Surface Water
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Water Quality Criteria
The Clean Water Act requires states to adopt water quality standards to protect aquatic life, wildlife and recreation. Water quality standards consist of three components: antidegradation, designated uses and water quality criteria. Water quality…
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Triennial Standards Review
Every three years, the DNR reviews Wisconsin's water quality standards or related guidance to determine which standards need development or revision, as required by the federal Clean Water Act. This comprehensive evaluation, called the…
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Help and Tips for SWIMS
To meet Department development standards, the SWIMS user interface has undergone a redesign. Along with meeting these development standards, the additional goals of this redesign are to update SWIMS with a modern look, create a standardize layout,…
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Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) Database
Subscribe for updates about the SWIMS system The Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) is a DNR system that holds chemistry (water, sediment, fish tissue) data, physical data, biological (macroinvertebrate, aquatic invasives…
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Water Quality Standards Rule Updates
The DNR is conducting rulemaking on several topics related to surface water quality standards, outlined below.