LRBs0038/1
MCP:ahe
2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE
SENATE SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO SENATE BILL 76
April 4, 2017 - Offered by Senators Miller, Ringhand, Risser, Erpenbach,
Carpenter, Vinehout, Johnson, C. Larson, L. Taylor, Hansen, Wirch,
Bewley and Shilling.
SB76-SSA1,1,9 1An Act to repeal 281.34 (1) (f) and 281.34 (9); to renumber 160.50 (2); to
2renumber and amend
281.34 (7); to amend 20.370 (6) (eg), 281.34 (4) (a) 3.,
3281.34 (5) (a), 281.34 (5) (b) 1. and 2., 281.34 (5) (c), 281.34 (5) (d), 281.34 (5m),
4281.34 (7) (title), 281.344 (4s) (dm), 281.346 (4s) (dm), 281.346 (12) (a), 281.346
5(12) (b) and 281.348 (3) (cm); and to create 160.50 (2) (b), 281.34 (1) (er), 281.34
6(2s), 281.34 (5) (ds), 281.34 (5) (e) 3., 281.34 (7) (a), 281.34 (7) (b) 1. to 5., 281.34
7(7) (c), 281.341 and 281.346 (8) (cm) of the statutes; relating to: groundwater
8management, approval of high capacity wells, and granting rule-making
9authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Groundwater management areas
Designation
This substitute amendment establishes standards and a process for
designating areas in this state as groundwater management areas. The standards

vary depending on whether an area has a confined aquifer or an unconfined aquifer.
An aquifer is a water-bearing geologic formation. A confined aquifer has above it a
layer (of rock, for example) through which water does not pass easily. An unconfined
aquifer does not have such a layer above it.
The standards for designating an area with a confined aquifer as a groundwater
management area are related to effects that groundwater pumping has in reducing
the level to which water would rise in an open well or in reducing the water level in
wells pumping from the aquifer. The standards for designating an area with an
unconfined aquifer as a groundwater management area are related to reductions in
stream flows caused by pumping and to declines in water tables.
Current law provides for a Groundwater Coordinating Council, consisting of
the secretaries of natural resources, safety and professional services, agriculture,
trade and consumer protection, health services, and transportation, and the
president of the University of Wisconsin System, or their designees; the state
geologist; and a person to represent the governor. This substitute amendment
requires the GCC to appoint a subcommittee on groundwater area review (council
subcommittee), consisting of individuals with technical expertise in the area of
groundwater science and management.
This substitute amendment requires the council subcommittee to examine
areas that may qualify for designation as groundwater management areas and to
forward its conclusions to the GCC. The council subcommittee must first consider
three specific areas for possible designation as groundwater management areas: one
area in and adjacent to Brown County; one area in and adjacent to Waukesha
County; and the area known as the central sands region. A person may petition the
Department of Natural Resources for an area to be designated as a groundwater
management area, which the council subcommittee must then consider. If the
council subcommittee forwards a conclusion that an area qualifies as a groundwater
management area and the GCC agrees with that conclusion, the GCC may
recommend that DNR designate the area as a groundwater management area. If
DNR receives such a recommendation from the GCC, DNR may, by rule, designate
the area as a groundwater management area.
After DNR promulgates a rule designating an area as a groundwater
management area, it must establish a date by which it is reasonable to expect that
groundwater conditions in the area will improve to the point that the area will no
longer qualify as a groundwater management area (a target date), and conditions to
balance groundwater consumption and groundwater replenishment so that there
are no significant adverse environmental impacts to surface water or groundwater
(sustainable hydrologic conditions).
Planning
This substitute amendment requires DNR to develop and adopt a groundwater
management plan for each designated groundwater management area. The
groundwater management plan must be designed to protect surface water and
groundwater and to ensure that by the target date the area no longer qualifies as a
groundwater management area. The groundwater management plan must contain
measurable goals, requirements for reporting to DNR, water conservation measures,

