New permit allows faster removal of big piles of zebra mussels, dead fish, algae
June 12, 2013
MADISON - A quicker, less expensive permit process is now in place allowing waterfront property owners statewide to more quickly and easily clean up accumulations of zebra mussels, dead fish, alga, dead and decaying plants and other nuisance type deposits from their shoreline.
This new process now allows property owners on all waterbodies to have the same streamlined process that has been in place for Great Lakes property owners since 2008, says Martye Griffin, the DNR waterway science policy coordinator who developed the new general permit.
“The streamlined permit process that was previously only available to some waterfront property owners is now be available for all,” he says. “People will be able to handle nuisance accumulations quickly and easily without harming the sensitive shoreline areas so important for clean water and habitat.”
This general permit allows people to use equipment to do the removal without harming water quality, habitat, and other public rights in Wisconsin lakes and rivers. The permit also identifies the location, design, and other standards and conditions any project must meet to qualify for coverage under the general permit, Griffin says.
People who apply for the permit would receive their decision within 30 days and the permit would be good for five years, he says. That contrasts with the individual permits that were previously the only option available for waterfront properties on lakes and rivers other than the Great Lakes. Such individual permits require a 30-day public comment period for each application. Individual permits are still required for projects that do not meet the general permit standards and conditions, Griffin says.
To view a copy of the statewide general permit and to download application materials and checklists, go to DNR’s website, dnr.wi.gov, and search for ‘dredging’ or ‘beach maintenance.’