The first step land owners, developers and builders need to take before picking up a shovel or calling in the bulldozers is determining whether a proposed project site is located within a wetland.
Officials say a new upgrade to the DNR'S interactive wetland indicator map will make it easier to determine if a project has the potential to impact wetlands.
DNR Waterway and Wetland Policy Coordinator Amanda Minks says the tool will help anyone considering some activity to see if there are wetlands She says it's a GIS mapping tool and anyone can access it. It's on the DNR surface water viewer...
"...the intention of the layer is to see if there is wetlands potential on a piece of property. So before they do any land disturbance activity such as building, we ask they look at that layer, determine whether there are potential wetlands. If there are wetlands possible on the property, then further investigation is needed...."
Minks said the DNR has been working with the National Resource Conservation Service to integrate updated soil information, field reporting and digital topography tools to its current map, which is referred to as the pink layer, so that the agency can provide users with the most comprehensive tool possible. If wetland impacts are possible, state law requires a determination of the amount of the potential impact. The newly upgraded tool will allow users to target areas at a more refined scale, which can help avoid or minimize wetland impacts and determine the appropriate regulatory process for projects.
Anyone interested in learning more about wetland indicators can search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keyword "wetland" and click on the link for "map review" to learn more.
