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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO ASSEMBLY BILL 579
January 9, 2024 - Offered by Representative Wittke.
AB579-ASA1,1,3 1An Act to renumber 30.122; to amend 30.122 (title); and to create 30.01 (1h),
230.122 (2), 30.122 (3), 30.2034, 30.2039 and 885.335 of the statutes; relating
3to:
use of fill in commercial waterways and Great Lakes waters.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides several methods for establishing the lawful public or private
use of fill placed on the bed of the Great Lakes and certain rivers and harbors.
Historic fill in commercial waterways
The bill applies, in part, to fill placed prior to 1977 that created land above the
ordinary high water mark of a commercial waterway, which is a specified list of
rivers. If the fill is unauthorized fill for which the Department of Natural Resources
has not initiated an enforcement action or is within an authorized bulkhead line and
not specifically restricted by a submerged land lease, the fill is considered land held
in private fee title ownership and is not subject to a navigational servitude.
Development of Great Lakes waterfront property
The bill provides that a city or village (municipality) may create a waterfront
development plan with respect to parcels that may have been part of the submerged
bed of a Great Lakes water at the time of statehood. The municipality must submit
required information to DNR, including a map of the parcels and a plan for
development of the parcels that details any public and private uses. Following a

public notice and comment period, DNR must determine whether the plan is
approved. DNR may not approve a plan unless it determines that 1) the plan
contains the required elements, 2) proposed private uses are not inconsistent with
existing lake bed grants or submerged land leases, 3) the amount and location of
proposed public use areas are appropriate to protect public interests, or 4) the plan
contains sufficient provisions to ensure that the public uses proposed in the plan will
be implemented and perpetually maintained.
Amendments to existing approvals
The bill provides that a municipality may apply to DNR to amend the uses
allowed within an area of a Great Lakes water that was filled pursuant to a fill
authorization granted by the legislature or a submerged land lease. DNR must
review the proposed uses based on several criteria that generally consider whether
the proposed uses are consistent with the public interest. Following a public notice
and comment period, DNR must approve the plan unless DNR determines that the
specified criteria were not met.
Claims relating to possession or title
The bill prohibits any claim or counterclaim in an action relating to the
possession or title of any real estate if the claim or counterclaim is based on an
assertion that the property includes portions of land that may have at one time been
submerged beneath a Great Lakes water if 1) the property is upland and the use of
the land has not materially changed, 2) the property is held in fee title ownership as
determined under a Great Lakes waterfront development plan, 3) the property is
held in fee title ownership based on being separated from a Great Lakes water, or 4)
use of the property has been approved by DNR as an amended use.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB579-ASA1,1 1Section 1 . 30.01 (1h) of the statutes is created to read:
AB579-ASA1,2,32 30.01 (1h) “Commercial waterway” includes the portions of all of the following
3rivers that are within the Great Lakes basin and within incorporated areas:
AB579-ASA1,2,44 (a) Ahnapee River.
AB579-ASA1,2,55 (b) East River in Brown County.
AB579-ASA1,2,76 (c) Fox River, but excluding Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake
7Winneconne, and Lake Poygan.
AB579-ASA1,2,88 (d) Kewaunee River.
AB579-ASA1,2,99 (e) Kinnickinnic River.
AB579-ASA1,3,1
1(f) Manitowoc River.
AB579-ASA1,3,22 (g) Menominee River.
AB579-ASA1,3,33 (h) Menomonee River.
AB579-ASA1,3,44 (i) Milwaukee River.
AB579-ASA1,3,55 (j) Root River.
AB579-ASA1,3,66 (k) Sheboygan River.
AB579-ASA1,3,77 (L) St. Louis River.
AB579-ASA1,3,88 (m) West Twin River.
AB579-ASA1,2 9Section 2 . 30.122 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB579-ASA1,3,10 1030.122 (title) Unauthorized structures and fill.
AB579-ASA1,3 11Section 3 . 30.122 of the statutes is renumbered 30.122 (1).
AB579-ASA1,4 12Section 4 . 30.122 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
AB579-ASA1,3,1713 30.122 (2) A fill or deposit placed in a commercial waterway before December
149, 1977, that created land at an elevation above the current ordinary high water
15mark and that has remained above the current ordinary high water mark since
16December 9, 1977, is considered land held in private fee title ownership and is not
17subject to a navigational servitude if any of the following apply:
AB579-ASA1,3,2018 (a) The fill or deposit is unauthorized and the department has not initiated an
19enforcement action relating to the fill or deposit prior to the effective date of this
20paragraph .... [LRB inserts date].
