Chapter 281

281.68(1r) (1r) Uses of grants. Lake management planning grants shall be used to improve water quality assessment and planning and to aid in the selection of activities to do any of the following:

281.68(1r)(a) (a) Prevent pollution from entering into lakes or into natural lake ecosystems.

281.68(1r)(b) (b) Protect or improve the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

281.68(1t) (1t) Lake monitoring and protection contracts. The department may award contracts to groups or persons for the creation and support of a statewide lake monitoring network. The contracts may include payments for the costs of all of the following:

281.68(1t)(a) (a) Training, equipment, and supplies necessary for water quality sample collection, lake surveys, and watercraft inspection.

281.68(1t)(b) (b) Handling, shipping, and laboratory analysis of water samples.

281.68(1t)(c) (c) Developing, maintaining, and managing a statewide database system for entering, tracking, evaluating, and reporting water quality and lake survey results.

281.68(1t)(d) (d) Producing and distributing water quality and lake survey results and reports.

281.68(2) (2) Amount of grants and contracts.

281.68(2)(a) (a) The department may provide a grant of 67 percent of the cost of a lake management planning project up to a total of $25,000 per grant. In each fiscal year, the total amount of moneys awarded as grants for lake management planning projects may not exceed $50,000 for any one lake.

281.68(2)(b) (b) The total amount of lake monitoring and protection contracts for each fiscal year may not exceed 25 percent of the total amount appropriated under s. 20.370 (6) (ar), (as), and (av).

281.68(3) (3) Rules for grants and contracts.

281.68(3)(a) (a) The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of the lake management planning grant program which shall include all of the following:

281.68(3)(a)1. 1. Eligible recipients to consist of nonprofit conservation organizations, as defined in s. 23.0955 (1), producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, qualified school districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management. If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.

281.68(3)(a)2. 2. Eligible activities, which shall include all of the following for lakes and natural lake ecosystems:

281.68(3)(a)2.a. a. Data collection.

281.68(3)(a)2.b. b. Assessments of water quality and of fish and aquatic life and their habitat.

281.68(3)(a)2.c. c. Assessments of the uses of a lake and the uses of the land surrounding the lake.

281.68(3)(a)2.d. d. Nonpoint source pollution evaluation.

281.68(3)(a)2.e. e. Informational or educational programs and materials.

281.68(3)(a)2.f. f. Providing programs and materials that promote the monitoring of private on-site wastewater treatment systems, the reduction in the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, water safety, and the protection of natural lake ecosystems.

281.68(3)(bg) (bg) The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of the lake monitoring and protection contracts program, which shall specify the eligible activities and qualifications for participation in the statewide lake monitoring and protection network. Eligible activities shall include providing technical assistance to public or private entities that apply for, or have received, a grant under s. 23.22 (2) (c). Qualified participants shall include counties and public or private entities that manage aquatic invasive species under a management plan approved by the department.

281.68(3m) (3m) Qualified entities.

281.68(3m)(a) (a) To be a qualified lake association, an association shall do all of the following:

281.68(3m)(a)1. 1. Demonstrate that it is incorporated under ch. 181.

281.68(3m)(a)2. 2. Specify in its articles of incorporation or bylaws that a substantial purpose of its being incorporated is to support the protection or improvement of one or more inland lakes for the benefit of the general public.

281.68(3m)(a)3. 3. Demonstrate that the substantial purpose of its past actions was to support the protection or improvement of one or more inland lakes for the benefit of the general public.

281.68(3m)(a)4. 4. Allow to be a member any individual who for at least one month each year resides on or within one mile of an inland lake for which the association was incorporated.

281.68(3m)(a)5. 5. Allow to be a member any individual who owns real estate on or within one mile of an inland lake for which the association was incorporated.

281.68(3m)(a)6. 6. Not have articles of incorporation or bylaws which limit or deny the right of any member or any class of members to vote as permitted under s. 181.0721 (1).

281.68(3m)(a)7. 7. Demonstrate that it has been in existence for at least one year.

