AB246,6 17Section 6. 87.30 (1m) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,6,1818 87.30 (1m) (am) All of the following apply:
AB246,6,2019 1. The farm drainage ditch is subject to the jurisdiction of a drainage district
20under ch. 88.
AB246,6,2221 2. The disposal of material in a floodplain is within the drainage district
22corridor under s. 88.74.
AB246,6,2423 3. The lands adjacent to the corridor are maintained in nonstructural
24agricultural use.
AB246,7
1Section 7. 87.30 (1m) (b) and (c) of the statutes are renumbered 87.30 (1m) (a)
22. and 3.
AB246,8 3Section 8. 88.13 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,7,13 488.13 Right to enter lands of drainage district. Whenever necessary for
5any purpose connected with the organization of a district or the construction,
6maintenance or repair of drains and other works, members of the board,
7representatives of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection,
8and persons intending to bid on or to whom contracts have been let for the
9construction of the works within a district or on former district lands transferred
10under s. 88.83
and their respective agents and employees may go upon any lands
11proposed for inclusion or included within a district or on adjoining lands or on former
12district lands transferred under s. 88.83
, and are not guilty of trespass therefor but
13are liable for unnecessary damage caused to crops or structures.
AB246,9 14Section 9. 88.17 (2h) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,7,1915 88.17 (2h) (c) Local or statewide agriculture, engineering, local government,
16or real estate organizations, including the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers
17Association, the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, the Wisconsin
18Farm Bureau Federation, the Wisconsin Farmers Union, the Dairy Business
19Association, and the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association.
AB246,10 20Section 10. 88.17 (2h) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,7,2321 88.17 (2h) (d) The department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection,
22which may recommend persons who have engineering experience related to water
23resources and agriculture.
AB246,11 24Section 11. 88.17 (2r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,8,5
188.17 (2r) (a) If the board has jurisdiction of a drainage district that is located
2entirely or partially within the corporate limits of a city or village and a city or village
3the corporate limits of which contains any portion of a drainage district that is under
4the jurisdiction of the board notifies the court that the city or village will recommend
5a drainage board member, all of the following apply:
AB246,8,86 1. Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2), the board shall consist of 5 persons. If the
7number of members of a board is increased under this paragraph, the board shall
8provide by rule for staggered terms, with all members serving terms of 5 years.
AB246,8,179 2. a. Notwithstanding sub. (1) and (2h), the court shall appoint one drainage
10board member from the list of persons recommended under this subd. 2. a. by cities
11and villages the corporate limits of which contains any portion of a drainage district
12that is under the jurisdiction of the board. Each city and village may recommend a
13member and, if the city or village recommends a member, shall recommend the chief
14executive of the city or village or the designee of the chief executive. In appointing
15a member under this subd. 2. a., the court shall attempt to assure that the member
16has experience in farming, familiarity with drainage, or familiarity with drainage
17engineering.
AB246,8,2018 b. If drainage districts under the jurisdiction of the board are located entirely
19or partially within the corporate limits of more than one city or village, the
20appointment under subd. 2. a. shall rotate among the cities and villages.
AB246,8,2321 c. Notwithstanding subs. (7) and (8), a member appointed under this paragraph
22may not be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of the member's
23duties and may not receive a per diem.
AB246,9,324 (b) If the position under par. (a) 2. becomes vacant and no city or village the
25corporate limits of which contains any portion of a drainage district that is under the

1jurisdiction of the board recommends a drainage board member under par. (a) 2., the
2board may, by rule, reduce the number of members to 3, but only if the size of the
3board is reduced as vacancies occur on the board.
AB246,12 4Section 12. 88.212 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,9,85 88.212 (4) If any portion of a drainage district that is a subject matter of a
6drainage board meeting is located in a city, village, or town, notify the city, village,
7or town of the date, time, and subject matter of the meeting. A notification under this
8subsection may be in an electronic format.
AB246,13 9Section 13. 88.24 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,9,22 1088.24 Board to file annual report. (intro.) On or before December 1 of each
11year the board shall file with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer
12protection; the town board or town zoning committee; the city council, plan
13commission, or plan committee; and the county zoning administrator, in which
14district territory is located, a separate report, for the preceding fiscal year ending
15August 31
, on each drainage district under the board's jurisdiction. Unless the board
16selects a different fiscal year and notifies the department of the selection, the board's
17fiscal year begins on September 1 and ends on the following August 31.
All local units
18of government that receive the report shall consider it before making any zoning or
19planning decisions that may affect a drainage district that is located within its
20boundaries. The reports shall constitute part of the records of the districts reported
21on, shall be verified by the oath of one or more of the board members, and shall
22contain:
AB246,14 23Section 14. 88.31 (7r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,9,2524 88.31 (7r) A drainage district that is exempt from the individual and general
25permit requirements under s. 30.20 as specified under s. 30.20 (1g) (d) is exempt from