and any other provision that DNR determines is necessary to meet the sustainable
hydrologic conditions.
In preparing the groundwater management plan, DNR must appoint and
consult with a technical advisory committee and a citizens advisory committee. The
members of the technical advisory committee must have technical expertise in the
area of groundwater science and management, and the members of the citizens
advisory committee must represent a variety of interested parties in the
groundwater management area, including municipal, agricultural, industrial, and
commercial water users and conservation groups.
Rescinding designation
After the target date established by DNR for a groundwater management area,
the substitute amendment requires the council subcommittee to consider whether
the area still qualifies as a groundwater management area. If the council
subcommittee concludes that the area no longer qualifies as a groundwater
management area, it must forward that conclusion to the GCC. If the GCC agrees
that the area no longer qualifies as a groundwater management area, the GCC may
recommend that DNR rescind the designation. If the GCC makes that
recommendation, DNR may rescind the designation by repealing the rule
designating the area as a groundwater management area.
High capacity wells
Environmental review of proposed high capacity wells
Under current law, a person may not construct a high capacity well without an
approval from DNR. A high capacity well is a well that, together with other wells
on the same property, has the capacity to withdraw more than 100,000 gallons of
water per day.
This substitute amendment requires an applicant for approval of a high
capacity well to publish a notice of the application in a newspaper, identifying the
owner and the location of the well.
Current law requires DNR to conduct an environmental review of applications
for approval of a high capacity well that is located in an area within 1,200 feet of a
trout stream or exceptional resource waters (a groundwater protection area); a high
capacity well with a high water loss, in which less than 5 percent of the water
withdrawn is returned after use to the basin from which it is withdrawn; and a high
capacity well that may have a significant adverse impact on a qualifying spring.
This substitute amendment eliminates the environmental review requirement
relating to springs, and instead requires DNR to conduct an environmental review
of an application for approval of a high capacity well that may have a significant
adverse impact on waters of the state.
Under current law, if DNR determines, while conducting an environmental
review of a proposed well that meets one of the criteria listed above, that an
environmental impact report must be conducted for the proposed well, DNR must
generally include conditions in the well approval to ensure that it does not cause
significant adverse environmental impact. If it is not possible to ensure that, DNR
must deny the application. If a proposed well will be used to provide a public water
supply and DNR determines that there is no reasonable alternative location for the

well, DNR must include in the approval conditions to ensure that the environmental
impact of the well is balanced by the public benefit of the well. Current law states
that these conditions include conditions relating to the location, depth, pumping
capacity, rate of flow, and ultimate use of the well.
This substitute amendment specifically includes monitoring as one of the
potential conditions that may be included in such an approval. This substitute
amendment also provides that, in any high capacity well approval, DNR may require
the well owner to implement a monitoring program to evaluate the impacts of the
well, and may modify the approval based on the results of that monitoring program.
Current law provides that a high capacity well approval, or application for
approval, cannot be challenged based on DNR's lack of consideration of the
cumulative impacts of the proposed well and existing wells. This substitute
amendment requires DNR, when considering whether a high capacity well may have
a significant adverse environmental impact on waters of the state, to consider the
cumulative impacts of that high capacity well together with existing withdrawals.
Under current law, a high capacity well approval generally remains in effect
indefinitely, unless modified or rescinded by DNR. This substitute amendment
provides that an approval issued after the effective date of the substitute amendment
may not remain in effect for more than ten years. An approval issued prior to the
effective date of the substitute amendment remains in effect for a longer period,
depending on how long before the effective date of the substitute amendment it was
issued.
High capacity wells in groundwater management areas
Under this substitute amendment, after DNR develops a groundwater
management plan for a groundwater management area, DNR may not approve a
high capacity well in the groundwater management area unless the high capacity
well is consistent with the groundwater management plan.
This substitute amendment also requires DNR, after it develops a groundwater
management plan, to review approvals for high capacity wells in the groundwater
management area that were issued before the plan went into effect. The substitute
amendment authorizes DNR to modify these approvals to ensure that they are
consistent with the groundwater management plan.
Fees for certain withdrawals
Current law imposes an annual fee of $125 on a person whose water supply
system has the capacity to withdraw an average of 100,000 gallons per day in any
30-day period from the waters of the state. This substitute amendment increases
that annual fee to $250.
DNR has also established, by rule, water use fees for users who withdraw more
than 50,000,000 gallons per year from the Great Lakes basin. This substitute
amendment directs DNR to establish such fees for users who withdraw more than
50,000,000 gallons per year from waters of the state.
Other provisions
This substitute amendment also requires DNR to include water conservation
requirements in the approvals, required under current law, for certain surface water
withdrawals, if the withdrawal is in a groundwater management area, and requires

