todd ambs water division administrator, wdnr october 26, 2009 sustaining the water belt of north...
TRANSCRIPT
Todd Ambs
Water Division Administrator, WDNR
October 26, 2009
Sustaining the Sustaining the Water Belt of Water Belt of North AmericaNorth America
What is the Future of Great What is the Future of Great Lakes’ Waters?Lakes’ Waters?
The land ethic simply enlarges the The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.collectively: the land. Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold
Great LakesGreat LakesEnvironment Environment
20% of world fresh surface 20% of world fresh surface waterwater
Quality of LifeQuality of Life Vast region of Vast region of
interconnected fresh interconnected fresh surface watersurface water
EconomyEconomy Critical resource for Critical resource for
economy, recreation and economy, recreation and environmentenvironment
Wisconsin Water ResourcesWisconsin Water Resources
15,000 lakes15,000 lakes 84,00084,000 miles of rivers miles of rivers 5.3 million acres of 5.3 million acres of
wetlandswetlands 1,0001,000 miles of great lakes miles of great lakes
shoreline shoreline Groundwater resources– Groundwater resources–
100 100 feet deepfeet deep
We have a responsibility to We have a responsibility to future generations future generations
““The ultimate test of The ultimate test of a persons conscience a persons conscience may be the may be the willingness to willingness to sacrifice something sacrifice something today for future today for future generations whose generations whose words of thanks will words of thanks will never be heard.”never be heard.” Gaylord NelsonGaylord Nelson
Watershed ApproachWatershed Approach
The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.of the environment. Gaylord NelsonGaylord Nelson
Wisconsin’s EconomyWisconsin’s Economy
AgricultureAgriculture
Timber Timber ProductionProduction
Tourism Tourism
TourismTourism
$13.1 billion spent by $13.1 billion spent by tourists in 2008tourists in 2008
95% increase in 95% increase in travel expenditures travel expenditures from 1995 to 2005from 1995 to 2005
Wisconsin Department of Wisconsin Department of TourismTourism
Water RecreationWater Recreation More than 575,000 More than 575,000
registered boatsregistered boats Wisconsin residents Wisconsin residents
ranked swimming as ranked swimming as third favorite outdoor third favorite outdoor activityactivity
1.4 million anglers1.4 million anglers 3,719,000 angling days 3,719,000 angling days
by non residentsby non residents
National Economy DependsNational Economy Depends on the Great Lakes on the Great Lakes
30% of GNP30% of GNP 125 million tons cargo125 million tons cargo $53 billion in annual $53 billion in annual
revenuerevenue Boating supports 250,000 Boating supports 250,000
jobsjobs
Two Blueprints for ActionTwo Blueprints for Action
The Great Lake-St. The Great Lake-St. Lawrence River Basin Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Sustainable Water Resources Resources AgreementAgreement
The Great Lakes The Great Lakes Regional Regional Collaboration’s Collaboration’s Strategy to Restore Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great and Protect the Great LakesLakes
Compact FundamentalsCompact Fundamentals
Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and reporting Water conservationWater conservation Management of in basin Management of in basin
water usewater use WithdrawalWithdrawal Consumptive UseConsumptive Use
Prohibition on diversionsProhibition on diversions Straddling community/county Straddling community/county
exceptionsexceptions
Water ConservationWater Conservation
Tiered program with Tiered program with increasing increasing requirementsrequirements Voluntary to greatest Voluntary to greatest
rigorrigor Out of basin, in basin, Out of basin, in basin,
straddling straddling community/county, community/county, large water losseslarge water losses
Details in rulemaking Details in rulemaking
Water Management – In-basinWater Management – In-basin
Permits (new)Permits (new) Baseline, monitoring Baseline, monitoring
and reporting, water and reporting, water conservationconservation
General Permits, General Permits, >100,000 gpd (25 >100,000 gpd (25 years)years)
Individual Permits, >1 Individual Permits, >1 mgd (10 years)mgd (10 years)
Water Management – In-basinWater Management – In-basin
Water Loss approvals Water Loss approvals (1985)(1985) > 2 mgd> 2 mgd
Decision Making Decision Making StandardStandard New or Increase > 1 mgdNew or Increase > 1 mgd
Other ElementsOther Elements
Water Supply Service Area Water Supply Service Area PlansPlans 20 year plan20 year plan Population greater than 10,000Population greater than 10,000 Inventory of sources and qualityInventory of sources and quality Existing populations/demands, Existing populations/demands,
future forecastsfuture forecasts Environmental/economic Environmental/economic
analysis of future optionsanalysis of future options
DiversionsDiversions
Applications must be Applications must be consistent with water consistent with water supply service area supply service area planplan
Meet decision making Meet decision making standardstandard
Straddling community Straddling community and county requests and county requests likely cominglikely coming
Habitat and Wildlife Habitat and Wildlife Protection and RestorationProtection and Restoration
Protect and restore Protect and restore wetlandwetland
Fish passage, Restore Fish passage, Restore habitathabitat
Projects: Projects: Wetland Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Spawning habitat – pike, Spawning habitat – pike,
musky, sturgeonmusky, sturgeon Dam Removal, fish-Dam Removal, fish-
ways, culvert ways, culvert modificationsmodifications
Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species
Identify other Identify other vectors for vectors for aquatic invasive aquatic invasive species species
Fund invasive Fund invasive species species management and management and control in coastal control in coastal wetlandswetlands
Ballast water Ballast water controlscontrols
Nearshore Health Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Sourceand Nonpoint Source
Beach monitoring & Beach monitoring & forecasting – sanitary forecasting – sanitary surveyssurveys
Increase stream Increase stream buffers buffers
Support nutrient Support nutrient managementmanagement
Nearshore monitoringNearshore monitoring
Toxic Substances Toxic Substances and Areas of Concernand Areas of Concern
• Develop Develop implementation plans implementation plans for delisting criteria in for delisting criteria in AOCsAOCs
• Sediment remediation Sediment remediation and habitat and habitat improvement projects improvement projects
• Identify and eliminate Identify and eliminate emerging emerging contaminantscontaminants
Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and PartnershipsCommunication, and Partnerships
Implementation relies Implementation relies on good baseline dataon good baseline data
Existing systems for Existing systems for data collection and data collection and reporting (SWIMS, reporting (SWIMS, WATERS, others?)WATERS, others?)
Use Strategy to build Use Strategy to build on partnership on partnership opportunitiesopportunities
Office of the Great Lakes :Office of the Great Lakes : http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/
Wisconsin Great Lakes StrategyWisconsin Great Lakes Strategy http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/wistrategy/http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/greatlakes/wistrategy/
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:Great Lakes Restoration Initiative:
http://epa.gov/glnpo/glri/index.htmlhttp://epa.gov/glnpo/glri/index.html
Great Lakes URLsGreat Lakes URLs