Proposed fishing regulation changes for 2010 Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearings

The Bureaus of Fisheries Management and Law Enforcement (of the WDNR)have requested authorization to hold public hearings on a number of proposed changes to rules related to recreational fishing in the inland and boundary waters of Wisconsin. The Department is proposing four changes of statewide significance, a broad approach to address walleye population concerns on 21 selected waters, and 9 questions of local or regional interest.

Among the four changes of statewide interest are proposals to:

1. liberalize some ice fishing and pan fish harvest regulations on the Chippewa Flowage in Sawyer County;
2. allow motor trolling county-wide in Ashland, Iron, Price, and Sawyer Counties
3. make consistent rules for sturgeon angling in the St. Croix River where it forms the Wisconsin-Minnesota border
4. make consistent rules for bass angling in Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters.

The Department also has identified twenty-one lakes in Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties as waters in which walleye are the gamefish species of primary angler and management interest, and in which restoration of natural walleye reproduction has been identified as the primary management objective. Each of these waters has had a walleye population sustained by natural reproduction within the past twenty-five years, but for unknown reasons that reproduction has failed in recent years and stocking is currently required to maintain a walleye population.

Additionally, to address concerns that largemouth and smallmouth bass (black bass) could potentially inhibit recovery of walleye reproduction , the department further proposes to remove the minimum length restriction for angler harvest of black bass in each of these lakes.

The lakes included in the proposal are: Bear, Horsehead, Lower Turtle and Upper Turtle in Barron County; Lake Owen in Bayfield County; Big McKenzie and Little McKenzie in Burnett and Washburn Counties; Big Butternut, Half Moon, Pipe and Ward in Polk County; Chain, Clear, Island and McCann in the Island Chain of Lakes in Ruck County; Chippewa Flowage, Nelson, Sissabagama, and Whitefish in Sawyer County; and Long and Nancy in Washburn County.

These proposals will be presented at the Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearings on April 12, 2010.

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The complete text of the Natural Resources Board Agenda giving the details of these proposals is available. To see the details, click on the link below. [Use your browser's back arrow to return to this page when you are done.]

Fish and Wildlife Agenda Hearings Agenda

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Attention Lake Group members: GO GREEN!

Extend the Lake Connection to all your group's members!

Is your lake association or lake district a member of the Wisconsin Association of Lakes?

Want all of your members to receive The Lake Connection electronically?

Just like other non-profit organizations, the Wisconsin Association of Lakes has been challenged by the current economy. By participating in our electronic delivery program you will help our organization increase its efficiency and remain nimble as we focus on effectively advocating for Wisconsin's 15,000 lakes.

WAL has extended electronic delivery of The Lake Connection to all contacts of our member lake groups!

Send full contact information for your members--name, address, city, state, zip, and of course e-mail address--to publications@wisconsinlakes.org. Be sure to include the name of your lake group on your list!

To all lake association members: tell your officers/board members
to have the Lake Connection sent to you over the internet.

--Tami Jackson
Wisconsin Association of Lakes
Communications Director

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Slow No-Wake Bill Signed,
Totogatic Named Wild River

Governor Jim Doyle signed a bill (SB 12) that establishes a statewide slow-no-wake zone for motorboats within 100 feet of a lake’s shoreline on Friday, July 10th at Totogatic County Park In Washburn County.The new law will take effect seven months after official publication. The Governor also signed a bill designating the Totogatic as a Wild River.

The Wisconsin Association of Lakes has been working to advance a statewide slow-no-wake bill for several years, and would like to thank the Governor, Sen. Robert Jauch and Rep. Gary Sherman for their leadership on this important issue.

The new law establishes a statewide slow-no-wake speed zone extending 100 feet from the shoreline, while balancing different local recreational uses with natural resource needs by enabling extension or reduction of slow-no-wake zones through local boating ordinances.

Boating too close to shorelines can contribute to shoreline erosion problems, reduce water clarity by stirring up lake bed sediments, release phosphorus—the nutrient responsible for algae blooms—from lake bed sediments, and harm fish habitat when propellers uproot shore land plants.