1the permit requirements and procedures under subs. (1) to (7) with respect to that
2removal.
AB246,15 3Section 15. 88.62 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,10,94 88.62 (3) (a) If Except for a removal of material that is exempt from the
5individual and general permit requirements under s. 30.20 as specified under s.
630.20 (1g) (d) and except as provided under par. (b), if
drainage work is undertaken
7in navigable waters, the drainage board shall obtain a permit under s. 30.20 or 88.31
8or ch. 31, as directed by the department of natural resources, except as provided in
9par. (b)
.
AB246,16 10Section 16. 88.63 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,11,211 88.63 (2) The board shall may establish and maintain a fund for the payment
12of costs of maintenance and repair. Whenever the amount of the fund falls below an
13amount equivalent to 5 percent of the confirmed benefits currently in effect in the
14district, the board shall levy an additional assessment under s. 88.23 for
15maintenance and repair. Assessments for costs of maintenance and repair shall be
16apportioned on the basis of the confirmed benefits then in effect in the district but
17may be made notwithstanding the fact that assessments of benefits in the district
18may have been exhausted by previous assessments for other costs. Assessments for
19costs of maintenance and repair, including costs incurred and per diems earned by
20board members under sub. (1m), are not limited by the extent of unexhausted
21assessments of benefits in the district and shall not be counted in determining
22whether there are unexhausted assessments of benefits against which assessments
23for costs other than those authorized by this section may be made
for the payment
24of the costs of normal operations and maintenance and repair and for emergency

1expenses. Moneys in a fund under this subsection may not exceed amounts
2reasonably necessary for the purposes under this subsection
.
AB246,17 3Section 17. 88.74 of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,11,5 488.74 District corridors. (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the board shall
5establish all of the following as district corridors:
AB246,11,76 1. A corridor which extends 20 feet from the top of the ditch bank on each side
7of a district ditch.
AB246,11,98 2. A corridor extending 20 feet from the centerline on each side of any other
9district drain or facility.
AB246,11,1210 (b) Upon notice to affected landowners, the board may establish and maintain
11a wider corridor if a wider corridor is necessary to meet any of the purposes specified
12under sub. (3).
AB246,11,14 13(2) The board shall provide notice of any corridor established under sub. (1) to
14the county and the city, village, or town in which the corridor is located.
AB246,11,16 15(3) The board shall maintain a corridor established under sub. (1) to
16accomplish all of the following purposes:
AB246,11,1817 (a) To provide the board with effective access to the drain or facility, including
18access for vehicles or equipment.
AB246,11,1919 (b) To protect water quality in the drain or facility.
AB246,11,22 20(4) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the board may, without prior notice to the
21landowner, enter a corridor established under sub. (1) to inspect, survey, maintain,
22repair, restore, or improve a drain, facility, or corridor.
AB246,11,2423 (b) Before doing any of the following in a corridor, the board shall notify the
24landowner of the pending action:
AB246,12,2
11. Cutting a tree that is more than 6 inches in diameter measured at breast
2height.
AB246,12,33 2. Excavating or depositing materials in the corridor.
AB246,12,64 (c) Notice under par. (b) may be given at any time before performance of the
5work and may be given in person, by telephone, by mail, or, if the landowner is not
6available, by posting notice at a conspicuous location at an entrance to the land.
AB246,12,8 7(5) (a) No person may do any of the following in a corridor established under
8sub. (1) without written permission from the board:
AB246,12,99 1. Engage in row cropping in the corridor.
AB246,12,1110 2. Place any obstruction in the corridor that interferes with the board's ability
11to accomplish a purpose under sub. (3).
AB246,12,1312 (b) A person who violates par. (a) may not recover damages with regard to any
13damage to crops or obstructions caused by actions taken by the board under sub. (3).
AB246,12,1714 (c) Paragraph (a) does not require a landowner to remove any building or
15fixture constructed or installed in a corridor prior to September 1, 1999, or any
16structure that does not interfere with the board's maintenance of a drain and that
17was placed in the corridor for the purpose of providing drainage.
AB246,12,20 18(6) No city, village, town, or county may by ordinance, resolution, or any other
19means restrict, or impose other conditions related to, the board's maintenance of
20district corridors or ditches unless specifically required by federal law.
AB246,18 21Section 18. 88.785 of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,13,2 2288.785 Certain annexations prohibited. (1) Notwithstanding ss. 88.34,
2388.77, and 88.78, no lands that are within the corporate limits of a city, a village, or,
24if the town has a permit for storm water management under s. 283.33, a town may
25be included in a newly organized drainage district or annexed to a drainage district

