Water

• Feingold Calls For Great Lakes Restoration And Protection - New bill aims to improve water quality of world's largest fresh water source.
• Water Pressures Divide A Great Lake State - Watershed line limits access to Lake Michigan by thirsty SE WI suburbs.
• Navigable Waterway Law To Be Challenged - Proposed change would reclassify state’s streams..  
  • Rep. Miller attacks the bill   for slashing public access to waterways. [12kb pdf file.  If you don't have Adobe's latest pdf file reader, click here for a free copy.  We will also send you a text version of this article if you contact us.] 
  • Clean Wisconsin says public would lose fishing, hunting, and recreating rights on thousands of miles of state waters   [8kb pdf file.] 
  • WI League of Conservation Voters says public would lose access to one-third of state's streams. 
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• Rural Water Supplies At Risk - Budget proposal limits ability of state to protect drinking water from chemicals, according to Midwest Environmental Advocates.
• State Water Policy Task Force Called For - Waters of Wisconsin report highlights the need for sound and far-sighted water policies, a guiding water ethic, continued monitoring, public education, and civic engagement.And read the Capitol Times  story on the issue.  Click here to go to the full report.

• Groups Urge Gov. To Reallocate Motor Boat Gas Tax - Updating consumption formula will provide funds for protection of Wisconsin's waters without increasing taxes.
• DNR Water Protection Chief To Address WSN Conference - Todd Ambs will offer insights on state's water protection plans and efforts.
• Wisconsin Association Of Lakes Seeking Heros - Group wants to recognize those who have helped preserve and protect the state's lakes.
• Fox River Fish Advisories Will Last For Decades - Even after clean-up of Lower Fox, PCB spawned health adisories will stretch 25-40 years, according to Green Bay Press Gazette.
• New Citizen's Guide To Protecting State Waters From Polluted Runoff - Toolkit informs and describes how to use the new law to safeguard your favorite haunts. [This is a big file and may take a little time to download.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this, click here for a free download if you need it.]
• Clean Water Coalition Praises Leaders Who Crafted Polluted Run-off Rules - Group thanks individuals for their role in enacting landmark rules.
• Buffer Rule Needs Comment - Your letters will help support most effective run-off control tool.
• Clean Water Act Protections Under Attack - President and Assembly Republican actions threatening Wisconsin's rivers, streams and lakes.
• Lake Protections Weakened By Assembly Budget Bill - Contact your state Senators to restore protections.
• Great Lakes Resource Directory Online - Great resource for articles, group contacts, foundations, and free software.
• DNR Takes A Strong Stand - DNR on right track with new run-off rules, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial.
• Proposed Rules Would Cut Urban Runoff - Conservation design would encourage rain and snow melt infiltration rather than routing to storm water drainage system. [You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this, click here for a free download if you don't already have it.]
• Our Water:  Clear Progress, Muddy Outlook - Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's terrific three part series on the state of our water.
• Citizens Establish Fox River Web Site - Public health and PCB clean-up campaign is the goal.
• DNR Holding Hearings Statewide On New Runoff Rules - March hearings cover most significant state effort ever aimed at controlling polluted run-off.
• Fox River Settlement Sparks Criticism - DNR defends $7 million deal on pollution claim, in Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article.
• Export Buster - Groups release plan for water use reforms in the Great Lakes Basin.
• EPA Moves To Limit Mercury Pollution From Power Plants - Agency begins development of reg's to reduce toxic contamination of fish and water.
• EPA Wants Superfund Status for Ashland Lakefront Site - Agency seeks clean-up of toxic pollutants.
• Thompson Sends Perrier Packing - He tells firm to abandon Adams County plan; suggests other counties may want water bottling operation, according to Mil. Journal-Sentinel.
• Adams County Passes Water Resolution - County opposes large scale extraction of spring water; may effect Perrier plans.
• Fox River PCB Damage Compensation Hearings Coming - You can help land a $300 million package for fish and wildlife habitat.
• 2nd Lawsuit Filed Against Perrier Project - WOW sues Perrier over zoning violations.
• DNR Sued For Granting Perrier Well Permits - Local group seeks to block state approval.
• DNR Permit To Perrier A Huge Mistake, Says Group - Local citizens upset by DNR approval.
• Perrier Plant Supporter Defeated In Recall Election - Town residents overwhelmingly reject Town Chair.
• Fox River PCB Dredging Resumes - Clean-up of last year's bungled effort to run into late October.
• Experts Say Perrier Environmental Assessment Flawed - DNR document filled with mistakes and poor assumptions, according to analysts.And Read the letter from Perrier's CEO regarding his private meeting with Governor Thompson.
• It's About Trade, Too - Perrier Proposal could establish dangerous trade precedent for Wisconsin's waters.
• Aug. 3 Public Meeting On Fox River PCB Contamination - DNR and EPA to host meeting to discuss PCB clean-up problems.
• Group Responds To Perrier Bottling Plan - Waterkeepers of Wisconsin disputes Perrier media statements.
• Fox River PCB Dredging Project Designed To Fail - Contractor charges project was doomed from the start.
• Fox River PCB Dredging To Begin Again - EPA issues consent order for clean-up of hotspot from failed demonstration project.
• Waterkeepers Of Wisconsin (WOW) Forms - Citizens to oppose large scale water extraction plans for bottling plants.
• Sheboygan River Clean-up Plan Approved - EPA action aims to clean harbor and river of toxics.
• Reducing Mercury Contamination In Lake Superior - Clean energy seminar on June 2 will focus on lowering mercury pollutuion.
• Perrier Pushes Forward- Company seeks quick action on water bottling plant.
• More Wisconsin Lakes Contaminated By Mercury - 11 more lakes added to fish consumption advisory list bringing total to 341.
• US Fish & Wildlife Service Joins Criticism Of PCB Dredging Project - Agency's official comments to EPA call for quick action to fix DNR's release of PCB's from dredging.
• Secret Activities By State Officials Sought To Help Perrier Locate In WI - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel investigation uncovers backroom dealings.
• Text of  Letter Critical of DNR Fox River Clean-up
• Scientists and Engineers Want Better Fox Clean-up - Group calls for action at DNR dredge site.
• Town Passes Moratorium On Bottling Plan - New effort by Perrier in New Haven meets local opposition.
• Wisconsin Water Sources May Be Overworked - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story discusses growing concern.
• EPA Emergency Action On Fox Sought - Request for PCB clean-up from pollutants released during state dredging of toxic hotspot.
• Act Now To Save Mecan River - Perrier still considering bottling plant on private land.
• Great Lakes Water Levels Keep Dropping - More communities plan dredging.
• Perrier Abandons Well Drilling Plan at Mecan River - Company says it will look elsewhere.
• Perrier Wants To Bottle Wisconsin Water - Water would come from springs feeding prized trout stream.
• Cancer And Tumors In Walleyes From PCBs - Fox River anglers due $106 million in compensation, according to Fed's.
• Public Wants Fox River Cleaned By Feds - Brown County survey calls for Superfund Effort and Fox River PCBs Under Study - Investigators Promise Impartiality.
• "No" Is Message To Great Lakes Water Diversion - US/Canadian commission hears strong opposition to sending water out of Great Lakes basin.
• Mercury Rain Hits Midwestern Cities - Kenosha records mercury in rain at 73 times safe levels.
• Vulcan's Eruptions- Chemical plant emits 20% of state's airborne mercury pollution.

