The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is beginning a public input process to determine what issues it will work on over the next three years to protect water quality in lakes, streams and rivers. This process is called the Triennial Standards Review and is required by the Clean Water Act. This review is an opportunity for the public to provide input on current water quality standards or guidance.
To begin this process, we are asking you to provide topics related to water quality standards that you believe should be considered for the 2021-2023 review. Topics that can be evaluated in the review include rules and guidance related to designated uses, water quality criteria, antidegradation and water quality variances. Though important, the following topics are outside the scope of this review: concentrated animal feed operations (CAFOs), groundwater, shoreline zoning, wetlands and dams.
After the topic suggestions are compiled, the DNR will provide an online survey for the public to rank which topics they feel should be the top priority for the DNR during the next few years. The DNR will host an online public hearing to answer questions and take comments on the topics or review process. Your input helps the DNR focus efforts to best protect the health of Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and streams.
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To submit your topic suggestions, use this form.
- Topic suggestions will be accepted until September 14, 2020.
- A preliminary list of topics that we already plan to consider is here (these do not need to be resubmitted).
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Triennial Standards Review Fact Sheet
For more information on the Triennial Standards Review process and past reviews, please visit http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/surfacewater/tsr.html.
If you have any further questions about the Triennial Standards Review, please contact
Meghan Williams at MeghanC3.williams@wisconsin.gov.
We encourage you to share this invitation with others who may wish to submit a topic for consideration. We thank you for your input, which helps protect Wisconsin’s waters.
The following watershed restoration plans have been reviewed by DNR and EPA and are confirmed to satisfy the nine key elements for watershed restoration and make them eligible for watershed restoration funding grants from DNR and EPA:
"Watershed plans consistent with EPA’s nine key elements provide a framework for improving water quality in a holistic manner within a geographic watershed. The nine elements help assess the contributing causes and sources of nonpoint source pollution, involve key stakeholders and prioritize restoration and protection strategies to address water quality problems."
The following two plans have undergone an initial review by DNR for the 9KE's with review comments returned to plan partners. DNR staff are working with respective partners to finalize the last remaining edits.
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Menomonee River Watershed Plan: The Menomonee River Watershed Plan has been reviewed by DNR. DNR staff are working with Milwaukee River Keeper to address feedback comments addressing future growth scenarios and long-term TMDL goals.
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Fredonia Newburg Watershed Plan: The Fredonia Newburg Watershed Plan has been reviewed by DNR. DNR staff are working with Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to complete a plan Appendix that will satisfy remaining elements.
Sector Team Updates
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today invited potential conservation partners to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). NRCS will award up to $360 million dollars to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability.
“RCPP brings an expanded approach to investing in natural resource conservation that empowers local communities to work with multiple partners and agricultural producers to design solutions that work best for them,” said NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr.
Partners may request between $250,000 and $10 million in RCPP funding through this funding announcement. Partners are expected to offer value-added contributions to amplify the impact of RCPP funding in an amount equal or greater to the NRCS investment.
Eligible lead partners are encouraged to apply. Funding is open to private industry, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, water districts and universities, among others. The full list of eligible entities is available in the RCPP funding announcement.
First authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP has combined nearly $1 billion in NRCS investments with close to $2 billion in non-NRCS dollars to implement conservation practices across the nation. There are 336 active RCPP projects that have engaged more than 2,000 partners. Successful RCPP projects provide innovative conservation solutions, leverage partner contributions and offer impactful and measurable outcomes.
NRCS requested public comment on the RCPP Critical Conservation Areas and their associated priority resource concerns as part of a review allowed by the Farm Bill once every five years. This funding announcement introduces CCA changes that resulted from the review:
- The California Bay-Delta and Columbia River Basin CCAs have been combined into the Western Waters CCA, which also encompasses the Klamath River Basin and the Puget Sound Basin.
- A new CCA—Northeast Forests and Waters—has been added to the roster. This CCAs priority resource concerns include water quality and wildlife habitat. The boundaries of the CCA encompass Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP through the RCPP portal  . Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 4, 2020. For more information, view the Application for Program Funding on grants.gov .
A webinar with general program information for RCPP applicants is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern Time on Aug 27, 2020. Visit the RCPP website for information on how to participate.
For more information on RCPP, visit the RCPP website.
Austin and Kristen Pethan have lived on the family’s farm for several years, watching the operator plant row crops year after year. They knew the soils were extremely shallow on the farm because bedrock shows at the surface of the farm fields in multiple locations. Even though the operator was no‐till planting the majority of the row crops, there was still significant erosion. Austin and Kristen knew something needed to change. Read more...