those conservation requirements to be consistent with the groundwater
management plan for the groundwater management area.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB76-SSA1,1 1Section 1 . 20.370 (6) (eg) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,5,52 20.370 (6) (eg) Groundwater mitigation and local assistance. All moneys
3received under s. 281.34 not appropriated under sub. (4) (cg) or (ch) for mitigation
4under s. 281.34 (8) (d) and (9) (d) and funding to local governmental units under s.
5281.34 (9) (b)
.
SB76-SSA1,2 6Section 2 . 160.50 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 160.50 (2) (a).
SB76-SSA1,3 7Section 3 . 160.50 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB76-SSA1,5,118 160.50 (2) (b) The groundwater coordinating council shall create a
9subcommittee on groundwater area review. The subcommittee shall be composed of
10individuals with technical expertise in the area of groundwater science and
11management.
SB76-SSA1,4 12Section 4. 281.34 (1) (er) of the statutes is created to read:
SB76-SSA1,5,1813 281.34 (1) (er) “Significant adverse environmental impact" means alteration
14of groundwater levels, groundwater discharge, surface water levels, surface water
15discharge, groundwater temperature, surface water temperature, groundwater
16chemistry, surface water chemistry, or other factors to the extent that those
17alterations cause significant degradation of environmental quality, including
18biological and ecological aspects of the affected water resource.
SB76-SSA1,5 19Section 5 . 281.34 (1) (f) of the statutes is repealed.
SB76-SSA1,6 20Section 6. 281.34 (2s) of the statutes is created to read:
SB76-SSA1,6,4
1281.34 (2s) Public notice. The department shall require an applicant for
2approval of a high capacity well to provide notice of the application to interested
3members of the public by publication as a class 1 notice under ch. 985. In the notice,
4the applicant shall identify the owner and location of the high capacity well.
SB76-SSA1,7 5Section 7. 281.34 (4) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,6,76 281.34 (4) (a) 3. A high capacity well that may have a significant adverse
7environmental impact on a spring waters of the state.
SB76-SSA1,8 8Section 8. 281.34 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,6,179 281.34 (5) (a) Public water supply. If the department determines that a
10proposed high capacity well may impair the water supply of a public utility engaged
11in furnishing water to or for the public, the department may not approve the high
12capacity well unless it is able to include and includes conditions in the approval
13conditions to ensure that the water supply of the public utility will not be impaired,
14which may include conditions as to location, depth, pumping capacity, rate of flow,
15monitoring, and ultimate use, that will ensure that the water supply of the public
16utility will not be impaired
and any other condition the department determines is
17necessary
.
SB76-SSA1,9 18Section 9. 281.34 (5) (b) 1. and 2. of the statutes are amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,7,319 281.34 (5) (b) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., if the department determines,
20under the environmental review process in sub. (4), that an environmental impact
21report under s. 23.11 (5) must be prepared for a proposed high capacity well located
22in a groundwater protection area, the department may not approve the high capacity
23well unless it is able to include and includes conditions in the approval conditions to
24ensure that the high capacity well does not cause significant adverse environmental
25impact
, which may include conditions as to location, depth, pumping capacity, rate

1of flow, monitoring, and ultimate use, that ensure that the high capacity well does
2not cause significant environmental impact
and any other condition the department
3determines is necessary
.
SB76-SSA1,7,134 2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to a proposed high capacity well that is located
5in a groundwater protection area and that is a water supply for a public utility
6engaged in supplying water to or for the public, if the department determines that
7there is no other reasonable alternative location for a well and is able to include and
8includes conditions in the approval conditions to ensure that the environmental
9impact of the well is balanced by the public benefit of the well related to public health
10and safety
, which may include conditions as to location, depth, pumping capacity,
11rate of flow, monitoring, and ultimate use, that ensure that the environmental
12impact of the well is balanced by the public benefit of the well related to public health
13and safety
and any other condition the department determines is necessary.
SB76-SSA1,10 14Section 10. 281.34 (5) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,7,2415 281.34 (5) (c) High water loss. If the department determines, under the
16environmental review process in sub. (4), that an environmental impact report under
17s. 23.11 (5) must be prepared for a proposed high capacity well with a water loss of
18more than 95 percent of the amount of water withdrawn, the department may not
19approve the high capacity well unless it is able to include and includes conditions in
20the approval conditions to ensure that the high capacity well does not cause
21significant adverse environmental impact
, which may include conditions as to
22location, depth, pumping capacity, rate of flow, monitoring, and ultimate use, that
23ensure that the high capacity well does not cause significant environmental impact

24and any other condition the department determines is necessary.
SB76-SSA1,11 25Section 11. 281.34 (5) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB76-SSA1,8,11
1281.34 (5) (d) Impact on a spring waters of the state. 1. Except as provided in
2subd. 2., if the department determines, under the environmental review process in
3sub. (4), that an environmental impact report under s. 23.11 (5) must be prepared for
4a proposed high capacity well that may have a significant adverse environmental
5impact on a spring waters of the state, the department may not approve the high
6capacity well unless it is able to include and includes conditions in the approval
7conditions to ensure that the high capacity well does not cause significant adverse
8environmental impact
, which may include conditions as to location, depth, pumping
9capacity, rate of flow, monitoring, and ultimate use, that ensure that the high
10capacity well does not cause significant environmental impact
and any other
11condition the department determines is necessary
.
SB76-SSA1,8,2212 2. Subdivision 1. does not apply to a proposed high capacity well that may have
13a significant adverse environmental impact on a spring waters of the state and that
14is a water supply for a public utility engaged in supplying water to or for the public,
15if the department determines that there is no other reasonable alternative location
16for a well and is able to include and includes conditions in the approval conditions
17to ensure that the environmental impact of the well is balanced by the public benefit
18of the well related to public health and safety
, which may include conditions as to
19location, depth, pumping capacity, rate of flow, monitoring, and ultimate use, that
20ensure that the environmental impact of the well is balanced by the public benefit
21of the well related to public health and safety
and any other condition the department
22determines is necessary
.
SB76-SSA1,12 23Section 12 . 281.34 (5) (ds) of the statutes is created to read:
SB76-SSA1,9,224 281.34 (5) (ds) Groundwater management plan. If a high capacity well is in a
25groundwater management area designated under s. 281.341 (2) with a groundwater

1management plan under s. 281.341 (3) in effect, the department may not approve the
2high capacity well unless it is consistent with that plan.
Loading...
Loading...