Assessments (Waters and Watersheds)

Your watershed resource inventory informs and guides how you proceed in your resource assessment phase. Information collected in the resource inventory is analyzed to assess resource condition and to identify recommendations for issue resolution. Information on existing conditions is compared to similar resources in the area ("reference conditions"), expected or predicted conditions using computer models, or historical conditions. Land use planning is often considered as part of the assessment process. Based on the analysis of the information, meaningful goals should be developed for each part of the plan.

Rivers, Lakes, Beaches, Great Lakes Shorelines

Analysis of waterbody condition should begin with reviewing and updating the state's Waterbody Assessment, Tracking and Electronic Reporting System ("WATERS"). Water quality biologists can investigate the historical waterbody conditions, human induced stressors, and ambient water quality monitoring data to determine potential reductions in biological integrity or threats to the resource. Once these are better understood, recommendations can be made for reducing the impairments and improving water quality.

Impaired Waters

Special attention to evaluating the condition of impaired waters, through analyzing new data, should be made during the assessment phase. WDNR uses a mix of biological, physical, and habitat data to identify current condition and to evaluate "attainable use". Aquatic macroinvertebrate biological indices such as the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index and the Macroinvertebrate IBI, or fish indices such as the Cold IBI, are used to determine the waterbody condition. Our state Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) and our state's Fisheries Management Database (Fish DB) are used in conjunction to evaluate the status of the resource in meeting the Clean Water Act goal of Fishable Swimmable Waters. These "current" and "attainable" judgements are then documented in the state's Waterbody Assessment Tracking and Electronic Reporting (WATERS) System.

Dams/Impoundments

Information on dams (location, status and management regime) can provide powerful information for identifying key projects for restoration or for tracking the location and extent of human sources of hydrologic modification. Staff can obtain a listing of all the dams in your watershed or basin by using the dams database or by using the interactive dams webmapping application, managed by the shoreland/floodplain and dam safety program.

Land Use and Land Development Trends

The state's WISCLAND layer provides land cover type (percent) by basin and/or by watershed. This data is also available for each waterbody in the WATERS system under "Watershed Detail". This information can be combined with county, municipal, township or village land use data on growth trends, DOA population status and projections by county and civil division. Sewer Service Area reports for specific communities throughout the state can provide information about identified and protected environmentally sensitive areas/corridors, projected growth rates, densities, land development patterns, etc. Often county master or comprehensive plans can provide general information about land use patterns in unincorporated areas. As well, farmland preservation plans, city master plans, and regional transportation plans can provide a great deal of information about what's happening in your basin.

Monitoring

Watershed assessments often result in the identification of recommendations for monitoring. A gap analysis of the data status of priority resources (resources particularly stressed or those that are vulnerable to human induced change), will help identify needed work for upcoming project planning or work plans. The Surface Water Monitoring System (SWIMS) is organized by project, but data is retreivable by county, watershed, water management unit, basin, or waterbody. Once the priority waterbodies are identified, a list of those have been assessed and those that do not have data and which are in need of further assessment can provide the basis for data gathering recommendations.

Fisheries

The Fisheries System and related sources can provide several key data elements, including:

HBIs, Habitat Ratings, IBI scores, game fish assessments
Fish manager files
Creel surveys
Fisheries Plans and work implemented
Fish survey data
Fish stocking locations and data

Wastewater

The DNR has an electronic system with point source discharge information statewide -- the System for Wastewater Applications, Management and Permits (SWAMP). This relational database is available to staff statewide and can provide detailed information on point source municipal and industrial dischargers. Watershed plans may wish to identify point sources of major signficance, especially in situations where there have been repeated discharge violations or where storm sewer overflows (SSOs) or infiltration problems have occured.

Groundwater

Watershed plans may include information on groundwater quality or quantity. The Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater can provide existing data from public and private well samples gathered by DNR, DATCP, and other agencies, which can be used during the inventory and assessment process. Groundwater quality data, gathered for specific projects (rather than ambient monitoring), may be available for nitrate-nitrogen (-NO3) and organic contaminants found in pother contaminants from from animal waste/agricultural sourcesesticides and herbicides.

