBCW Training Dates:
*Limit of 10 individuals per training/MUST PRE-REGISTER*
*Social Distancing will be applied*
Washington County:
- 6/8/2020 10 am - 12 pm Public Agency Center (333 E. Washington St. Suite 2300)
- 6/8/2020 5:30 pm - 730 pm Ackerman's Grove County Park (Shelter #3) Waukesha County:
- 6/11/2020 9 am - 11 am Waukesha Administrative Center (515 W Moreland Rd) 6/11/2020 5:30 am - 7:30 pm Retzer Nature Center
Additional (Virtual) Training:
'Contact Sam for additional details
6/1/2020 1 pm - 3 pm
6/4/2020 9 am - 11 am
6/27/2020 10 am - 12 pm
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has received results from surface water and sediment sampling performed in November 2019 to determine if per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, are present in areas that are targeted for potential cleanup-related dredging across the US EPA-designated Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC).
Results indicate the presence of PFAS compounds in sediment and all surface water samples taken in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. PFBA (Perfluorobutanoate) was found in 100% of the surface water samples. PFBA is considered less toxic than the more widely studied compounds PFOA (Perfluorooctanoate) and PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate).
Thirteen locations in the Milwaukee, Menomonee, Kinnickinnic Rivers and inner and outer harbors, as well as one location in Lake Michigan, were sampled for 35 PFAS compounds. This watershed is the most urban watershed in the state of Wisconsin with approximately 90% of the area considered urban.
The highest concentrations of PFAS were found in the samples taken furthest upstream from Lake Michigan. Among the 14 locations sampled, PFAS concentrations in sediment and surface water are highest in the Kinnickinnic River with PFHxS (Perfluorohexanesulfonate) at 44.4 parts per trillion (ppt) in surface water and PFOS at 9.1 parts per billion (ppb) in sediment.
In contrast to the Kinnickinnic River, results from sampling location 14, the location closest to the drinking water source intake for the Linnwood and Howard Avenue Water Treatment Plants, show concentrations of PFOA and PFOS at less than detection limits of 1 part per trillion (ppt) each.
Sample locations and the analytical report for the results can be found on the DNR's website.
By comparison, the Milwaukee Estuary PFAS surface water results are generally lower than those PFAS concentrations recently found in Starkweather Creek in Madison, and higher than the recently sampled Wisconsin, Mississippi and Menomonee Rivers.
The results will inform the future management of river sediment dredged during the clean-up of the AOC. Much of the river sediment in the AOC is contaminated with "legacy contaminants," including PCBs and PAHs, that were generated over many decades. These legacy contaminants still pose threats to environmental health - and the removal, remediation, and subsequent management of this contaminated river sediment is the focus of the AOC clean-up effort.
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products, including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foam. These contaminants have made their way into the environment through spills of PFAS-containing materials and discharges of PFAS-containing wastewater to treatment plants and through use of certain types of firefighting foams. PFAS can persist in the environment and the human body for long periods of time. Recent scientific findings indicate that exposure to certain PFAS may have harmful health effects in people.
Eating fish containing elevated levels of PFAS is a potential human health concern. The Department is currently awaiting PFAS results from fish that were collected from the Milwaukee River and additional fish will be collected from the AOC in 2020. DNR's current fish consumption guidance restricts consumption in the Milwaukee Estuary based on PCBs. People should continue to follow these advisories as we learn more. Once these fish testing results are available, the Department will work with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to evaluate whether the advisory needs to be updated.
To keep people safe and healthy during recreational activities, DHS recommends people avoid drinking or swallowing water and to shower after swimming, wading, or playing in the water, to prevent accidental ingestion. DHS also recommends pets to be thoroughly rinsed off after contact with water. For more PFAS health-related information, please visit the DHS website.
Please visit the DNR website for more information on PFAS.
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The Lake Country Clean Waters’ 5th Annual Healthy Lakes Conference will be hosted online! The theme for this year's conference is “Seeing 20/20 - A Clear Vision of Clean Waters.” Along with our local updates, some speakers have been selected from outside of Lake Country to share issues already impacting the greater Midwest region.
Program highlights include:
- Great Lakes Research on Aquatic Invasive Species
- Wave Action - the Risks and Problems Caused by Boaters,
- and "The Greatest Places on Earth: Our Lakes and How We’re Loving Them to Death."
The Zoom Meeting will take place on June 5th from 9:00am-3:30pm. Advanced registration is required and must be completed by 8:30 am on June 5th, 2020. The registration fee is $15.
