The following information was provided by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources to explain some of the impacts of the proposed Job Creation Act of 2003.

• Wisconsin Dells:  proliferation of riprap, permanent boat shelters, wharves and swim rafts/water trampolines interferes with natural scenic beauty, affects tourism (p11, s 15, et. seq.)

• West Shore Green Bay:  This entire area is a wetland complex with critical northern pike spawning habitat. During spring flooding, pike migrate along intermittent streams and roadside ditches to spawn. Unregulated culvert construction, channelization, riprapping, dredging and filling will block migrations and collapse fish populations.

• Well-known trout and smallmouth bass streams:  500 feet of these streams themselves or of most tributaries could be relocated, culverts blocking fish passage, channelization and dredging destroying habitat and reducing annual mean flows, riprap destroying natural bank cover, and habitat destruction and sedimentation associated with bridge construction will destroy game fisheries in affected areas.

• The last 15.3 miles of trout waters in Brown Co. (Haller, Lancaster, Thornberry and 13.4 creeks)
• Chippewa River
• Upper Wisconsin River
• Rock River, southcentral WI
• Fox (Illinois) River, southeast WI
• Black River, west central WI
• Menominee River, northeast WI
• Fox/Wolf rivers, central WI
• Yahara River, southcentral WI
• Bad Axe River, Vernon Co.
• Black Earth Creek , Dane Co (Class II waters)
• Eau Galle River, Dunn, St. Croix, Co.
• Grant River, Grant Co.
• Pecatonica River, LaFayette Co.
• Baraboo River, Sauk Co. (just completed nation’s largest river restoration project)
• Eau Clire River, Langlade Co.
• Spirit River, Lincoln Co.
• Onion River, Sheboygan Co. (watershed restoration project in progress)
• 1,592 miles of other Class 3 trout waters

• Well-known small recreational rivers:  Bridges and culverts could be placed along approximately the first 100 miles of the Upper Wisconsin River (p 20, s53). Likewise the Kickapoo River, Vernon, Co., Crystal River, Waupaca Co., Neenah Creek, Marquette Co., are other examples of small rivers heavily used for canoeing, kayaking and related tourism important in area. Bridge construction, riprapping, channelization and dredging seriously affect scenic beauty and water quality on streams and rivers heavily used for canoeing, kayaking and boating hurting tourism.

• All recreational rivers:  Riprapping, piers and wharves, dredging, relocation of many tributaries, are exempted or generally permitted activities that will affect the Black, the Chippewa, Yahara, Grant, Pecatonica, Baraboo, Illinois Fox, Rock, Milwaukee and many, rivers used for water recreation.

• Lakes:  Exemptions and general permits will affect all of our 15,000 lakes except for the 113 designated ORW/ERW or the hundred or so in state natural areas. For example, 20 dump-truck loads of lakebed material could be removed under an exemption, 200 trucks under a general permit, from nearly any lake (p32, s 112).

• Popular lakes:  Unlimited proliferation of permanent boat shelters, piers the size of large two car garage (500 sq ft), school-bus sized wharves (30’), and yacht-sized swim rafts and water trampolines in our already heavily used lakes will severely hurt boating, water skiing, recreation and fishing.

• Lake Geneva, Walworth Co.
• Madison Lake, Dane Co.
• Nagawicka Lake, Waukesha
• Pine Lake, Waukesha
• Lac La Belle, Waukesha Co.
• Pike Lake State Park, Washington Co
• Shawano Lake, Shawano Co.
• Minocqua Lake, Oneida Co.
• Big Green Lake, Green Lake Co.
• Lakes Winnebago, Poygan, and Butte des
• Mortes, Winnebago Co.
• Spooner Lake, Washburn Co.
• Bone, Deer, and Balsam Lake, Polk Co.
• Lake Wissota, Chippewa Co.
• Half Moon Lake, Eau Claire Co.
• Lake Superior and Michigan harbors
• Smaller less-developed lakes:  Cumulative impacts of unlimited numbers of 75’ riprap, 900 square foot dredging (x3 feet deep), 9000 (x3 feet deep) square foot “maintenance” dredging, and 2 cubic yard dumping of sand, gravel and rock projects could have a major negative effect on the aquatic habitat and property values on smaller natural lakes throughout Wisconsin. Lake Wingra in Madison is an example where two major property owners, the City of Madison and the University of Madison could over a number of years transform one of the state’s best musky fisheries into a municipal swimming facility with “generally permitted” riprapping, dredging and sand filling. The process would be even faster on the thousands of smaller lakes with more numerous riparian owners.

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