The public has until September 20 to provide feedback on two proposed rule revisions related to assessing the overall health of lakes and streams in Wisconsin.
The DNR is seeking public comment on two proposals updating Wisconsin code related to protecting water quality. DNR water quality specialist Kristi Minahan, says the new rules use a variety of factors to determine water quality...
"...These rules are about how we assess our water bodies, our lakes and streams and rivers by looking at what is living in the water bodies. So we look at the fish community the aquatic plants and insects and algae that's in the system and assess the health of those to determine the health of the water body..."
They also establish how algae and plants will be used to determine whether a water body is responding to elevated phosphorus levels and whether it may need a different phosphorus measure...
"...We'll look at the plants and algae and determine whether that water body is supporting a good environment for aquatic life and the public to recreate in. This helps us figure out whether the water body needs a higher or lower phosphorus critieria that is applied to the rest of the water bodies..."
The proposed language can be found by searching the DNR website, for "public input" and clicking on the buttons for "proposed rules" and then "Permanent" rules. A public hearing will be held for both rules at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 12 , with simultaneous telepresence in Madison and Green Bay.