You can view the full conference schedule and additional information at our website www.lakecountrycleanwaters.org. You can register for the conference HERE. After registering, you will be emailed a link and instructions before the virtual meeting. We look forward to "seeing" you there!
A Bitter Dispute Over Isherwood Lateral Concludes As State Supreme Court Lets Lower Court Ruling Stand - from Wisconsin Public Radio
For a time, thousands of brook trout spawned in the Portage County creek known as the Isherwood Lateral.
But the trout habitat built there by Donald "Justin" Isherwood became the subject of a bitter dispute with local authorities, and in June 2017, just weeks before a scheduled court hearing, those authorities brought construction equipment onto Isherwood's property to dredge the creek and destroy the habitat.
The court case took years to make its way through the legal system. But it’s now official: Isherwood prevailed. The local drainage district had no right to destroy his trout habitat.
The last step came in March when the state Supreme Court declined to hear the case, leaving an appellate judgment in Isherwood’s favor to stand.
Now, Isherwood and his wife, Lynn Isherwood, have applied for new state permits and have plans to begin rebuilding the habitat this summer. Continue reading...
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Online Industrial Storm Water Applications — Coming Soon to ePermitting!
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is in the process of enabling users to submit permit applications (Notices of Intent) through the online Water ePermitting System for storm water industrial facility permits. This addition to the system is expected to be available in May 2020.
The ePermitting system does not require special software and is completely web-based and available using any internet browser.
The storm water program currently has construction site permit applications (Notices of Intent), construction and industrial Notices of Termination, and municipal eReporting available online.
The DNR saw a decrease in review turnaround time for construction site permit applications from 33 to 17 calendar days as compared to paper applications. We look forward to continuing to add various permitting forms to the system to create other efficiencies, benefiting internal and external stakeholders.
Online forms provide an immediate notification to staff once submitted, stores the information electronically, and makes all submittals publicly available.
Please watch for more notifications for additional information and resources.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Technical Standard 1061 - Dewatering Practices for Sediment Control was updated and is now available via the following link: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/stormwater/standards/const_standards.html.
The purpose of this standard is to prevent water pollution from the discharge of sediment during dewatering of construction sites. The standard identifies several common methods which may be used to meet this purpose and specifies best management practices to ensure their effectiveness.
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New E. coli Water Quality Criteria Improve Protection for Recreation
6-1-2020
Just in time for the upcoming swimming season, the State Legislature approved statewide bacteria standards for Escherichia coli (E. coli) to better protect swimming, boating and other recreation in state waterways. The new standards took effect on May 1. In accordance with national EPA recommendations, the Department of Natural Resources replaced its previous fecal coliform-based bacteria standards with new standards based on E. coli. Because E. coli is a much better predictor of the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses due to fecal contamination of a waterbody, monitoring for E. coli can better protect public health.
To comply with the new standards, sewage treatment facilities will have E. coli requirements included in their water discharge permits when they are reissued. For more information on E. coli permit limits, a facility can contact its local wastewater Permit Drafter or Engineer.
By adopting the EPA recommendations, the state remains up-to-date with the best science and also maintains its eligibility for federal funding to support Wisconsin’s beach grant program. These funds are given to local communities to conduct beach monitoring for bacteria and post swimming advisories or beach closures when conditions are unsafe. Marcia Willhite, the DNR’s water evaluation section chief, emphasized the importance of bacteria management and testing: “It’s an ongoing challenge and that's why local communities really do rely on these funds.”
WWOA is dedicated to providing operation training opportunities during the COVID-19 situation and period of social distancing.
PROGRAM
Join us for a three-hour session covering Submersible Pump Operation and Maintenance. This training is presented by Joshua Voigt, Direct Sales Representative at Xylem Flygt, and Mike Zelinsky, Mid-Central Lead Engineer at Xylem Flygt.
Date: 06/04/2020 at 9:00 am
Location: Virtual Training
A "certified operator" is an individual who has met the requirements of Chapter NR 114, Wisconsin Administrative Code [Exit DNR], and has been issued a certificate by the DNR to operate one or more of the classifications of wastewater treatment plants.
NR114 was revised on July 1, 2015 to reflect advancements in treatment technologies along with changes in educational training methods. Visit the NR 114 revisions web page for more information on these changes.
For more information on the following, visit the DNR Wastewater Operator Website;
- Certification Requirements
- Study Guides
- Continuing Education
- License Renewal
- Advanced Certification
- FAQs
- Newsletter
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Grant Information
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the availability of $3 million for grants through its new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. The competitive grants will support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects through two categories, Planning Projects and Implementation Projects. USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until midnight July 6, 2020.
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