1unless the governing body of the city, village, or town adopts a resolution approving
2the inclusion or annexation.
AB246,13,5 3(2) Notwithstanding ss. 88.77 and 88.78, no lands that are located in a county
4in which no portion of the drainage district is located may be annexed to a drainage
5district.
AB246,19 6Section 19. 88.817 of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,13,8 788.817 Leola drainage district. (1) Notwithstanding s. 88.815, the Leola
8drainage district located in Adams, Portage, and Waushara counties is reinstated.
AB246,13,14 9(2) The drainage board with jurisdiction of the Leola drainage district may not
10levy any assessment. This subsection does not apply if the owners of land
11representing, as calculated on the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts
12date], 67 percent or more of the confirmed benefits in the district, excluding benefits
13received by land owned by this state, file with the court having jurisdiction on the
14matter a petition for the reinstatement of assessment authority of the district.
AB246,20 15Section 20. 88.83 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,13,16 1688.83 (title) Transfer of district to city or village municipal jurisdiction.
AB246,21 17Section 21. 88.83 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 88.83 (1g) and amended
18to read:
AB246,13,2419 88.83 (1g) The owners of a majority of the land proposed to be transferred in
20any a drainage district located entirely or partially within the corporate limits of a
21city or village municipality may petition the drainage board having jurisdiction of
22the district to transfer jurisdiction thereof to the city or village of the part of the
23district proposed to be transferred that is located within the municipality to the
24municipality
.
AB246,22 25Section 22. 88.83 (1c) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,14,1
188.83 (1c) In this section, “municipality" means a city, village, or town.
AB246,23 2Section 23. 88.83 (1m) of the statutes is repealed.
AB246,24 3Section 24. 88.83 (1r) of the statutes is repealed.
AB246,25 4Section 25. 88.83 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,14,85 88.83 (2m) If the proposed transfer of jurisdiction is of less than the entire
6district, jurisdiction of the part of the drainage district may not be transferred to a
7municipality unless the municipality to which jurisdiction will be transferred and
8the district have entered into an agreement that includes all of the following:
AB246,14,129 (a) The municipality and district agree that the goal of the agreement is to
10outline the duties and responsibilities of the respective parties to maintain the drain
11system as provided in the plans and specification for the drain system approved by
12the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.
AB246,14,1513 (b) The agreement specifies any monetary obligations of the municipality or
14district under the agreement and the manner by which any monetary obligation
15under the agreement will be calculated.
AB246,14,1816 (c) The municipality agrees to ensure access to, and maintenance of, any
17corridor established under s. 88.74 (1) that is located on land transferred under this
18section consistent with the requirements of s. 88.74.
AB246,14,2119 (d) The municipality agrees, upon order by the drainage district from which
20jurisdiction was transferred, to maintain and repair any part of a former district
21drain located in land transferred under this section.
AB246,14,2422 (e) That if the municipality fails to complete work ordered under par. (d), the
23district may complete the work and assess costs on the confirmed benefits to property
24located in the municipality, as follows:
AB246,15,3
11. The district shall provide notice to the municipality that, based upon an
2inspection by the board, maintenance of a drain on land transferred under this
3section is necessary.
AB246,15,104 2. If the municipality does not within 30 days of receiving the notice under subd.
51. enter into an agreement with the district to perform the maintenance or does not
6perform the ordered maintenance within 12 months of receiving the notice under
7subd. 1., the district may file a declaratory judgment action in the court having
8jurisdiction over the district. The only issues in an action under this subdivision
9shall be compliance with this paragraph and whether the lands proposed to be
10assessed are benefited by the drain.
AB246,15,1311 3. a. If the court determines that the district has complied with this paragraph
12and that the lands proposed to be assessed are benefited by the drain, the district
13may complete the work and assess costs to the municipality.
AB246,15,1614 b. If the court determines that the district has not complied with this paragraph
15or that the lands proposed to be assessed are not benefited by the work, the district
16may complete the work, but may not assess costs to the municipality.
AB246,26 17Section 26. 88.83 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,16,718 88.83 (3) If the drainage board finds upon the hearing that the petition is
19signed by the required number of owners of a majority of the land in the district, or
20by a majority of the owners in that part of the district lying within the corporate
21limits of a city or village
and that the conditions under sub. (2m) have been satisfied,
22it shall may issue an order transferring jurisdiction of the district or part of the
23district to the city or village municipality. If the order transfers jurisdiction of the
24entire district and the governing body of the municipality approves the transfer, the
25drainage district shall cease to exist as a district under this chapter and shall

