Todd Ambs

Water Division Administrator, WDNR

October 26, 2009

Sustaining the Sustaining the Water Belt of Water Belt of North AmericaNorth America

What is the Future of Great What is the Future of Great Lakes’ Waters?Lakes’ Waters?

The land ethic simply enlarges the The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.collectively: the land. Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold

Great LakesGreat LakesEnvironment Environment

20% of world fresh surface 20% of world fresh surface waterwater

Quality of LifeQuality of Life Vast region of Vast region of

interconnected fresh interconnected fresh surface watersurface water

EconomyEconomy Critical resource for Critical resource for

economy, recreation and economy, recreation and environmentenvironment

Wisconsin Water ResourcesWisconsin Water Resources

15,000 lakes15,000 lakes 84,00084,000 miles of rivers miles of rivers 5.3 million acres of 5.3 million acres of

wetlandswetlands 1,0001,000 miles of great lakes miles of great lakes

shoreline shoreline Groundwater resources– Groundwater resources–

100 100 feet deepfeet deep

We have a responsibility to We have a responsibility to future generations future generations

““The ultimate test of The ultimate test of a persons conscience a persons conscience may be the may be the willingness to willingness to sacrifice something sacrifice something today for future today for future generations whose generations whose words of thanks will words of thanks will never be heard.”never be heard.” Gaylord NelsonGaylord Nelson

Watershed ApproachWatershed Approach

The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.of the environment. Gaylord NelsonGaylord Nelson

Wisconsin’s EconomyWisconsin’s Economy

AgricultureAgriculture

Timber Timber ProductionProduction

Tourism Tourism

TourismTourism

$13.1 billion spent by $13.1 billion spent by tourists in 2008tourists in 2008

95% increase in 95% increase in travel expenditures travel expenditures from 1995 to 2005from 1995 to 2005

Wisconsin Department of Wisconsin Department of TourismTourism

Water RecreationWater Recreation More than 575,000 More than 575,000

registered boatsregistered boats Wisconsin residents Wisconsin residents

ranked swimming as ranked swimming as third favorite outdoor third favorite outdoor activityactivity

1.4 million anglers1.4 million anglers 3,719,000 angling days 3,719,000 angling days

by non residentsby non residents

National Economy DependsNational Economy Depends on the Great Lakes on the Great Lakes

30% of GNP30% of GNP 125 million tons cargo125 million tons cargo $53 billion in annual $53 billion in annual

revenuerevenue Boating supports 250,000 Boating supports 250,000

jobsjobs

A Watershed Time for A Watershed Time for Wisconsin’s WatersWisconsin’s Waters

Two Blueprints for ActionTwo Blueprints for Action

The Great Lake-St. The Great Lake-St. Lawrence River Basin Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Sustainable Water Resources Resources AgreementAgreement

The Great Lakes The Great Lakes Regional Regional Collaboration’s Collaboration’s Strategy to Restore Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great and Protect the Great LakesLakes

Compact FundamentalsCompact Fundamentals

Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and reporting Water conservationWater conservation Management of in basin Management of in basin

water usewater use WithdrawalWithdrawal Consumptive UseConsumptive Use

Prohibition on diversionsProhibition on diversions Straddling community/county Straddling community/county

exceptionsexceptions

Water ConservationWater Conservation

Tiered program with Tiered program with increasing increasing requirementsrequirements Voluntary to greatest Voluntary to greatest

rigorrigor Out of basin, in basin, Out of basin, in basin,

straddling straddling community/county, community/county, large water losseslarge water losses

Details in rulemaking Details in rulemaking

Water Management – In-basinWater Management – In-basin

Permits (new)Permits (new) Baseline, monitoring Baseline, monitoring

and reporting, water and reporting, water conservationconservation

General Permits, General Permits, >100,000 gpd (25 >100,000 gpd (25 years)years)

Individual Permits, >1 Individual Permits, >1 mgd (10 years)mgd (10 years)

Water Management – In-basinWater Management – In-basin

Water Loss approvals Water Loss approvals (1985)(1985) > 2 mgd> 2 mgd

Decision Making Decision Making StandardStandard New or Increase > 1 mgdNew or Increase > 1 mgd

Other ElementsOther Elements

Water Supply Service Area Water Supply Service Area PlansPlans 20 year plan20 year plan Population greater than 10,000Population greater than 10,000 Inventory of sources and qualityInventory of sources and quality Existing populations/demands, Existing populations/demands,

future forecastsfuture forecasts Environmental/economic Environmental/economic

analysis of future optionsanalysis of future options

DiversionsDiversions

Applications must be Applications must be consistent with water consistent with water supply service area supply service area planplan

Meet decision making Meet decision making standardstandard

Straddling community Straddling community and county requests and county requests likely cominglikely coming

Great Lakes Restoration Great Lakes Restoration InitiativeInitiative

Habitat and Wildlife Habitat and Wildlife Protection and RestorationProtection and Restoration

Protect and restore Protect and restore wetlandwetland

Fish passage, Restore Fish passage, Restore habitathabitat

Projects: Projects: Wetland Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Spawning habitat – pike, Spawning habitat – pike,

musky, sturgeonmusky, sturgeon Dam Removal, fish-Dam Removal, fish-

ways, culvert ways, culvert modificationsmodifications

Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species

Identify other Identify other vectors for vectors for aquatic invasive aquatic invasive species species

Fund invasive Fund invasive species species management and management and control in coastal control in coastal wetlandswetlands

Ballast water Ballast water controlscontrols

Nearshore Health Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Sourceand Nonpoint Source

Beach monitoring & Beach monitoring & forecasting – sanitary forecasting – sanitary surveyssurveys

Increase stream Increase stream buffers buffers

Support nutrient Support nutrient managementmanagement

Nearshore monitoringNearshore monitoring

Toxic Substances Toxic Substances and Areas of Concernand Areas of Concern

• Develop Develop implementation plans implementation plans for delisting criteria in for delisting criteria in AOCsAOCs

• Sediment remediation Sediment remediation and habitat and habitat improvement projects improvement projects

• Identify and eliminate Identify and eliminate emerging emerging contaminantscontaminants

Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and PartnershipsCommunication, and Partnerships

Implementation relies Implementation relies on good baseline dataon good baseline data

Existing systems for Existing systems for data collection and data collection and reporting (SWIMS, reporting (SWIMS, WATERS, others?)WATERS, others?)

Use Strategy to build Use Strategy to build on partnership on partnership opportunitiesopportunities

Eighty percent Eighty percent of life is of life is

showing up.showing up. Woody AllenWoody Allen

Office of the Great Lakes :Office of the Great Lakes : http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/

Wisconsin Great Lakes StrategyWisconsin Great Lakes Strategy http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/wistrategy/http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/wistrategy/

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:

http://epa.gov/glnpo/glri/index.htmlhttp://epa.gov/glnpo/glri/index.html

Great Lakes URLsGreat Lakes URLs