AB477,12,2323 b. Restrict the depth of the high capacity well.
AB477,12,2424 c. Restrict the pumping capacity of the high capacity well.
AB477,12,2525 d. Restrict the rate of flow of the high capacity well.
AB477,13,3
1e. Restrict the ultimate use of the high capacity well, except that the
2department may not require the high capacity well to be used for a purpose not
3proposed by the applicant in the approval application.
AB477,13,54 f. Impose conditions that the department is authorized to impose to meet the
5requirements of subd. 1. b.
AB477,13,76 g. Impose conditions consistent with department standards that apply to the
7construction of high capacity wells.
AB477,13,108 3m. Notwithstanding the limitations in subd. 1., the department may require
9monitoring as a condition in an approval for a new high capacity well if all of the
10following apply:
AB477,13,1311 a. The department cannot ensure, without requiring monitoring, that the
12amount or rate of the groundwater withdrawal will not exceed the allowable amount
13or rate under this section or that the quality of the groundwater will not be impaired.
AB477,13,1514 b. The monitoring conditions are imposed only for the purpose of assessing the
15water levels of navigable waters in the area or groundwater quality.
AB477,13,1716 c. If a monitoring condition requires groundwater testing, the department
17requires testing of only groundwater withdrawn by the new high capacity well.
AB477,13,2118 4. If the department issues an approval for a new high capacity well located in
19a sensitive resource area, the department may impose conditions in the approval, in
20addition to those specified under subds. 3. and 3m., only if they are consistent with
21the department's authority granted by statute.
AB477,15 22Section 15. 281.34 (7) of the statutes is renumbered 281.34 (7) (a) and
23amended to read:
AB477,14,324 281.34 (7) (a) The department may not rescind an approval of a high capacity
25well issued under this section or under s. 281.17 (1), 2001 stats., remains in effect

1unless the department modifies or rescinds the approval because the high capacity
2well or the use of the high capacity well is not in conformance with standards or
3conditions applicable to contained in the approval of the high capacity well.
AB477,16 4Section 16. 281.34 (7) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB477,14,115 281.34 (7) (b) 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., the department may impose new
6or modified conditions applicable to the approval of a high capacity well issued under
7this section or under s. 281.17 (1), 2001 stats., only if a hearing examiner determines
8that the imposition of new or modified conditions is necessary in order to abate an
9infringement of public rights in navigable waters and issues an order under s. 30.03
10(4) requiring the owner of the high capacity well to comply with the new or modified
11conditions.
AB477,14,1612 2. In addition to the department's authority under subd. 1., the department
13may impose new or modified conditions applicable to the approval of a high capacity
14well issued under this section or under s. 281.17 (1), 2001 stats., if the well is located
15in a sensitive resource area and the department is authorized to impose the new or
16modified conditions by statute.
AB477,14,2017 3. Nothing in this paragraph prohibits the department from imposing a new
18condition, or modifying an existing condition, in an existing high capacity well
19approval if the high capacity well owner agrees to the imposition of the new or
20modified condition.
AB477,17 21Section 17. 281.34 (7d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB477,14,2422 281.34 (7d) Rules; approval applications. The department shall promulgate
23rules establishing the procedures for reviewing and acting on applications for
24approvals under this section.
AB477,18 25Section 18. 281.34 (7g) of the statutes is created to read:
AB477,15,3
1281.34 (7g) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules establishing a
2method for determining the minimum rate of flow of a stream and the minimum
3water level of a lake necessary to prevent all of the following:
AB477,15,54 (a) Endangerment of fish and aquatic life that are naturally sustainable absent
5any groundwater withdrawals affecting the stream or lake.
AB477,15,76 (b) Impairment of navigation of the type typically conducted on the stream or
7lake.
AB477,15,98 (c) Deterioration of the water quality of the stream or lake below public health
9and safety standards.
AB477,15,1110 (d) Infringement upon a riparian owner's reasonable expectation of access to
11a lake.
AB477,15,1312 (e) Impairment of any existing surface water diversions from the stream or
13lake.
AB477,19 14Section 19. 281.34 (7m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB477,15,1515 281.34 (7m) Sensitive resource areas. (a) In this subsection:
AB477,15,1816 1. "Minimum level" means the rate of flow of a stream or the water level of a
17lake that is the minimum determined by the department using the method
18established under sub. (7g).
AB477,15,2119 2. "Specified Waushara County lake areas" means Pleasant Lake in Waushara
20County, Plainfield Lake in Waushara County, Long Lake in Waushara County, and
21Huron Lake in Waushara County and the areas surrounding those lakes.
AB477,16,722 (ag) If the department has information or data from a professional geologist,
23professional hydrologist, or professional hydrogeologist showing that cumulative
24groundwater withdrawals from high capacity wells and other wells in an area of this
25state are collectively causing or may be likely to collectively cause a reduction of a

