Property Lookup for Designated Waterways and Wetlands

Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes and over 12,000 rivers and streams. These waters are regulated as a public trust according to their cultural, ecological, habitat and recreational values.

Waterways may be specially designated in state statute or by the DNR as Priority Navigable Waterways (PNW), Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest (ASNRI), or Public Rights Features (PRF). These designations affect permitting options for some waterways activities. Use the DNR Surface Water Data Viewer tutorial below to determine whether your property or project area falls in a designated area.

Wisconsin also has over five million acres of wetlands, occurring in every county and landscape in the state. Wetlands are present wherever the soil is saturated long enough during the growing season to support hydrophytes – plant species that are adapted to grow in wet soils. Use the DNR Surface Water Data Viewer tutorial below to evaluate the potential for wetlands in your project area and determine whether a wetland identification or wetland delineation may be necessary.

WATERWAY DESIGNATIONS

Priority Navigable Waterways (PNW) – this includes all of the designated waterways and categories of designated waterways listed below:

• Lakes less than 50 acres in size
• Sturgeon waters
• Walleye waters
• Musky waters
• Perennial tributaries to trout streams
• Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest (ASNRI)
  • Waters in state natural areas
  • Trout streams
  • Wild rice waters
  • State and federal wild and scenic rivers
  • Outstanding or Exceptional Resource Waters as designated in 281.15
  • Waters in areas identified in a special area management plan (SAMP) or special wetland inventory study (SWIS)
  • Waters in ecologically significant coastal wetlands along Lake Michigan and Lake Superior
• Public Rights Features (PRF)
  • Fish and wildlife habitat, including specific sites necessary for breeding, nesting, nursery and feeding
  • Physical features of lakes and streams that ensure the protection of water quality
  • Reaches of bank, shore, or bed that are predominantly natural in appearance (not man-made or artificial) or that screen man-made or artificial features
  • Navigation thoroughfares or areas traditionally used for navigation during recreational boating, angling, hunting or enjoyment of natural scenic beauty.
  • Lake sensitive areas
  • Rivers and streams sensitive areas

PROPERTY LOOKUP FOR WATERWAY AND WETLAND PERMITTING USING SURFACE WATER DATA VIEWER

Find your property or project area

1. Open the DNR Surface Water Data Viewer map application in a new tab or new browser window
2. Optional – turn on map layers to help you find your project area:
   • On the top menu bar, click the "Basic Tools" tab.
   • Below the tab, click on the "Show Layers" button.
   • Clickable map layers will appear on the left side of the map.
   • Note – turn map layers on and off by clicking the checkbox next to the layer title.
   • Scroll down the layers list and use one or more of the following:
     • Click on the "Administrative, Political & Cadastral" layer group and click the "+" symbol to open the layer options.
       • Click on the "PLSS" layer to use the Township, Range, Section information to navigate.
       • Click on the "DOA Statewide Parcel Map" layer to navigate using tax parcel boundaries and ownership last names.
     • At the bottom of the layers list, click on the "Air Photos" layer to turn on the latest leaf off aerial image to assist you in navigating to your project area.
3. Find your project area on the map using one of these methods:
   • ZOOM IN: zoom in on the map using your mouse scrolling wheel or by double-clicking in the map area until you see your project area.
   • FIND ADDRESS:
     • On the top menu bar, click the "Locate & Identify" tab.
     • Click on "Find Address".
     • Enter your address and municipality.
     • Click on the "Search" button at the bottom.
   • FIND LOCATION:
     • On the top menu bar, click the "Locate & Identify" tab.
     • Click on "Find Location".
     • Enter coordinates, a municipality, lake or open water, river or stream, or other information to find your project area.
     • Click the "Find" button at the bottom.

Review waterway designations

Find your property or project area using the instructions above.

To check for Waterway Designations:

• On the top menu bar, click the "Basic Tools" tab.
• Below the tab, click on the "Show Layers" button.
• Clickable map layers will appear on the left side of the map.
• Scroll down and click on the "Priority Navigable Waterways" layer.
• The map will show all designated waterways – PNWs, ASNRIs and PRFs.
• Click on the waterway on which your project area is located and a box with identified features will pop up.
• You may need to click the right arrow in the popup box to see the designation(s) tied to the waterbody if there are multiple features identified.

Streambank general permit eligbility

Find your property or project area using the instructions above.

To assess whether streambank erosion control general permits are available on your project area:

1. On the top menu bar, click the "Basic Tools" tab.
2. Below the tab, click on the "Show Layers" button.
3. Clickable map layers will appear on the left side of the map.
4. Scroll down and click on the "Permits & Determinations" layer.
5. Click on the project area and read about general permit eligibility on your project area in the white information box.

Wetlands on your property

Find your property or project area using the instructions above.

To assess the potential for wetlands on your project area:

1. On the top menu bar, click the "Basic Tools" tab.
2. Below the tab, click on the "Show Layers" button.
3. Clickable map layers will appear on the left side of the map.
4. Scroll down and click on both the "Mapped Wetlands" layer and the "Wetland Indicators" layer.
5. Mapped wetlands in the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory (WWI) and wetland indicators based on topography and mapped NRCS hydric soils will appear.

*If there are mapped wetlands or wetland indicators on your project area, it is likely that wetlands are present and you may need a Wetland Identification or a full Wetland Delineation, based on the property and your project design.

*If there are no mapped wetlands or wetland indicators on your property, it is not likely but still possible that wetlands exist. Statewide mapping tools have limited accuracy and only an on-the-ground survey can officially determine whether wetlands are present on a property or in a project boundary.

See Wetland Identification Program for more details on projects involving wetlands.