This bill will not solve the long-term problem of lake water quality, but a reduction in boat speed in the near shore area is a helpful step in the right direction.

Rule Banning Phosphorus Fertilizer Signed into Law

Good news! Governor Doyle signed the "Clean Lakes" bill into law on April 14th (last Tuesday). Wisconsin now has a statewide law which prohibits the display, sale, and use of lawn fertilizer containing phosphorus, with certain reasonable exceptions.

The prohibitions against display, sale, and use of phosphorus lawn fertilizer will take effect next year (the bill specified that changes will take effect 12 months after it was signed into law). The delay gives retailers time to order phosphorus free lawn fertilizer for next year; many stores place inventory orders a year in advance.

WAL encourages lake groups and lake enthusiasts to build awareness within their lake communities of the impacts phosphorus lawn fertilizer can have on our lakes and the forthcoming change in the law.

Now that the bill has been signed into law it can be referred to as 2009 Wisconsin Act 9.

This new law is the culmination of several years of advocacy work by the Wisconsin Association of Lakes.

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State Assembly Passes Bill Prohibiting Display,
Sale, and Use of Phosphorous Lawn Fertilizer

[This previous announcement gives more details of the bill that has now been enacted and signed into law.]

If you are one of the many Wisconsin citizens who head out to the lake to enjoy good fishing, swimming, touring the water on your favorite boat, or just getting away from it all, the state Assembly has passed a bill aimed at keeping our waters a little cleaner.

The "Clean Lakes" bill (AB 3), would prohibit the display, sale, and use of lawn fertilizer containing phosphorus, with certain reasonable exceptions. This bill—introduced by Rep. Spencer Black and Rep Garey Bies—is modeled after Dane County's existing and successful county ordinance.

Why worry about phosphorus? Nutrients like phosphorus—a common ingredient in lawn fertilizer—are degrading 90% of Wisconsin’s inland lakes. Lakes can be extremely sensitive to even small amounts of phosphorus runoff.

Phosphorus is the fuel that transforms clear lakes into an algae laden, smelly green soup. Algae can make lakes unswimable, suffocate game fish, and choke out good plants. High phosphorus levels can also create conditions where nutrient-loving invasive species—like Eurasian watermilfoil and carp—can thrive.

Why worry about lawn fertilizer? Excess phosphorus from lawns washes directly into our lakes and streams. Recent data estimates average phosphorus levels in residential Wisconsin lawns have double the phosphorus (105 ppm) of the average farm field; that’s 5 times more phosphorus a healthy lawn needs.

Plants don’t absorb more phosphorus than they can use. When the soil is saturated with too much Phosphorus, it starts bleeding out, toward streams and lakes.

Lawn fertilizer is not the only source of nutrients in our lakes, but preventing unnecessary phosphorus from being applied can make a significant difference for some lakes, and is one needed step towards halting the avalanche of nutrients that are polluting our lakes.

“This bill is one of the first steps of many we will be taking this legislative session to clean and protect our water resources,” says Rep. Spencer Black, Assembly Natural Resources Committee chair.

"This is a great day for the health of Wisconsin's lakes and rivers. When this legislation becomes law we will reduce excess nutrient runoff into our waters and improve the quality of one of our state's most cherished resources," says Rep. Garey Bies.

“Using phosphorus free lawn fertilizer is an easy way everyone can contribute to better water quality—regardless of where they live. It’s community service for our lakes,” says Earl Cook, Wisconsin Association of Lakes President.

This simple, common sense bill doesn’t result in any increased costs for consumers, retailers, or taxpayers. There have been no increased regulatory burdens or enforcement issues where it has been implemented. It just helps keep our waters a little cleaner.

“Phosphorus fertilizers have a powerful effect on lake water quality. We are pleased the Assembly has acted quickly to get this bill on the books,” said Bill O’Connor, Wisconsin Association of Lakes Legislative Counselor. “We hope the summer of 2009 will mark the end of widespread use of phosphorus containing fertilizers on Wisconsin lawns.”

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Legislative News>

To see stories about recent legislative action on Slo-no-wake and Aquatic Invasive Species , click on the link below

  Legislative News
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