Public hearings allow neighboring property owners and town boards to voice concerns over proposed projects. Structures are required to maintain a setback of 75 feet from the ordinary high water mark of the stream. If a parcel of land has a stream running right through the middle, consideration should be given not only to the aesthetic value of the stream, but also to the building limitations associated with it. A wetland is an area where water is at or near the surface long enough to support aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation, and wet soil characteristics exist. Wetlands are identified on Wisconsin wetland inventory maps.
Wetlands are one of the most important, yet least understood resources in the biological world.
They act as giant sponges after rain events and aid in flood prevention. The wide variety of plants provide habitat to thousands of animal species. These are just a few of the reasons they are protected from development. While agricultural, recreational, and silvicultural activities are permitted in wetlands, residential development is not. Floodplain areas of the County are those areas which become inundated with water under flood conditions.