Wisconsin officials are poised to add nearly 150 new water bodies to a list of lakes, rivers and streams that do not meet state water quality standards. For the first time, the Department of Natural Resources is adding dozens of waters that fail to meet new standards for phosphorus pollution, said Aaron Larson, who coordinated the review for the agency.
Phosphorus is naturally occurring, but streams, rivers and lakes often are hit with excessive amounts from fertilizer and animal and human waste.
At high levels, it spurs algae and excessive plant growth — one of the biggest problems for state waterways. Weed-choked waters also can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life.
The DNR earlier had proposed 21 lake and river segments, but boosted the number in May by nearly 100 after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the state wasn’t following its own standards for high phosphorus levels.
As part of the process, the DNR is also proposing that 28 waters be removed because overall water quality has improved.
The EPA is expected to act on the list by the end of the year, Larson said.
There are more than 700 waters in Wisconsin, including many urban sections of the Milwaukee River and the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers that are classified as impaired by the DNR.
These are waters that are polluted and don’t meet water quality standards set by Wisconsin. Under the Clean Water Act, states are required to prioritize waters and establish plans to get the waters into compliance.
But the process can take years. Many waters in the Milwaukee watershed have been listed as impaired for more than a decade, DNR records show.
The largest section of local waterway being added for high phosphorus pollution is 23.5 miles of the Milwaukee River in Ozaukee, Washington and Sheboygan counties.
The Milwaukee River has previously been listed as impaired for other pollutants.
Also, 14.66 miles of the Root River in Milwaukee and Racine counties and 15.9 miles of Sauk Creek in Ozaukee County are being listed.
The state’s impaired waters list is updated every two years, starting with an assessment by the DNR, followed by comments from the public and, ultimately, review and approval by the EPA.
The EPA approved Wisconsin’s phosphorus regulations a year ago. They had initially been approved in December 2010 by the Natural Resources Board.