Todd Ambs Water Division Administrator, WDNR October 26, 2009 Sustaining the Water Belt of North America

What is the Future of Great Lakes’ Waters? The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. Aldo Leopold The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. Aldo Leopold

Great Lakes Environment 20% of world fresh surface water 20% of world fresh surface water Quality of Life Vast region of interconnected fresh surface water Vast region of interconnected fresh surface waterEconomy Critical resource for economy, recreation and environment Critical resource for economy, recreation and environment

Wisconsin Water Resources  15,000 lakes  84,000 miles of rivers  5.3 million acres of wetlands  1,000 miles of great lakes shoreline  Groundwater resources– 100 feet deep

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

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

Wisconsin’s Economy  Agriculture  Timber Production  Tourism

Tourism  $13.1 billion spent by tourists in 2008  95% increase in travel expenditures from 1995 to 2005 Wisconsin Department of Tourism

Water Recreation  More than 575,000 registered boats  Wisconsin residents ranked swimming as third favorite outdoor activity  1.4 million anglers  3,719,000 angling days by non residents

National Economy Depends on the Great Lakes  30% of GNP  125 million tons cargo  $53 billion in annual revenue  Boating supports 250,000 jobs

A Watershed Time for Wisconsin’s Waters

Two Blueprints for Action  The Great Lake-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement  The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration’s Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes

Compact Fundamentals  Monitoring and reporting  Water conservation  Management of in basin water use Withdrawal Withdrawal Consumptive Use Consumptive Use  Prohibition on diversions Straddling community/county exceptions Straddling community/county exceptions

Water Conservation  Tiered program with increasing requirements Voluntary to greatest rigor Voluntary to greatest rigor Out of basin, in basin, straddling community/county, large water losses Out of basin, in basin, straddling community/county, large water losses  Details in rulemaking

Water Management – In-basin  Permits (new) Baseline, monitoring and reporting, water conservation Baseline, monitoring and reporting, water conservation General Permits, >100,000 gpd (25 years) General Permits, >100,000 gpd (25 years) Individual Permits, >1 mgd (10 years) Individual Permits, >1 mgd (10 years)

Water Management – In-basin  Water Loss approvals (1985) > 2 mgd > 2 mgd  Decision Making Standard New or Increase > 1 mgd New or Increase > 1 mgd

Other Elements  Water Supply Service Area Plans 20 year plan 20 year plan Population greater than 10,000 Population greater than 10,000 Inventory of sources and quality Inventory of sources and quality Existing populations/demands, future forecasts Existing populations/demands, future forecasts Environmental/economic analysis of future options Environmental/economic analysis of future options

Diversions  Applications must be consistent with water supply service area plan  Meet decision making standard  Straddling community and county requests likely coming

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration  Protect and restore wetland  Fish passage, Restore habitat  Projects: Wetland Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Spawning habitat – pike, musky, sturgeon Spawning habitat – pike, musky, sturgeon Dam Removal, fish- ways, culvert modifications Dam Removal, fish- ways, culvert modifications

Invasive Species  Identify other vectors for aquatic invasive species  Fund invasive species management and control in coastal wetlands  Ballast water controls

Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source  Beach monitoring & forecasting – sanitary surveys  Increase stream buffers  Support nutrient management  Nearshore monitoring

Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern Develop implementation plans for delisting criteria in AOCs Develop implementation plans for delisting criteria in AOCs Sediment remediation and habitat improvement projects Sediment remediation and habitat improvement projects Identify and eliminate emerging contaminants Identify and eliminate emerging contaminants

Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships  Implementation relies on good baseline data  Existing systems for data collection and reporting (SWIMS, WATERS, others?)  Use Strategy to build on partnership opportunities

Eighty percent of life is showing up. Woody Allen

 Office of the Great Lakes :  Wisconsin Great Lakes Strategy  Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Great Lakes URLs