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Wisconsin's 2006 Impaired Waters List

The Clean Water Act (Section 303(d)) requires that states develop a list of impaired waters, which include those waters where: a) Current water quality does not meet numeric or narrative criteria in a water quality standard (Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 102) or, b) Designated Uses (Fish and Aquatic Life, Recreation, etc.) also described in Wisconsin Administrative Code, are not met.

Wisconsin's Year 2006 Methodology (PDF, 78KB) used to evaluate water condition is available for your review.
Using this methodology, Wisconsin's Impaired Waters List includes 643 waters (rivers, river segments, lakes, beaches, and Great Lakes shorelines) in three general groupings:

  • 375 waters (58% of listed waters) where a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) has not yet been prepared.
  • 217 waters (34% of listed waters) impaired from atmospheric deposition of mercury.
  • 51 waters (8% of listed waters) where a TMDL has been prepared but the water is not yet restored to water quality standards.

Final Approved 2006 Impaired Waters [303(d)] List

Complete Impaired Waters List (2006) (Excel Table, PDF, 90 KB) This includes 3 categories of impaired waters:

  • Additions to the 2006 list (PDF, 12 KB) Waters added for the first time in 2006.
  • Delistings to the 2006 list (PDF, 29 KB) Waters removed in 2006 for various reasons.
  • Changes to the 2006 list (PDF, 19 KB) Waters with changes to the priority ranking, the pollutant or impairment, or the description of the waterbody location or extent.
  • Delistings for Waters due to Fish Contaminants (PDF, 29 KB) New data for PCB, mercury and other contaminants in fish confirm or reconfirm that the general fish consumption advisory applies but that specific, more stringent advice is not necessary. These waters have been removed from the 303(d) list. The general fish advisory still applies.
  • Approved TMDL (PDF, 86 KB) Waters where a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or proposed restoration plan, has been prepared by WDNR and has been approved by EPA. These waters remain "impaired" until monitoring data indicates that they once again meeting Water Quality Standards.
    • Last Revised: 1/31/08 Sunday February 03 2008