1automatically come under the jurisdiction of the governing body of the city or village
2municipality in which the district is located. If the order transfers jurisdiction of only
3a part of the district and the governing body of the municipality approves the
4transfer
, the section transferred shall automatically come under the jurisdiction of
5the governing body of the city or village municipality in which the district is located.
6After a transfer, all proceedings with reference to the drainage district or part of the
7district shall be under the city or village drainage law.
AB246,27 8Section 27. 88.83 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,17,89 88.83 (4) As an alternative, proceedings covered by this section may be
10initiated by a resolution of the governing body of a city or village municipality. The
11resolution shall state that the city or village municipality is willing to accept the
12drain or part of the drain and to administer it under the laws pertaining to the
13operation of drains by the city or village
, and that the public interest requires that
14the city or village municipality take over the operation of the drain or part of the
15drain. The resolution shall be published as a class 1 notice under ch. 985. The city
16or village
municipality may petition the drainage board having jurisdiction of the
17drain to issue an order transferring jurisdiction of the district or part of the district
18to the city or village. No municipality. The drainage board may not hold a hearing
19may be held on the petition until 30 days have elapsed from after the date of
20publication of the notice. A copy of the petition, together with a copy of the and
21resolution, shall be served on the county clerk of the county in which the drain is
22located, and also upon the board having jurisdiction of the drain. After If the
23drainage board finds upon
the hearing that the conditions under sub. (2m) have been
24met,
the drainage board may issue an order transferring jurisdiction of the drain or
25part of the drain to the city or village municipality. If an the order is issued that

1transfers jurisdiction of the entire district, the drainage district shall cease to exist
2as a district under this chapter and shall automatically come under the jurisdiction
3of the governing body of the city or village municipality in which the district is
4located. If the order transfers jurisdiction of only a part of the district, the section
5transferred shall automatically come under the jurisdiction of the governing body of
6the city or village municipality in which the district is located. After a transfer, all
7proceedings with reference to the drainage district or part of the district shall be
8under the city or village drainage law.
AB246,28 9Section 28. 88.83 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,17,2010 88.83 (5) Upon entry of the an order transferring jurisdiction of such an entire
11district to such city or village a municipality and approval of the transfer by the
12municipality
, the county treasurer and district shall pay to the city or village
13treasurer of such city or village the municipality all moneys in the county treasurer's
14or district's hands which belong to such the drainage district. Upon entry of an order
15transferring jurisdiction of a part of a district to the city or village in which it is
16located
a municipality and approval of the transfer by the municipality, the county
17treasurer and district shall pay to the city or village treasurer of the municipality a
18proportional share of the moneys in the county treasurer's or district's hands which
19belong to the drainage district based upon assessed benefits transferred less a
20proportional share of outstanding indebtedness.
AB246,29 21Section 29. 281.36 (3b) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,18,422 281.36 (3b) (b) No person may discharge dredged material or fill material into
23a wetland unless the discharge is authorized by a wetland general permit or
24individual permit issued by the department under this section or the discharge is
25exempt under sub. (4) or (4m). No person may violate any condition contained in a

1wetland general or individual permit issued by the department under this section.
2The department may not issue a wetland general or individual permit under this
3section unless it determines that the discharge authorized pursuant to the wetland
4general or individual permit will comply with all applicable water quality standards.
AB246,30 5Section 30. 281.36 (3m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,18,156 281.36 (3m) (a) When permit required. Any person wishing to proceed with a
7discharge into any wetland shall submit an application for a wetland individual
8permit under this subsection unless the discharge has been authorized under a
9wetland general permit as provided in sub. (3g) or is exempt under sub. (4) or (4m).
10Before submitting the application, the department shall hold a meeting with the
11applicant to discuss the details of the proposed discharge and the requirements for
12submitting the application and for delineating the wetland. An applicant may
13include in the application a request for a public informational hearing. The
14application shall be accompanied by the applicable fee specified in sub. (11) or (12)
15(a).
AB246,31 16Section 31. 281.36 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB246,18,2117 281.36 (4m) Drainage district activity exemption. (a) The permitting
18requirement under sub. (3b) does not apply to any discharge that is the result of
19activity undertaken by a drainage district to maintain drainage district drains in
20accordance with plans and specifications approved by the department of agriculture,
21trade and consumer protection.
AB246,18,2322 (b) The department shall waive any water quality certification requested under
2333 USC 1341 (a) for a discharge described under par. (a).
AB246,32 24Section 32. 281.36 (6) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB246,19,3
1281.36 (6) (a) (intro.) The department shall promulgate rules to interpret and
2implement the provisions under subs. (4), (4m), and (5). In promulgating these rules,
3the department shall do all of the following:
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