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The new Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Update is now available, incorporating the feedback we received from stakeholders on the draft we shared earlier this year. The 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 share next steps in cleaning up and restoring these waters. For more information, visit the Milwaukee Estuary AOC website.
Looking for additional ways to get involved in the protection of your local water body?
- Become a volunteer stream monitor! Join hundreds of volunteers around Wisconsin who monitor the health of their local streams. Learn more: wateractionvolunteers.org.
- Join a watershed organization. You can find one in your area: wisconsinrivers.org/local-groups/.
- Apply for a surface water grant: dnr.wi.gov/lakes/grants/.
- Contact the water quality biologist listed on the TWA report for your area – they can direct you to participation opportunities at the state or local level.
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The next SWWT Joint Science and Policy Advisory Committee Meeting is confirmed for:
September 09, 2020 - 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual Meeting – Using ZOOM platform
This will be a virtual meeting due to health related concerns of the covid-19 virus. We will be using the ZOOM meeting platform (as used in July) so that all can attend the meeting from the safety of their office/home computers. Please find the meeting invitation at the bottom of this message.
In order to procure very focused feedback from all of you, we will also be using a tool that we used last year at an in-person committee meeting: Poll Everywhere. This tool will allow you to use a smart phone or additional web browser window to answer dynamic poll questions that will be presented on the shared zoom screen. We will send further instructions for using this platform next week and will also provide further explanation at the beginning of the meeting.
The meeting will follow the following schedule:
- Presentation/Discussion: “Development of Watershed Playbook (Workshop # 2 – Facilitation)”. Jake Fincher/Kristin Schonecker - SWWT). ~75 minutes
- Presentation/Discussion: “MMSD -2050 Facilities Plan update”. Karen Sands- MMSD Planning, Research and Sustainability Division Director. ~ 20 minutes.
- Presentation/Discussion: “MMSD’s work with the Alliance for Water Stewardship to certify the Milorganite process”.Chris Dwyer- MMSD, Asset Management Analyst. ~ 20 minutes.
Ensuring clean waters in Wisconsin is the responsibility of the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), but the public is an active participant in helping identify protection and restoration priorities and implementing solutions.
If you would like to add your voice on future watershed plans, now is a perfect time.
The DNR is soliciting public input on 25 new Clean Water Act targeted watershed assessment (TWA) reports – a valuable tool for documenting the progress made in protecting water bodies throughout the state and for announcing recommended next steps for each waterway.
“The DNR’s Water Quality Program is responsible for monitoring Wisconsin waters and planning a cleaner, healthier future for the state’s aquatic ecosystems. These TWA reports reflect the year-round efforts undertaken by our team members to gather and assess data on stream water quality, habitat and aquatic life in order to protect our water bodies and ensure their long-term viability.
We are proud to present these reports to the public, and we ask that Wisconsinites statewide participate by reviewing the reports and providing comments and suggestions to the DNR.” - Adrian Stocks, Director of the Bureau of Water Quality
Each of the 25 TWA reports provides water quality priorities, recommendations, a list of related local plans and contacts related to protection or restoration of the watershed.
The plans can be found on the DNR’s Water Quality Plans & Reports page.
If you live or work in a watershed that is addressed in one of the reports, please consider reviewing the proposed information and providing your feedback via email to WQPlanPublicInquiry@wisconsin.gov.
Comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the plans before they are sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the state’s Area-wide Water Quality Management Plan under the federal Clean Water Act.
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Water ePermitting System: Storm Water Construction General Permit Application Updates
The Department of Natural Resources has made some minor changes to the online Storm Water Construction General Permit Application. The next time you start an application, you’ll see it has a new look and a more streamlined workflow. Additionally, we’ve added three items, including:
- Required screening question regarding permanent storm water management facility proximity to wellhead protection areas, plus a reference link.
- Required screening question regarding disturbed area proximity to contaminated properties, plus a reference link.
- Optional on-site contact information section
Thank you for your flexibility as we roll out this update.
To start an application, click here: https://dnr.wi.gov/permits/water/
For additional resources on applying for a Storm Water Construction General Permit: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Stormwater/construction/forms.html
Storm water runoff staff: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Stormwater/contacts.html
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October 20-22, 2020
The WWOA Board of Directors has been working diligently to craft a Virtual WWOA Conference which will consist of both technical sessions and a virtual exhibit hall. The Board is committed to providing our members with the best training opportunities possible, and I can personally attest that they are fulfilling that obligation. We have so many talented individuals who volunteer on our behalf!
Please save the date and watch for updates and email messages that will inform you of our plans. Thank you for your continued support of the WWOA organization during these difficult times.
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Grant Information
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to co-invest with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to the resource concerns they seek to address. Read the RCPP Fact Sheet ( PDF, 542 KB).
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