Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 100-199 - Environmental Protection - General › Chapter NR 120 - Priority Watershed And Priority Lake Program › Section NR 120.08 - Watershed plans

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) WATERSHED PLAN CONTENT.
(a)
Watershed plan.
In
				cooperation with DATCP and the appropriate governmental unit, the department
				shall prepare watershed plans for all priority watersheds. A participating
				governmental unit located within the priority watershed shall identify, in
				writing, a person to represent the unit of government during watershed plan
				preparation. The watershed plan shall consist of a watershed assessment, a
				detailed program for implementation, and a project evaluation strategy.
				Priority watersheds and priority lakes selected after August 12, 1993, shall
				have critical sites designated in the plan.
(b)
Watershed assessment.
The department, in cooperation with the appropriate governmental units, shall
				prepare a watershed assessment analyzing the water quality problems or threats
				to the water quality in the watershed's lakes, streams, wetlands and
				groundwater and which determines the nonpoint sources causing the problem or
				threat. The watershed assessment shall contain:
1. An identification of the water quality
				problems or threats to water quality including degradation of fish habitat and
				wetlands caused by nonpoint sources of pollution in the watershed.
2. An identification of water quality
				objectives to maintain and improve the quality of lakes, streams, wetlands and
				groundwater of the watershed.
3. An
				identification of target levels of pollutant control and resource protection
				necessary to meet the water quality objectives.
4. An identification and ranking of
				significant nonpoint source types and contributing areas.
5. A designation of critical sites listing
				their respective water quality problems or threats to water quality.
6. A listing of and an analysis of need for
				best management practices which will significantly aid in the achievement of
				the target level of pollution abatement.
7. An assessment of the need for the
				protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, endangered resources,
				aesthetics or other natural resources.
8. An analysis of the need for adoption of
				local ordinances for manure storage, construction site erosion control and
				storm water management.
(c)
Detailed program for
				implementation.
1. As required under
				s.
				281.65(6)
				(a), Stats., governmental units except those
				waived under s.
				NR
				120.03 shall prepare the following portion of the
				detailed program for implementation including:
a. An estimate of costs for practice
				installation.
b. An information and
				education strategy.
c. A
				description of fiscal management procedures, including cost containment
				procedures.
d. An estimate of
				technical assistance needs.
e. A
				grant disbursement and project management schedule.
f. An identification of those urban storm
				water control practices, techniques or measures included in a municipal WPDES
				storm water permit for which the local governmental unit may seek either local
				assistance or nonpoint source grant funding through the priority watershed or
				priority lake project under ch. NR 153.
g. An identification of the state and local
				regulatory framework under which erosion control activities shall be
				conducted.
h. An identification of
				those storm water management activities identified in the watershed plan that
				shall be included as part of the core urban program for the local governmental
				unit and funded under this chapter and ch. NR 153. Core urban program
				activities may include: information and education activities; development,
				implementation and enforcement of construction erosion control ordinances; and
				development and implementation of activities, including, but not limited to,
				those activities that reduce storm water pollution from lawn and leaf litter,
				pet waste, road salting and illicit dumping into the storm sewer system. When
				adoption of a construction site erosion control ordinance is required under the
				watershed plan, it shall be considered a core program activity and the schedule
				for urban implementation activities shall provide for adoption, implementation
				and enforcement of the ordinance within 2 years of the date the department
				approves the watershed plan.
i. An
				identification of those storm water management activities identified in the
				watershed plan that may be included as part of the segmented urban program for
				the local governmental unit and funded under this chapter and ch. NR 153.
				Segmented urban program activities may include: storm water planning for urban
				and urbanizing areas; development, implementation and enforcement of local
				storm water management ordinances; engineering site feasibility studies for
				urban best management practices; design, installation and maintenance of urban
				best management practices; and development of local institutional mechanisms to
				fund and administer storm water management programs.
j. A schedule of rural implementation
				activities. When adoption of a manure storage ordinance is required under the
				watershed plan, the schedule shall include a provision stating that a manure
				storage ordinance shall be adopted within 2 years of the date the department
				approves the watershed plan.
k. A
				schedule for urban implementation activities.
L. A schedule for the completion within 5
				years of plan approval of the inventory of land resources in the priority
				watershed or priority lake to locate sites which meet the critical sites
				criteria.
m. An implementation
				strategy to direct staff effort at sites in proportion to the amount of
				pollutants contributed until pollutant reduction goals are met. The strategy
				shall contain a schedule for notification to landowners of critical
				sites.
n. A description of the
				measures of performance for the priority watershed or priority lake
				project.
o. A strategy for
				measuring progress toward meeting pollutant reduction goals and water quality
				objectives.
2. The
				department shall prepare a strategy to address the protection, enhancement and
				mitigation of fish and wildlife habitat, endangered resources, aesthetics or
				other natural resources through the identification of best management
				practices, provision of information and education programs and involvement of
				other resource management programs.
Note: Wisconsin's Forestry Best Management Practices for
				  Water Quality: A Field Manual for Loggers, Landowners and Land Managers may be
				  obtained, at no charge, as a reference for forestry activities from the Bureau
				  of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources, Box 7921, Madison, WI
				  53707.
(d)
Project evaluation plan.
The department shall prepare as a
				portion of each priority watershed plan a project evaluation strategy. The
				evaluation strategy shall contain criteria and procedures to evaluate the water
				resource and land management components of the project.