Comment sought on impaired waters list
Several dozen water bodies are proposed to be removed from Wisconsin’s list of impaired waters due in part to less frequent beach closings or fewer fish consumption advisories. Several dozen others are proposed to be added for problems tracing to runoff pollution and bacterial contamination.
The proposed list, developed by the Department of Natural Resources to meet federal requirements under the Clean Water Act, is available for public comment from Dec. 1 through Jan. 15, 2010.
People interested in learning more about the list, how it was compiled and why certain waters are on it, can find the information online or watch an online presentation, sponsored by University of Wisconsin- Extension and the DNR, set for 2 p.m. on Dec. 15. To find the impaired waters web pages, go to DNR’s home page, dnr.wi.gov, and search for “2010 Impaired Waters.”
“We’ve had unprecedented citizen involvement in helping put together this list so far, and we invite more feedback from citizens to make sure that the 2010 list represents the most thorough picture possible of the condition of Wisconsin lakes, streams and rivers,” says Todd Ambs, DNR’s top water leader.
The 1972 Clean Water Act establishes the goal that every water body should be able to maintain healthy aquatic communities, provide safe habitat for wildlife, and provide citizens opportunities for fishing and swimming. Every two years, each state is required to assess the condition of its water bodies to determine if they are meeting these goals.
Wisconsin’s proposed Impaired Waters List identifies those waters not meeting those goals, and then plans are developed to implement management actions to restore the water.
The DNR developed the proposed 2010 list based on quality-controlled monitoring data collected by biologists and trained citizens and analyzed using a standardized science-based process, according to Lisa Helmuth, a DNR water quality management specialist involved in developing the list.
More than 1,000 citizen monitors, trained by DNR staff, collected data that were analyzed this fall and fed into the process, as was information from watershed groups, county conservation staff, nonprofit organizations and other institutions and organizations, she says.
The proposed changes for 2010 would add more than 30 waters to the Impaired Waters List for the first time, updates waters already on the list with additional pollutants, and removes 40 waters from the existing list of list nearly 700 rivers, streams and lakes.
The two biggest reasons that waters are on the list are polluted runoff from farms and urban areas, and mercury deposited in lakes and rivers as a result of air emissions created when utilities burn coal, when mercury-containing wastes are burned, and during the production of chlorine.
Here are more highlights from the proposed 2010 list updates, including:
1 Two lakes are proposed to be removed from the list because management efforts by state and local partners have improved water quality and habitat: Bass Lake in Marinette County and Silver Lake in Manitowoc County.
2 Fifteen beaches are proposed to be removed because E. coli levels have decreased in the past three to five years. However, because E. coli levels vary considerably year to year and depend on weather fluctuations, levels may have dropped due to recent drought conditions, so that management of E. coli sources is still needed to keep these beaches off the list in future years.
3 About 20 waters are being removed due to decreased levels of mercury in fish tissue. The public should still follow fish consumption advice for these waters, but will now be able to safely eat more fish meals than in the past.
4 Twelve lakes are being added due to high phosphorus levels and excessive algae, including Lake Wisconsin and Beaver Dam Lake.
Comments on the proposed list may be submitted via e-mail by Jan. 15, 2010, to DNRImpairedWaters@wisconsin.gov or to Wisconsin DNR, Water Evaluation Section (WT/3), PO Box 7921, Madison, 53707-7921.
