Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News
The Newsletter of the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News is the newsletter of the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund, published five times per year. The News is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.
Volume 14, Number 4 • FAll 2006
Lake Michigan
Basin Update
Stronger Protections for 1,100 miles of Northern Wisconsin Rivers
Almost Finalized: Citizen Data Sought
By Lori Grant, River Alliance of Wisconsin
The “anti-degradation element” of the
Clean Water Act requires states to keep
their cleanest waters clean by limiting
degradation of “high quality waters” and
strictly protecting “outstanding waters.”
The state of Wisconsin implements this
requirement by classifying its most
pristine waters as “exceptional” or
“outstanding” resource waters, respectively.
These classifications set a very high bar for any new sources of
pollution, significantly limiting new point-source discharges and
requiring careful evaluation for any in-stream work. In August,
2004, the River Alliance of Wisconsin, Midwest Environmental
Advocates, and over 40 statewide and local conservation organizations
joined together to petition the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources to classify 100 rivers in northern Wisconsin as
Exceptional or Outstanding Resource Waters. After review of all
available stream data, DNR determined that 45 of the 100 rivers,
totaling 1100 river miles, should be reclassified. The proposal has
passed muster at a series of public meetings, and as of August 24,
2006, no objections were raised by the Senate Natural Resources
Committee. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee has yet to
provide their blessing, but will be the final hurdle to increased
protections for these 45 rivers.
In addition to providing increased stream protections, the petition
to DNR has leveraged action on a number of related issues. DNR’s
response to the petition revealed they have little to no water
quality data for many of the rivers and streams in the state, and they
do not have a standardized process for evaluating rivers to
determine their appropriate classification and regulatory regime.
This has sparked interest within DNR to train citizens to help gather
needed data, and they have begun revising their rules for river
classification to create a standardized process and clear criteria for
new classifications. Over time, with DNR-trained citizen stream
monitors gathering data and a new process for river classification,
the remaining 55 rivers and more could also enjoy the strong
protections they deserve.
For more information:
Lori Grant, River Alliance of Wisconsin
PH: (608)257-2424 • E-mail: lgrant@wisconsinrivers.org
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