281.68(3m)(a)8. 8. Demonstrate that it has at least 25 members.

281.68(3m)(a)9. 9. Require payment of an annual membership fee as set by the department by rule under par. (b).

281.68(3m)(b) (b) For purposes of par. (a) 9., the department shall set by rule the maximum amount and the minimum amount that may be charged as an annual membership fee.

281.68(3m)(c) (c) To be a qualified school district, the board of the school district shall adopt a resolution to conduct a lake management planning project that will do all of the following:

281.68(3m)(c)1. 1. Provide information or education on the use of lakes or natural lake ecosystems, on the quality of water in lakes, or on the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

281.68(3m)(c)2. 2. Allow another eligible recipient of grants under this section to cooperate with the school district in the project.

281.68(4) (4) Eligibility for lake management planning grants. At the completion of a lake management planning project, upon request of the recipient of a grant under this section, the department may approve recommendations made as a result of the project as eligible activities for a lake management grant under s. 281.69.

281.68 History History: 1989 a. 31; 1989 a. 160 ss. 1, 3, 4; 1989 a. 359; 1991 a. 39, 269; 1995 a. 27; 1995 a. 227 s. 430; Stats. 1995 s. 281.68; 1997 a. 79; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 185; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 275; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32, 146; 2015 a. 250; 2023 a. 5.

281.68 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 193, Wis. adm. code.

281.69 281.69 Lake management and classification grants and contracts.

281.69(1b) (1b) Definitions. In this section:

281.69(1b)(ae) (ae) “Floating treatment wetland” means an artificial, buoyant platform for keeping plants afloat that mimics the function of natural wetlands and allows plants to grow in water that is typically too deep for them and that is placed below the ordinary high-water mark in a navigable water.

281.69(1b)(ag) (ag) “Lake” includes a flowage.

281.69(1b)(bn) (bn) “Nonprofit conservation organization” has the meaning given in s. 23.0955 (1).

281.69(1b)(br) (br) “Producer-led group” means any group that meets the criteria under s. 93.59 (2).

281.69(1b)(c) (c) “Qualified lake association” is an association that meets the qualifications under s. 281.68 (3m) (a).

281.69(1b)(d) (d) “Wetland” has the meaning given in s. 23.32 (1).

281.69(1m) (1m) Types of projects. The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide grants for the following 2 types of projects:

281.69(1m)(a) (a) Lake management projects that will improve or protect the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

281.69(1m)(b) (b) Lake classification projects that will classify lakes by use and implement protection activities for the lakes based on their classification.

281.69(1r) (1r) Contracts. The department may award contracts for lake classification technical assistance projects to be conducted by nonprofit corporations that will provide educational and technical assistance.

281.69(2) (2) Amounts of grants and contracts.

281.69(2)(a) (a) A grant for a lake management project may be made for up to 75 percent of the cost of the project but may not provide more than $200,000 per grant.

281.69(2)(b) (b) A grant for a lake classification project may be made for up to 75 percent of the cost of the project but may not exceed $50,000 per grant.

281.69(2)(c) (c) A contract for a lake classification technical assistance project may not exceed $200,000.

281.69(3) (3) Rules for lake management project grants. The department shall promulgate rules to administer and to determine eligibility for grants for lake management projects. The rules shall include all of the following:

281.69(3)(a) (a) A designation of eligible recipients, which shall include nonprofit conservation organizations, producer-led groups conducting producer-led group projects, counties, cities, towns, villages, qualified lake associations, town sanitary districts, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, and other local governmental units, as defined in s. 66.0131 (1) (a), that are established for the purpose of lake management. If a producer-led group is not a legal entity, the eligible recipient shall be a legal entity on behalf of the producer-led group.

281.69(3)(b) (b) A designation of eligible activities, which shall include all of the following:

281.69(3)(b)1. 1. The purchase of land or of a conservation easement, as defined in s. 700.40 (1) (a), if the eligible recipient enters into a contract under s. 281.71 and if the purchase will substantially contribute to the protection or improvement of a lake’s water quality or its natural ecosystem.