AB579-ASA1,3,2321 (b) The fill or deposit is within an authorized bulkhead line established as
22provided under s. 30.11 and use of the filled area is not specifically restricted by the
23terms included in a submerged land lease under s. 24.39 (4).
AB579-ASA1,5 24Section 5 . 30.122 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
AB579-ASA1,4,2
130.122 (3) Nothing in this section abridges the riparian rights of riparian
2owners.
AB579-ASA1,6 3Section 6. 30.2034 of the statutes is created to read:
AB579-ASA1,4,5 430.2034 Amendments to existing approvals. (1) Definitions. In this
5section:
AB579-ASA1,4,86 (a) “Fill authorization” means the authorization of fill in an area of a Great
7Lakes water by the legislature in specific legislation or a lake bed grant or by a
8submerged land lease under s. 24.39.
AB579-ASA1,4,109 (b) “Filled area” means an area in a Great Lakes water filled before August 8,
101989, pursuant to a fill authorization.
AB579-ASA1,4,1111 (c) “Grantee” means a municipality that has been granted a fill authorization.
AB579-ASA1,4,1312 (d) “Great Lakes water” means Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Green Bay, or
13Sturgeon Bay.
AB579-ASA1,4,1414 (e) Notwithstanding s. 30.01 (4), “municipality” means a city or village.
AB579-ASA1,4,16 15(2) Applications by grantees. (a) A grantee may apply to the department to
16amend the uses allowed within filled areas of a fill authorization.
AB579-ASA1,4,1717 (b) An application under par. (a) shall include all of the following information:
AB579-ASA1,4,1918 1. A legal description of the fill authorization and the filled area proposed to
19be used.
AB579-ASA1,4,2120 2. A description of the proposed amendment to the existing fill authorization,
21including a detailed description of the proposed uses consistent with sub. (3).
AB579-ASA1,4,2322 3. A determination from the governing body of the municipality approving the
23proposed amendment and requesting authorization from the department.
AB579-ASA1,5,3
1(3) Standards for approval. The department shall evaluate applications
2submitted under sub. (2) based on whether the uses proposed in the application meet
3the following criteria:
AB579-ASA1,5,64 (a) The filled area proposed to be used is used for parking lots, public or private
5buildings, roads, or railroads on the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts
6date].
AB579-ASA1,5,87 (b) The filled area proposed to be used does not include any area currently used
8for public park purposes.
AB579-ASA1,5,129 (c) The filled area proposed to be used remains under the ownership and control
10of the municipality. In this paragraph, “ownership and control” includes leases or
11licenses to private or public entities, subject to compliance with the other criteria
12under this subsection.
AB579-ASA1,5,1413 (d) The application is consistent with any waterfront development plan
14approved under s. 30.2039 (2) (d).
AB579-ASA1,5,1715 (e) The application promotes appropriate public uses consistent with the public
16interest, which may include concessions, as defined in s. 30.2039 (1) (a), open to the
17public under long-term lease with the municipality.
AB579-ASA1,5,1918 (f) The application includes appropriate mechanisms for department
19enforcement.
AB579-ASA1,5,2220 (g) The application promotes other public objectives, which may include the
21elimination of blight, the remediation of brownfields, and other private economic
22development benefits.
AB579-ASA1,6,2 23(4) Department approval of applications. (a) No later than 90 days after
24receiving an application under sub. (2), the department shall hold a public hearing

1and provide public notice by publishing a class 2 notice under ch. 985 and by posting
2notice on the department's website.
AB579-ASA1,6,83 (b) No later than 90 days following the public hearing under par. (a), the
4department shall make a determination on whether to approve the application under
5sub. (2). The department and the applicant may agree to extend this timeline. The
6failure of the department to act within 90 days or within any timeline agreed to by
7the department and the applicant may not be deemed to be an approval by the
8department.
AB579-ASA1,6,99 (c) Determinations made under par. (b) are subject to review under ch. 227.
AB579-ASA1,7 10Section 7. 30.2039 of the statutes is created to read:
AB579-ASA1,6,11 1130.2039 Great Lakes waterfront property. (1) Definitions. In this section:
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