Wisconsin Legislature: 9,2525r

(a) Management of urban storm water and runoff from existing and developing urban areas to achieve water quality standards, to minimize flooding and to protect groundwater.

(b) Coordination of urban nonpoint source management activities and the municipal storm sewer discharge permit program under s. 283.33.

(3) Eligibility. (a) The department may provide a cost-sharing grant for a project under this section only if all of the following apply:

1. The project is in an urban area.

2. The governmental unit with jurisdiction over the project area ensures adequate implementation of construction site pollution control, and of storm water management after development, for development and redevelopment of sites of one or more acres.

3. The project is consistent with nonpoint source performance standards under s. 281.16 (2).

4. The project is consistent with priorities identified by the department on a watershed or other geographic basis.

5. The application for the project specifies the watershed, subwatershed or specific site that will be served by the project.

(b) The department may provide financial assistance under this section for a project in a governmental unit either to that governmental unit or to another governmental unit that is required to control storm water discharges under s. 283.33.

(4) Financial assistance. (a) The department may provide local assistance grants and cost-sharing grants under this section. A local assistance grant may not exceed 70% of eligible costs. A cost-sharing grant may not exceed 50% of eligible costs.

(b) The department may award a local assistance grant for any of the following:

1. Storm water management for urban areas and for areas that are expected to become urban areas within 20 years.

2. Informational and educational activities related to nonpoint source water pollution control, construction site erosion control or storm water management.

3. Development, administration and enforcement of a construction site erosion control or storm water management ordinance.

4. Training of staff concerning nonpoint source water pollution control, construction site erosion control or storm water management.

5. Other activities identified by the department by rule.

1. Structural urban best management practices, including necessary land acquisition, storm sewer rerouting and removal of structures, and associated flood management, except that the department may not award a grant for structural urban best management practices associated with new construction or new development.

2. Stream bank or shoreland stabilization necessary to control pollution.

3. Other nonpoint source water pollution abatement or storm water management practices identified by the department by rule.

(5) Scoring system. The department shall use a scoring system for ranking nonpoint source water pollution abatement and storm water management projects for which applications are submitted under this section. The criteria on which the scoring system is based shall include all of the following:

(a) The extent to which the application proposes to use the cost-effective and appropriate practices to achieve water quality goals.

(b) The existence in the project area of an impaired water body that the department has identified to the federal environmental protection agency under 33 USC 1313 (d) (1) (A).

(d) The local interest in and commitment to the project.

(e) The inclusion of a strategy to evaluate the progress toward reaching project goals, including the monitoring of water quality improvements resulting from project activities.

(f). The extent to which the application proposes to use available federal funding.

(g). The extent to which the project is necessary to enable the city of Racine to control storm water discharges as required under 33 USC 1342 (p).

9,2525r Section 2525r. 281.665 of the statutes is created to read:

281.665 Municipal flood control and riparian restoration program. (1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) "Conservation easement" has the meaning given in s. 700.40 (1) (a).

(b) "Local governmental unit" means a city, village, town or metropolitan sewerage district.

(2) Administration. The department shall administer the program under this section to provide financial assistance to local governmental units for facilities and structures for the collection and transmission of storm water and groundwater, including the purchase of perpetual flowage and conservation easement rights on land within floodways, and for the floodproofing of public and private structures that remain in the 100-year floodplain.

(3) Eligible applicants. (a) The department may provide a cost-sharing grant for a project that affects 2 or more local governmental units to one of the following:

1. One of the affected local governmental units upon application by all of the affected local governmental units.

2. A local governmental unit that has jurisdiction over the provision of storm water collection facilities for all of the affected local governmental units.

(c) The department may provide a cost-sharing grant for a project that affects one local governmental unit to that local governmental unit.

(4) Financial assistance. (a) The department may provide local assistance grants and cost-sharing grants under this section. A local assistance grant may not exceed 70% of eligible costs, including planning and design costs. A cost-sharing grant may not exceed 70% of eligible costs for construction and real estate acquisition.

