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DNR Hosts Meetings To Talk About Wisconsin River Pollution Load

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One of three meetings is being held in Rhinelander next month to talk about a DNR plan to limit the amount of pollution, especially phosphorus, that rolls into the Wisconsin River Basin.

DNR water resources engineer Kevin Kirsch says the meetings will talk about Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, going into the river system. He says the goal is to figure out how much pollution a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards...

"...in the Wisconsin River basin we have numerous water bodies that are not meeting water quality standards. In fact, we have 109 stream and river segments and 38 lakes and reservoirs that are currently impaired due to elevated phosphorus levels...."

The DNR will conduct the webinar on Wednesday, February 21, at 1 p.m. to provide the public with an overview of the TMDL analysis and explain how to access the report and allocations. More information on that is on the DNR website. Kirsch outlines who would be affected by the water quality plans...

"...traditional wastewater dischargers, both industrial and municipal. We have allocation for the non-point sources, the agricultural sources. the municipal stormwater sources. Because we're looking to meet water quality standards, the people who live on these lakes, reservoirs, recreate also will be impacted, hopefully, through better water quality...."

The study area covers the Wisconsin River Basin north of Lake Wisconsin encompassing or touching portions of 21 counties.

The first of these meetings is March 5 from 1-4 p.m., at the Quality Inn located on West Kemp St. in Rhinelander. Other meetings will be in Stevens Point on March 6 and March 13 in Portage.

More information on that is on the DNR website by putting TMDL in the search box

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