Current through August 26, 2024
Surface Water Management Grants shall support projects
that protect or restore aquatic life or water quality. Subprograms under this
subchapter include all of the following:
(1) SURFACE WATER RESTORATION. Surface water
restoration projects, which include wetland, shoreland, or in-water projects
that will protect or improve water quality or an aquatic ecosystem. Eligible
projects include all of the following:
(a)
Healthy Lakes and Rivers. A Healthy Lakes and Rivers project
that will assist a grantee to implement prescribed best management practices to
create healthy lakes and rivers. Healthy Lakes and Rivers projects are subject
to all of the following conditions:
1. Install
best management practices that are determined and approved by the
department.
2. Follow the operation
and maintenance requirements as prescribed by the department. A grantee shall
obtain a signed conservation contract from all participating landowners that
includes a commitment to install one or more best practices and to operate and
maintain the function of the practice for at least 10 years.
3. Include no more than 10% of the DNR cost
share of a Healthy Lakes and Rivers project as project management or technical
assistance costs that are not implementation costs. The 10% is calculated based
on the DNR cost share of the per practice cost and may not exceed the funding
cap established in s. NR 193.05.
Note: A copy of the statewide Healthy Lakes
and Rivers Plan may be obtained directly from the Healthy Lakes website. Copies
are also on file at the offices of the department and legislative reference
bureau.
(b)
Shoreland protection. A shoreland protection project that will
assist a grantee in carrying out best management practices intended to improve
surface water or aquatic ecosystems. Eligible activities include one or more of
the following best practices conducted in compliance with the general and
practice-specific standards outlined in s.
ATCP 50.61:
1. Critical
area stabilization.
2.
Diversions.
3. Filter
strips.
4. Grade stabilization
structures on artificial or non-navigable streams, channels, and
gullies.
5. Riparian
buffers.
6. Streambank or shoreline
protection, in conjunction with revegetation, soil bioengineering, or upland
erosion control.
7. Water bars;
sediment and water basins; pervious pavement; rain gardens; vegetation planting
and urban pollution and runoff control projects; and impervious area removal
within 35 feet of the ordinary high water mark.
(c)
In-water management.
In-water management projects that will assist a grantee to protect or improve
the littoral or in-stream areas of waterbodies. Eligible activities include
installing department-approved structures that provide fish or wildlife
habitat; culvert, road, or trail stream crossing modification or removal and
other modifications to improve habitat or connectivity; and planting of native
aquatic plants.
(d)
Wetland
restoration. Wetland restoration projects that will assist a grantee
to restore or enhance a prior converted or existing wetland. Projects shall
occur on hydric soils. A grantee shall implement best practices outlined in ch.
ATCP 50 and follow the associated U.S. department of agriculture natural
resources conservation service practice standards for Wisconsin for wetland
restoration or enhancement. Eligible activities include drainage tile
disablement, ditch plugs and fills, water level manipulation, and vegetation
management and enhancement.
(2) WETLAND RESTORATION INCENTIVES. Wetland
restoration incentives, which are intended to support wetland restoration
projects and are available to a grantee who has completed a comprehensive land
use plan as defined in s.
66.1001(1) (a), Stats., that includes a recommendation
for wetland enhancement or restoration. Incentive grants of $10,000 each will
be awarded to eligible recipients with no grantee match required. Funds awarded
under this subsection shall be used for wetland restoration projects following
standards outlined in sub. (1) (d). Eligible recipients shall include counties,
towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, public
inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local
governmental units. Qualified surface water management organizations and
nonprofit conservation organizations are not eligible for grants under this
subsection.
(3) MANAGEMENT PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION. Management plan implementation projects, which protect or
improve surface water or aquatic ecosystems by implementing one or more
recommendations contained in a management plan and approved for eligibility by
the department under s. NR 193.53. Eligible activities shall be those that are
necessary to implement the approved recommendations. Once the department has
approved a management plan recommendation and implementation project, the
applicant may apply for grant funding. Eligible activities subject to approval
include all of the following:
(a) Those that
are eligible under sub. (1).
(b)
Other watershed management and nonpoint source pollution prevention and control
practices specified in ch. NR 120.
(c) Lake restoration activities where the
department has determined that any of the following conditions exist:
1. The external sources or causative factors
of the problems to be remediated have been or very likely will be controlled to
the best practical extent possible prior to or by the restoration
activities.
2. The proposed
activities have a high likelihood of successfully meeting the management plan
objectives or state water quality standards.
(d) Other activities approved by the
department that implement one or more recommendations in a management plan,
including any of the following:
1. Management
staffing grants to support implementation. Applications for management staffing
grants shall include a position description including goals, objectives and
tasks and the percentage of time assigned to each activity. For staffing
requests of over 1,000 hours, the department may require annual or semi-annual
performance reviews.
2. Applied
management studies that employ a research-based approach designed to improve
the understanding and implementation of surface water management
activities.
3. Landowner incentive
projects to encourage participation in surface water quality or aquatic habitat
management activities. Incentive payments may include incentives for
conservation best practices or participation incentives for landowners or
businesses engaging in a department-approved initiative. Applications shall
include a justification for payment or other incentives, a description of the
payment process and documentation, and expected outcomes.
(4) ORDINANCE
DEVELOPMENT. Ordinance development projects, which assist a grantee with the
development of local regulations or ordinances to protect or prevent
degradation of water quality or aquatic life. Ordinance development projects
shall include all of the following:
(a) The
development of an ordinance that is presented for adoption by the grantee or
another appropriate jurisdiction.
(b) An assessment of the administrative and
enforcement capacity and costs to implement the
ordinance.
Examples of ordinances include boating or other
recreational use restrictions, stormwater management and land use
ordinances.