(b) In any fiscal year, the department may not provide to any applicant more than 20% of the funding available under this section in the fiscal year.

(5) Eligibility and scoring criteria. (a) The department shall promulgate rules specifying eligibility criteria for projects under this section and for determining which eligible projects will receive financial assistance under this section.

(b) The department may not provide a cost-sharing grant for a project under this section if any of the following applies:

1. The project would transfer flooding downstream.

2. The project provides for the channelization of a stream or for lining a natural stream bed with concrete.

3. The project would accelerate upstream runoff.

(c) The department shall include all of the following in the criteria for determining which eligible projects will receive cost-sharing grants under this section:

1. The extent to which a project minimizes harm to existing beneficial functions of water bodies and wetlands.

2. The extent to which a project maintains aquatic and riparian environments.

3. The extent to which a project uses storm water retention and detention structures and natural storage.

4. The extent to which a project provides opportunity for public access to water bodies and to the floodway.

9,2526 Section 2526. 281.68 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

281.68 (1) Definitions. (intro.) In this section, "qualified:

(b) "Qualified lake association" means a group incorporated under ch. 181 that meets all of the following conditions:

9,2527 Section 2527. 281.68 (1) (a) to (h) of the statutes are renumbered 281.68 (1) (b) 1. to 8.

9,2528 Section 2528. 281.68 (1) (ag) of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (1) (ag) "Lake" includes a flowage.

9,2529 Section 2529. 281.68 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:

281.68 (1m) Purposes of grants. The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide lake management planning grants for projects to provide information and education on the use of lakes and natural lake ecosystems and on the quality of water in lakes, including mill ponds, in order to and the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

(1r) Uses of grants. Lake management planning grants shall be used to improve water quality assessment and planning and to aid in the selection of activities to abate do any of the following:

(a) Prevent pollution of from entering into lakes or into natural lake ecosystems.

9,2530 Section 2530. 281.68 (1r) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (1r) (b) Protect or improve the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems.

9,2531 Section 2531. 281.68 (2) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (2) (title) Amount of grants.

9,2532 Section 2532. 281.68 (3) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (3) (title) Rules for grants.

9,2533 Section 2533. 281.68 (3) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.68 (3) (b) (intro.) and amended to read:

281.68 (3) (b) (intro.) Eligible activities, which shall include data all of the following for lakes and natural lake ecosystems:

1. Data collection, water quality assessment and nonpoint.

4. Nonpoint source pollution evaluation.

9,2534 Section 2534. 281.68 (3) (b) 2. of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (3) (b) 2. Assessments of water quality and of fish and aquatic life and their habitat.

9,2535 Section 2535. 281.68 (3) (b) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (3) (b) 3. Assessments of the uses of a lake and the uses of the land surrounding the lake.

9,2536 Section 2536. 281.68 (3) (b) 5. of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (3) (b) 5. Informational or educational programs and materials.

9,2537 Section 2537. 281.68 (4) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

281.68 (4) (title) Eligibility for lake management planning grants.

9,2538 Section 2538. 281.69 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

281.69 (title) Lake management and classification grants and contracts.

9,2539 Section 2539. 281.69 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (1m) (intro.) and amended to read:

281.69 (1m) Types of projects. (intro.) The department shall develop and administer a financial assistance program to provide grants for the following 3 2 types of projects:

9,2540 Section 2540. 281.69 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (1m) (a) and amended to read:

281.69 (1m) (a) Lake management projects that will improve or protect the quality of water in lakes or the quality of natural lake ecosystems of lakes.

9,2541 Section 2541. 281.69 (1) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (1m) (b).

9,2542 Section 2542. 281.69 (1) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 281.69 (1r) and amended to read:

281.69 (1r) Contracts. Lake The department may award contracts for lake classification technical assistance projects to be conducted by nonprofit corporations that will provide educational and technical assistance.

9,2543 Section 2543. 281.69 (1b) of the statutes is created to read:

281.69 (1b) Definition. In this section, "lake" includes a flowage.