Environmental Protection
- Webpage
Surface Water Designated Uses
Assessing the health of a waterbody starts with determining what types of activities the water should support, also commonly referred to as a waterbody's Designated Uses. Under the Clean Water Act, Wisconsin waters are each assigned four uses that…
- Webpage
Surface Water Data Viewer
In order to keep DNR servers up to date, DNR will be patching the GIS servers to the latest service level on the morning of Sunday, October 27. During this update, users may see unexpected issues with DNR’s web map viewers. We…
- Webpage
Water Quality Standards and Classifications
Water quality standards are important because they help water quality managers protect and restore the quality of Wisconsin's waters. Our water quality may be impacted by many different sources and types of pollution. Under the Clean Water Act,…
- Webpage
Watershed Restoration & Protection Viewer
In order to keep DNR servers up to date, DNR will be patching the GIS servers to the latest service level on the morning of Sunday, October 27. During this update, users may see unexpected issues with DNR’s web map viewers. We…
- Webpage
Areawide Water Quality Management Plan (AWQMP) Program
Water quality planning in Wisconsin occurs on many levels in many agencies. Each plan begins with monitoring to evaluate the health of Wisconsin's waters. Biologists and trained volunteers collect monitoring data on representative segments on rivers…
- Webpage
Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters
Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters that provide outstanding recreational opportunities,…
- Webpage
Wisconsin’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy
Wisconsin's Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a broad overview of nutrient management activities for both point sources and nonpoint sources in Wisconsin. This strategy documents ongoing activities whether they are implemented by federal, state or…
- Webpage
Water Quality Modeling Tools
Water quality modeling tools can be used to better understand and evaluate the impacts of management decisions on Wisconsin's surface waters. Each model was developed for a specific purpose and requires an understanding of the inputs, outputs and…
- Webpage
Wisconsin’s Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (WisCALM)
Every two years, Sections 303(d) and 305(b) of the Clean Water Act require states to publish a list of all waters not meeting water quality standards and an overall report on surface water quality status of all waters in the state. To assess…
- Webpage
Antidegradation
The antidegradation rule is implemented in Chapter NR 207 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. The purpose of the rule is to address new or increased discharges to surface waters (river, lakes, drainage ways, wetlands, etc.). The way in which these…