• DNR Says Fish Killed By Farm Run-Off - Trout and thousands of other fish killed in Baraboo River on opening day of fishing season.

• Clean Water Progress In Doubt - EPA Insiders Say Official Reports Are "All Wet."

• Wisconsin Groups Endorse Mercury Report - news release from supporting organizations on controlling mercury contamination of state's waters.

• Mercury in the Upper Midwest - New report from the Izaak Walton League is a must read for anglers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.Click here to see a chart showing how mercury enters the food chain and gets into the flesh of fish and humans.

• Pollution Harming Green Bay Waterfowl - Federal study warns hunters of health concerns.

• Exporting Great Lakes Water - Issue raised again as arid parts of country thirst for relief.

• Fox River Makes Endangered List - American Rivers lists sprawl as concern.

• Cleaning the Milwaukee River - What if they just tore down a few dams?

• PCB's and Cancer Risk in Fox River Debated - EPA and GE trade risk assessments.

• New Information Service for Lake Superior Region - Superior-Eco aims to share topical information and stimulate dialogue.

• Black Earth Creek Clean-up Action Filed - 2 groups seek to stop manure run-off into premiere trout stream.  And see the remarks from Sara Johnson of the Wis. River Alliance.

• Green and Gooey - Many Wisconsin lakes explode with algae in the Summer.  What can we do to keep them blue?

• Mercury Rain is poisoning Wisconsin waters and gamefish.  Some of Wisconsin's top fishing holes are contaminated with mercury.  Find out what's behind this problem and what we can do about it.

Links:

•  Two articles from the ECCOLA newsletter about our victory protecting the Willow flowage from Noranda
• Noranda Abandons Willow Flowage Deposit!
• Momentum for Willow Flowage ORW Classification Grows
• Sierra Club's Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) Mailing

• River Alliance of Wisconsin
• Thanks to the efforts of Zev Ross and others of the River Alliance of Wisconsin, American Rivers has declared the Wolf River to be American's 5th most endangered river due to the threat of Exxon's Crandon Mine project!!!!!  Read their press release!
• USGS's "Water Resources in Wisconsin" Site

• University of Wisconsin Seagrant Institute
• Fish of the Great Lakes
• UW Extension: Water Resources

• American Rivers