Rock River Basin TMDL
Impaired Waters of Rock River Basin
Click photo for larger image [PDF 766KB]
The Department has developed a draft TMDL for the Upper and Lower Rock River Basins. The Department submitted the Rock River TMDL to US EPA for review and approval on August 30, 2011. The Rock River TMDL tables and an updated map are also available. There are approximately 40 waters in the Rock River Basin that are impaired by excess phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS). These pollutants cause low dissolved oxygen, degraded habitat and excessive turbidity in waterways , resulting in harm to fish and aquatic life, water quality, recreational opportunities and navigation.
Rock River TMDL
Overview
There are over 40 waterbodies in the basin that are on the 303(d) list of impaired waters. The TMDL focuses only on the waterbodies that are impaired by excessive sediment and phosphorus. These pollutants can cause low dissolved oxygen, degraded habitat and excessive turbidity in waterways, resulting in harm to fish and aquatic life, water quality, recreation and even navigation. The TMDL provides a quantitative analysis of the amount of sediment and/or phosphorus that the waterbodies can receive from both point and nonpoint sources and still meet water quality standards.
A consultant has been hired to prepare the TMDL report under DNR’s management using a grant provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The TMDL has been in development since 2008 and a draft TMDL Report is now avaialble for public comment. A fact sheet [PDF 57KB] on the project is now available.
Project History
DNR sponsored a public information meeting on December 12, 2006 to introduce the project to the public. The agenda included:
- Introduction to the Rock River TMDL [PDF 152KB] Bob Masnado, DNR
- Overview of Impaired Waters and TMDLs [PDF 1.2MB] Liesa Lehmann, DNR
- Rock River Basin Land Use and Water Quality [PDF 3.36MB] Jim Congdon, DNR
- Overview of Previous Rock River study [PDF 607KB] Kevin Kirsch, DNR
- Phosphorus and Biological Responses [PDF 2.2MB] Dale Robertson, USGS
- Water Quality Targets for Rock River TMDL [PDF 259KB] Jim Baumann, DNR
- Proposed Revisions to Scope of Work [PDF 1.7MB] Kevin Kirsch, DNR
WDNR solicited comments on proposed revisions to the original Scope of Work prepared for this project, and
- EPA Original Scope of Work [PDF 1.7MB]
- DNR's proposed revisions to the scope of work [PDF 33KB]
- Summery of comments and DNR's response [PDF 69KB]
Additional Resources
- U.S. Geological Publication, Nutrient Concentrations and Their Relations to the Biotic Integrity of Wadeable Streams in Wisconsin [PDF 7MB exit DNR]
- Rock River Basin Waters Impaired by Sediment and/or Phosphorus [PDF 12KB]
Contact: Kevin Kirsch (608)-266-7019 or Jim Congdon (920)-387-7872
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