281.69(3)(b)2. 2. The restoration of a wetland if the restoration will protect or improve a lake’s water quality or its natural ecosystem.

281.69(3)(b)2m. 2m. The restoration of habitat in a littoral area of a lake or along its shoreline if the restoration will protect or improve the lake’s water quality or its natural ecosystem.

281.69(3)(b)3. 3. The development of local regulations or ordinances that will protect or improve a lake’s water quality or its natural ecosystem.

281.69(3)(b)4. 4. An activity that is approved by the department and that is needed to implement a recommendation made as a result of a plan to improve or protect the quality of water in a lake or the natural ecosystem of a lake.

281.69(3)(b)5. 5. A wetland enhancement or restoration project under sub. (3m).

281.69(3)(b)6. 6. The placement of a floating treatment wetland in a lake.

281.69(3m) (3m) Grants for wetlands.

281.69(3m)(a) (a) The department shall provide grants of $10,000 each from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (6) (ar) for lake management projects to eligible recipients, other than nonprofit conservation organizations, that have completed a comprehensive land use plan that includes a wetland enhancement or restoration project. The grant shall be used for the implementation of the wetland enhancement or restoration project. The 75 percent limitation under sub. (2) (a) does not apply to these grants.

281.69(3m)(b) (b) The department shall provide up to 25 grants per fiscal year during fiscal years 2001-02 and 2002-03. The department shall award the grants to eligible recipients who qualify for the grants in the order in which the grant applications are received by the department.

281.69(5) (5) Lake classification project grants.

281.69(5)(a) (a) The department shall promulgate rules to administer and to determine eligibility for grants for lake classification projects.

281.69(5)(b) (b) The rules under par. (a) shall include guidelines to be used for lake classification. The guidelines shall require that certain factors be used in classifying each lake by use. The factors shall include all of the following:

281.69(5)(b)1. 1. The size, depth and shape of the lake.

281.69(5)(b)2. 2. The size of the lake’s watershed.

281.69(5)(b)3. 3. The quality of the water in the lake.

281.69(5)(b)4. 4. The potential of the lake to be overused for recreational purposes.

281.69(5)(b)5. 5. The potential for the development of land surrounding the lake.

281.69(5)(b)6. 6. The potential of the lake to suffer from nonpoint source water pollution.

281.69(5)(b)7. 7. The type and size of the fish and wildlife population in and around the lake.

281.69(5)(c) (c) The rules under par. (a) shall designate which classification and protection activities are eligible for lake classification grants.

281.69(5)(d) (d) The department may award lake classification grants only to counties.

281.69(6) (6) Lake classification technical assistance contracts. A nonprofit corporation receiving a lake classification technical assistance contract shall use the money provided under the contract to provide educational and technical assistance to local units of government and lake management organizations that will participate in a lake classification project.

281.69(7) (7) Prohibited activities. The department may not promulgate a rule designating dam maintenance and repair as an eligible activity for grants under this section.

281.69 History History: 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 343; 1995 a. 27; 1995 a. 227 s. 431; Stats. 1995 s. 281.69; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 185; 2001 a. 6, 16; 2009 a. 180; 2019 a. 177; 2023 a. 5.

281.69 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 193, Wis. adm. code.

281.695 281.695 Aids to municipalities for prevention and abatement of water pollution.

281.695(1) (1) As used in this section “municipality” means any city, town, village, town sanitary district, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district or metropolitan sewerage district.

281.695(2) (2) Any municipality is authorized to apply for and accept grants or any other aid which the United States Government or any agency thereof has authorized or may hereafter authorize to be given or made to the several states of the United States or to any political subdivisions or agencies thereof within the states for the construction of public improvements, including all necessary action preliminary thereto, the purpose of which is to aid in the prevention or abatement of water pollution.

281.695(3) (3) Any municipality is further authorized to accept contributions and other aid from commercial, industrial and other establishments for the purpose of aiding in the prevention or abatement of water pollution and in furtherance of such purpose to enter into contracts and agreements with such commercial, industrial and other establishments covering the following: