2015 Sweet Water

Clean Rivers, Clean Lake Conference

Photo credit: Steve Seilo (www.photodynamix.com)

Planning & Implementing an Adaptive Management Project:

A Case Study in Silver Creek

Why would NEW Water work on AM?

Trends in Fox River TP Export to Green Bay and WWTP Discharges

TMDL
Target

Source: Kevin Fermanich UWGB

1/3 all Nutrients to Lake Michigan From Fox River

NEW Water Background Information

NEW Water
Outfall to Fox
River 9/2013

NEW Water
Effluent
NEW Water 40 MGD
31,624 lbs Phosphorus /yr. discharge less than 3% of total 1.2 million lbs/ yr. Fox/ Wolf
$223 Million dollars estimated for additional treatment for 9,332 lbs P/ yr. TMDL allocation

The Business Case

Lower Fox River TMDL Estimated Capital Costs:
Estimated Costs
Municipal WWTFs: $400 $500 million ??

Sources P TMDL
87,160 lbs/yr

NEW Water:

($223 - $394 million)

31,624 lbs/yr

(capital costs 2010 and 2025)

(included as part of total)

MS4s storm water:

$200 - $400 million

65,829 lbs/yr

Industrial WWTFs:

$200 million ??

114,429 lbs/ yr

Agriculture

$ ??? (see note)

251,382 lbs/yr

Total:

$800 Million - $1.1 Billion

(2013 FWWA Conference)

Note: Brown
County LWCD
$45 million
dollars on all
Agriculture
BMPs, Staff, and
Programs from
1983-2012.

NEW Water WPDES Permit Timeline

Year 1 - Operations & Needs Report is due.

Year 2 - Alternatives evaluation update.

Year 3 - Alternatives evaluation plan draft.
Year 4 - Alternatives evaluation plan final.
Adaptive Management or Treatment.
Year 5 - Begin plan, apply for new permit.
Year 7-9 - Meet new permit limits if treatment is
selected.

Why Silver Creek?

Size watershed- 4,800 acres (48 % AG).

Representative Watershed in TMDL.
Self Contained Watershed.
Close to GBMSD service area.
Oneida Tribe cooperation. (50% owner)
Private Agronomists.
Silver Creek restoration was trout
stream.
Upstream of West Shore Pike habitat
projects.

Silver Creek

Silver Creek Pilot Project Goals

and Management Concepts
Can we meet WQ standards? .075 mg/L Phosphorus.
What is economic cost to Agriculture?

What are economic benefits for Agriculture?

Sustainable permanent decisions.

Spend the least amount of dollars to accomplish the greatest

water quality.
Benefit our rate payers , community water quality.

Adaptive Management Model- Silver Creek

Goals
.075 mg/L Phosphorus

Adjust

WQ Monitor

and Model
Evaluate
WQ Monitor
and Model

Plan and
Prioritize
Implement
8

Building Partnerships & Stakeholders Involvement

Landowners and Agriculture Producers

Oneida Tribe
Private Agronomists
County Land and Water Conservation Departments
Natural Resources Conservation Service
USFWS Natural Resources Damage Assessment - $100,000 grant
Ducks Unlimited - $140,000 grant
EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - $1.67 million grant
USGS, UWGB, The Nature Conservancy, Alliance Great Lakes.
Clean Wisconsin
Industry, Storm water, Wastewater, Community leaders.

Challenges - What has worked

What has worked in past:
Conservation Practices that have an economic benefit to
farmer. (Manure Storage, Barnyards, Nutrient Management)
Building one on one relationships with agriculture producers.
Regulation on industry reduction in loading.
Buffer Strips.
Winter spreading plans requirements.
Water quality Monitoring.
Partnerships. (agencies, environmental organizations, people)
Soil Testing.
Simple - Conservation Plans - Maps

Challenges What is difficult

or hasnt worked well
Cost share administration, equity, sustainability.
Unfair economically to landowners who use it.

Water quality improvements water quality in a

watershed will be maintained or better in 20 years.
Can we get key high priority fields corrected?
Can we implement a 590 plan?
Weather.
Economics.
Adequate staff to work on non point
Time ( 5 year pilot)

Wish list
Some items that Silver Creek Pilot hope to accomplish:
Opportunities to improve Adaptive Management Process.
Learn from process and change.
Opportunities to collaborate with other Adaptive
Management projects to provide consistent and constructive
feedback to DNR as projects learn and adapt.
Adequate staff (1 technical staff per 20,000 acres cropland?)
Money
Time
Framework for permanent sustainable conservation that
results in water quality and biological response.

Thank You
Bill Hafs
Director Environmental Programs
Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District

T: (920) 438-1040
E: whafs@newwater.us
www.newwater.us