DNR adds 92 waterways to impaired list; most waters still clean
MADISON – Most of Wisconsin’s waterways are healthy and safe for swimming, fishing, boating and general enjoyment, according to a new report from the Department of Natural Resources.
Of the states thousands of water bodies, 80% are healthy, according to the Impaired Waters list released this week by the department.
“At the moment, it means we’re actually doing pretty well,” said Ashley Beranek, a surface water quality assessments coordinator for the department.
But despite mostly healthy waters, 92 waterways were added to the impaired list, meaning that some type of pollutant is present or it is now an inhospitable habitat for the fish and aquatic plants it typical holds. Impaired waters are those that don’t meet water quality standards set forth by the federal Clean Water Act, and may not be safe for fishing, swimming, recreating or public health and welfare.
The number of impaired waterways has increased since 2008, when 738 were listed, but not just because of more impaired waterways. The number of assessed waters have grown, too, increasing more than 80%. The department has also been able to access better technology to evaluate data, as well as water quality criteria that is updated often.
The most recent number of impaired waterways in the 2022 list is 1,526, with another 577 restoration waters undergoing work to bring them back to healthy levels.
Among those added are several beaches along Lakes Michigan and Superior, a portion of the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee, and Lakes Monona and Mendota in Madison.
Wisconsin boasts more than 16,000 lakes, 86,000 miles of streams and rivers and 650 miles of Great Lakes shorelines, all of which are managed to ensure that water quality meets standards set forth by state and federal government.
The majority of the new waters — 59
— were added due to an increase in phosphorus, according to data from the DNR. Behind that, 37 were added for increases in bacteria, mostly due to to E. coli near beaches.
Other newly listed bodies of water were added due to chloride, PFAS, degraded biology, copper or zinc, adding up to a total of 17 additional waters.
Though PFAS created some new listings, an increase in E. coli outbreaks caused many more.
‘Forever chemicals’ a factor in new listings
Some bodies of water were also listed due to high levels of “forever chemicals” found in fish tissue, instead of the water column. Wherever the DNR has issued a fish consumption warning, a corresponding impairment listing is created.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances, are a group of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health issues. The chemicals are widespread in Wisconsin: over 50 communities are now fighting the contaminants after they were found in the water and soil.
In the future, as scientists continue to study and understand PFAS, and as the state and federal governments set standards for the harmful chemicals, Beranek sees more Wisconsin waters being listed after monitoring.
“We’ve definitely done a lot of testing around the state to see where it’s an issue, and will probably end up creating some more listings in the future once we have that criteria,” she said. “I think it will be one of the chemicals that we’ll be looking at on a regular basis.”
Though PFAS created some new listings, an increase in E. coli outbreaks caused many more.
New criteria allow for fewer bacteria spikes related to E. coli during the summer months, which led to more impairment listings, according to the DNR.
But that doesn’t mean that the listed beach or waterbody is unsafe for swimming until it’s delisted again.
“Impaired can seem like a pretty harsh word, and I know I’ve had a lot of people say that if it’s impaired they shouldn’t use (the waterbody) at all,” Beranek said. “But it just depends on what the water body is listed for. Say a beach got listed for E. coli, local entities will post signs when it’s unsafe to swim, but there are definitely times where it’s safe to go in and recreate.”
Some other impairments are listed because they’re a risk if consumed in fish. But that doesn’t mean the water is unsafe if you’re kayaking, swimming or enjoying it another way.
“It’s just that we’ve noted that over time there have been some issues,” she said.
In addition to the newly listed waterways, 22 were also delisted after being able to meet the standards set forward. Some of those waters, Beranek said, improved after levels of nutrients from agricultural or urban runoff decreased. Others were successfully remediated by the DNR or their communities. In some cases, solutions were found to keep sediment from running into the water, like repairing the shoreline or building ponds to catch it.
“That reduced the sediment load enough that they could take it off the list,” she said.
The remediated waters, along with the large number of safe waters across the state, indicate that the laws protecting the state’s water are working, Beranek said.
“I know that folks really appreciate and like to recreate in clean waters, so it helps to have advocates for these healthy waters,” she said.
The new listing of impaired waters — which will be finalized by April 1, 2022, when it is reported to the federal government — is now open for public comment. Anyone can submit comments on the changes to the list through Oct. 1. Comments will then be taken into account by the DNR and released to the public in December.