Analyses of nitrate standard exceedance areas and watersheds with impaired (303(d)) waters may be developed, as well as recommendations for nutrient management and monitoring for the basin. Generalized summary information about geology and groundwater in watershes may be available through source water assessment reports, prepared for public water supply systems statewide and, in particuarly, for surface water drinking water systems.

Wetlands

Wetlands and wetland characteristic conditions are found throughout the state. Most surface water resources have some element of wetland adjacent to them. This feature of the Wisconsin landscape is clearly evident in the recently available digital Wisconsin Wetlands Inventory, now viewable in the internal webmapping tool and soon to be available on the public Surface Water Data Viewer (SWDV).

The presence of disturbed wetland systems, as indicated by the percentage of reed canary grass, informs resource managers of the potential for restoration. Various techniques have been employed to eradicate this aggressive aquatic invasive species (AIS) .

Waterway and Wetland Alteration permits. Placement of structures, dredging and similar activities in or adjacent to navigable waters are regulated under Chapter 30 of Wisconsin Statutes and often require permits from the Department of Natural Resources. This data indicates where such permits have been issued. The location of where waterway permits issued can provide an indication of human pressure on the system's hydrology.

Wetland losses by type, year, location. This data analyzed against the location of impaired waterbodies may be valuable information for identifying priority restoration areas. Additionally, wetlands near Exceptional/Outstanding Resource Waters (NR 102) would also provide valuable priorities for protection.

Wetland Restoration Sites. DNR’s Wildlife Managers, FWS and NRCS provide the location of wetlands restored in the system. These are voluntary wetland restorations, enhancements, rehabilitations and creations conducted by DNR and Federal staff for private landowners. Techniques include scrapes, berms, ditch plugs, tile breaks, etc. The information collected includes location, date of completion, a description of the restoration (area in acres, technique used, and wetland type).

NRCS Digital Soils Coverage Comparing the NRCS coverage to the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory (WWI) maps may point out areas of drained wetland soils for potential restoration sites Use this information to set restoration priority sites. This data iis available from the NRCS website.

Original Vegetation Coverage Original Vegetative Cover Comparing the watershed's original vegetative cover to the state's WWI can help determine the types of wetlands where greatest loss has occurred. Watershed planners can use this data to set restoration priorities

Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest Other wetland areas that may have special sensitvity or ecological signficance include wild rice waters and other high quality wetland waters. These (and other types of waterbodies) are included in the state's listing of Areas of Special Natural Resource Interest (ANSRI), which have protections from general permit activites and which are important resources to identify and protect in watershed plans.

Additional Wetland related data to analyze includes:

Tracking data for DOT Wetland Losses and Mitigation Sites: DOT District: Project #, let date, county, loss acres by type, compensation, compensation site Locations of 30+ mitigation bank sites (dots on a state map)
Proposed mitigation sites: data on transportation projects: date of WQ certification (may precede actual project by 2 years), acres of loss by type, location of project (DOT District, County, basin), location of compensation site

Shorelands

The presence of vegetated shorelands in the watershed can be an indicator of human induce resource modification. Inventories of county ordinances and protections in place or absent can provide the beginning of a regulatory gap analysis for shoreland protection. Watershed plans may be of sufficient detail to document the following:

Heritage Resources

Watershed plans can identify key heritage data -- species and natural communities -- for protection and management. If the community spans two watersheds or more, watershed plans can provide a special section to identify these unique resource areas, a map, and recommendations. This data is available from the WDNR's Bureau of Endangered Resources. Using this information, you can identify which resources occur in your basin ... down to the watershed scale. Recommendations for specific species and communities can be developed in conjunction with wildlife staff and land division staff - specifically, the bureau of ER.

Aquatic Invasive Species

The presence of aquatic invasive plants and animals indicates the level of ecological disturbance in the watershed.

Ecological Landscapes

Ecological landscapes identified in the state's ecological landscapes map and interactive website can provide a foundation for determining ecological potential and resource management opportunities in your watershed..