1stream's or lake's rate of flow or water level below its minimum level, the department
2shall request approval from the joint committee on finance to evaluate and model the
3hydrology of that area. The department may proceed with the requested action if
4within 14 working days of the request the committee does not schedule a meeting for
5the purpose of reviewing the department's request. If the committee schedules a
6meeting for the purpose of reviewing the department's request, the department may
7not take the requested action unless the committee approves the request.
AB477,16,118 (ar) The department shall evaluate and model the hydrology of all of the
9specified Waushara County Lake areas. The department shall conduct the activities
10required under this paragraph without requesting or obtaining approval from the
11joint committee on finance.
AB477,16,1912 (b) If upon conclusion of the evaluation and modeling of an area under par. (ag)
13or (ar), the department determines that special measures relating to groundwater
14withdrawal are necessary in that area to prevent or remedy a reduction of a stream's
15or lake's rate of flow or water level below its minimum level, the department shall
16issue a decision on whether it recommends designation of the area as a sensitive
17resource area. If the department issues a decision recommending designation of the
18area as a sensitive resource area, the decision shall contain all of the following
19information:
AB477,16,2220 1. A description of the extent to which the department has determined that
21cumulative groundwater withdrawals in the area cause, or are expected to cause, a
22reduction of a stream's or lake's rate of flow or water level below its minimum level.
AB477,17,223 1m. A description of the concrete scientific information that the department
24used to establish that there is a hydrologic connection between the groundwater in

1the area and the navigable waters in the area and the degree to which the
2department verified the connection by the use of field work or field study.
AB477,17,93 2. A description of the geographical boundaries of the area that the department
4recommends for designation as a sensitive resource area. The department shall
5identify in the description the specific navigable water or part of the navigable water
6that is or may be affected by the cumulative groundwater withdrawals and shall
7identify the location of the groundwater withdrawals that the department has
8determined are causing or may cause a reduction of a stream's or lake's rate of flow
9or water level below its minimum level.
AB477,17,1610 3. Any proposed measures relating to groundwater withdrawal that the
11department recommends be taken in the area recommended for designation as a
12sensitive resource area to prevent or remedy a reduction of a stream's or lake's rate
13of flow or water level below its minimum level. If the department recommends
14special regulations for the area, the regulations may include the use of conservation
15measures, the imposition of limits on groundwater withdrawals, the use of a
16groundwater withdrawal credit system, or other means of regulation.
AB477,17,1817 4. The length of time that the department will reasonably require to review an
18application for approval of a new high capacity well in the area.
AB477,17,2019 (c) The department shall hold a public informational hearing to solicit
20comments on the department's decision.
AB477,17,2321 (d) 1. Notwithstanding s. 227.42 (1), any person is entitled to request that the
22hearing under par. (c) be treated as a contested case under ch. 227 if the person makes
23the request within 30 days after the department issues its decision under par. (b).
AB477,18,3
12. Any person may participate as a party if the person files a written notice with
2the hearing examiner setting forth his or her interest within 30 days after the date
3on which the request under subd. 1. is granted.
AB477,18,74 (e) A person seeking judicial review of a final decision in a contested case under
5par. (d) shall comply with the requirements for service and filing in s. 227.53 (1) (a)
6and shall commence the action no more than 30 days after a decision in the contested
7case is rendered.
AB477,18,148 (f) After the exhaustion of the period established for all administrative reviews
9and judicial reviews of a final decision in a contested case under par. (d), the
10department shall prepare a report on whether the area described in its decision
11under par. (b) should be designated as a sensitive resource area. The department
12shall submit the report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for
13distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the appropriate legislative standing committees
14generally responsible for legislation related to environmental issues.
AB477,18,2215 (g) If the department recommends in its report submitted under par. (f) that
16the area described under par. (b) be designated as a sensitive resource area, the
17department shall prepare an additional report specifying any measures that the
18department recommends be conducted in that area to prevent or remedy a reduction
19of a stream's or lake's rate of flow or water level below its minimum level. The
20department shall submit the report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature,
21for distribution under s. 13.172 (3) to the appropriate legislative standing
22committees generally responsible for legislation related to environmental issues.
AB477,18,2323 (h) An area may be designated as a sensitive resource area only by statute.
AB477,20 24Section 20. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB477,19,15
1(1) Emergency rules. Using the procedure under section 227.24 of the statutes,
2the department of natural resources shall promulgate the rules required under
3section 281.34 (7d) and (7g) of the statutes, as created by this act, as emergency rules.
4The emergency rules shall remain in effect for the period before the effective date of
5the permanent rules promulgated under section 281.34 (7d) and (7g) of the statutes,
6as created by this act but not to exceed the period authorized under section 227.24
7(1) (c) of the statutes, subject to extension under section 227.24 (2) of the statutes.
8Notwithstanding section 227.24 (2) of the statutes, the department may seek any
9number of extensions of the effective period of emergency rules under section 227.24
10(2) of the statutes except that no extension shall be allowed after July 1, 2018.
11Notwithstanding section 227.24 (1) (a), (2) (b), and (3) of the statutes, the department
12is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection
13as an emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health,
14safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule
15promulgated under this subsection.
AB477,19,1616 (2) Modification of previously issued approvals.
AB477,19,1717 (a) In this subsection:
AB477,19,18 181. "Department" means the department of natural resources.
AB477,19,19 192. "Owner" has the meaning given in section 281.34 (1) (d) of the statutes.
AB477,20,220 (b) If the department issued an approval to an owner of a high capacity well
21under section 281.34 (2) of the statutes on or after July 6, 2011, and before the
22effective date of this paragraph, the department shall, upon the owner's request,
23review the conditions in the approval. If the conditions in the approval are not
24consistent with the department's authority under section 281.34 of the statutes, as

1affected by this act, the department shall remove or revise the conditions in the
2approval consistent with that authority.
AB477,21 3Section 21. Initial applicability.
AB477,20,64 (1) This act first applies to applications for a high capacity well approval
5received by the department of natural resources but not acted upon on the effective
6date of this subsection.
AB477,20,77 (End)
Loading...
Loading...