Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 100-199 - Environmental Protection General
Chapter NR 193 - Surface Water Grant Program
Subchapter II - Education and Planning
Section NR 193.32 - Surface water planning

(a) Preparing to plan. Preparing to plan projects that assist a grantee in taking steps toward developing a management plan for a waterbody, a watershed, an aquatic plant community, aquatic life, or aquatic invasive species. Eligible projects include determining a waterbody's condition; outlining goals, expectations and priorities for management; inventorying existing data and identifying data gaps when they exist; identifying problems needing management; inventorying historical management actions; or assessing planning needs to define the scope and scale of a future planning or management project.

(b) Organization and community assessment. Organization and community assessment projects that assist in the protection or improvement of surface water by focusing on the social dimensions of collaborative planning or management projects. Eligible projects shall employ social science tools and methods and may identify stakeholders; determine a community's capacity to complete a planning or management project; assess a community's readiness to plan or manage; identify how a community uses, values or perceives an aquatic ecosystem; or study how use values or perceptions have changed over time.

Note: Social science tools and methods include surveys, interviews, focus groups, assessments, case studies and oral histories.

(c) Water quality assessment. Water quality assessment projects that evaluate data on surface water quality and report the findings of those evaluations. Eligible projects shall collect new or assemble existing water quality data and shall include an assessment of waterbody condition following the Wisconsin Consolidated Assessment and Listing Method, or WisCALM. Eligible activities include a quantitative evaluation of the degree that pollution sources contribute to water quality problems.

Note: Pollution sources include point source, nonpoint source, and internal loading.

(d) Watershed assessment. Watershed assessment projects that determine the causes and sources of pollution in the watershed that are contributing to water quality problems now or in the likely future. Eligible activities shall include one or more of the following: data collection and analysis; modelling; scenarios; protection inventories; or other work done to understand watershed characteristics likely to affect the quality of surface water or aquatic ecosystems now or in the future. Watershed projects may also include assessing groundwater quality and quantity and assessing contributions of septic systems to water quality problems.

(e) Aquatic life assessment. Aquatic life assessment projects that evaluate data on aquatic life and report findings. Eligible projects shall collect new or assemble existing data on an aquatic plant community, fish community, shoreline habitat, or other aquatic life feature approved by the department. Eligible activities may include one or more of the following: species-specific identification; an assessment of aquatic life quality or condition; mapping; population analysis; population modelling; any assessments necessary for aquatic invasive species control; and other aquatic life projects necessary for the protection or improvement of aquatic ecosystems.

(f) Comprehensive management planning for lakes and watersheds. Comprehensive management planning projects for lakes and watersheds that will result in a new or updated management plan for one or more of the following: a lake, a watershed, an aquatic plant community, aquatic invasive species prevention and aquatic invasive species. A management plan is a dynamic, written document that presents baseline information, explores management challenges, defines general management goals and objectives and provides strategic direction for selecting management actions and planning specific activities to accomplish plan objectives. The plan should present a set of recommended management actions and outline a plan for implementation, progress assessment, and plan updates. The public shall be given an opportunity to review the plan before it is adopted and provide comment. The grantee shall summarize comments received and use comments to modify the management plan, as appropriate.

Note: Management plans include watershed plans, Nine Key Element watershed plans, basin plans, Total Maximum Daily Load implementation plans, lake management plans, river management plans, county land and water plans, aquatic plant management plans, and aquatic invasive species control plans.

(g) Pre-implementation planning. Pre-implementation planning projects that result in a final design and specifications for a management plan implementation project eligible under s. NR 193.51(3). Eligible activities for pre-implementation planning projects include one or more of the following: site assessment, monitoring, modelling, environmental assessment, drafting engineering plans, drafting construction plans, landscape design, and site-specific specifications.

(h) Other assessments and planning projects.Other projects and activities necessary for developing or updating a management plan may be approved by the department as eligible for a grant awarded under this subchapter.

Note: Other assessments and planning projects include review, evaluation or development of ordinances and other local regulations related to the management of pollution sources, recreational use, or other human activities that may affect the natural beauty or other components of a lake or river ecosystem.