Clean water is crucial in Wisconsin for public health, the economy and the environment.   The health and cleanliness of Wisconsin's waterways is now under threat from excess phosphorous pollution.

Background
What is Phosphorous?
Impacts of Phosphorous Pollution
Status
Phosphorous Criteria Adopted
Update!

Background:
What is Phosphorous?
Phosphorous is a nonmetallic chemical that is a critical part of cell growth and in limited amounts occurs naturally in ecosystems.  Phosphorous can also be found in many human-made products including pesticides, toothpaste, fireworks, explosives, car exhaust and detergents.  It is also a major component of most commercial fertilizers.  While in these capacities phosphorous can be useful, when it escapes into the environment, such as when fertilized soils are washed by rains into lakes and streams, it can cause devastating environmental impacts that have a serious detrimental effect on the local ecology as well as public health and the economy.

Impacts of Phosphorous Pollution
While phosphorus occurs naturally in low concentrations, too much phosphorus in the water can promote the growth of algae and cause our waters to look green or brown with slimy globs which have a strong odor.

Green, slime filled lakes do NOT promote Wisconsin as a place to live, work or invest. Not only does algae contribute to smelly discolored water, it also robs needed oxygen from waters, threatens fish life, and may become toxic to humans and animals.

While some industry groups have opposed regulations that would limit phosphorous discharges, the fact remains that algae growth from phosphorous pollution is a major threat to Wisconsin jobs and the economy.  Wisconsin relies heavily on recreation-based tourism for income, ranking as the number two-ranked destination for fishing in the United States, with over 1.4 million licensed anglers. DNR estimates that fishing in Wisconsin creates over 30,000 jobs in the state and $2.75 billion in economic benefits annually.

Many Wisconsin residents pay premiums to live on or near waterways.  Studies show that increased water clarity increases lakeshore property values, and property tax income.  One study from Vilas County, Wisconsin estimated that an additional 30 cm of water clarity resulted in a 3.6% increase in lakefront property values.  Another study of lakefront property values in Minnesota’s Mississippi Headwater Region found that each additional meter of water clarity resulted in an average increase in price of $45.64 per frontage foot, for an aggregate increase in property values of $5,884,200 in the region. Phosphorous pollution would dramatically impact water clarity and reduce property values.

Every summer, Wisconsin communities and tourism-related businesses cope with the detrimental effects of phosphorus pollution, including foul, smelly water, nuisance algae blooms, fish kills, and health threats such as toxic algae and contaminated drinking water.  Phosphorus pollution caused over 30% of impairments on Wisconsin’s 2008 impaired waters list and contributes to downstream water quality problems, such as the huge dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that threatens numerous human and ecological communities.

Examples from 2009:

• Beaches in Madison, WI closed for a “combined total of 90 days” mostly due to algae.
• At least 3 dogs reportedly died due to nutrient induced toxic blue-green algae.
• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services received 41 health complaints related to blue-green algae, including rashes, sore throats and eye irritation.

Status:
Phosphorous Criteria Adopted
In 2010 Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA), along with a coalition of other environmental groups, pushed for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to adopt new Phosphorous Criteria to provide that Wisconsin rivers should not have more than 100 parts per billion (0.1 mg/L) of phosphorus and that Wisconsin streams should not have more than 75 parts per billion (.075mg/L).  WDNR also proposed criteria for lakes, including the Great Lakes. These numbers were developed by scientists at Wisconsin DNR (working with other scientists) by evaluating the effects of phosphorus pollution on Wisconsin rivers, lakes and streams. Waters having more phosphorus than these levels often had excessive algal growth, toxic cyano-bacteria or other serious problems.  Of course, there are some water bodies with levels lower than these that had problems and some with more phosphorus that did not, but WDNR found that allowing more phosphorus than the levels chosen was likely to be bad for aquatic life, recreation or drinking water.

After a lengthy process of debate, public hearings and testimony, the DNR opted to adopt the new Phosphorous Criteria.  The new criteria went into effect in December 1, 2010. 

The US-EPA views Wisconsin’s numeric criteria standard for phosphorus to be a model protocol for setting scientifically credible standards that provide the flexibility needed to address unique watersheds while accommodating stakeholders implementation concerns.  The scientific data that underpins the model rule spans 20 years.  The public, WDNR staff, industry, municipalities and environmental advocates worked together for over two years to create a system that is flexible and verifiable for improved water quality.  These efforts were in response both to a federal requirement under the Clean Water Act and to solve the public health and environmental problem of green, soupy, algae-choked waters.

Update!
The Joint Finance Committee decided on Friday, June 3rd to drop the provision in the state budget that would have delayed the implementation of Wisconsin’s phosphorus rule for two years. The phosphorus rule was a non-fiscal piece of public policy that had no business being in the budget in the first place. While the phosphorus rule is safe for now, some legislators have discussed introducing the delay as a separate piece of legislation. This is an important rule that helps reduce the foul-smelling algal blooms in Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers and we hope to see no further delays proposed.

Midwest Environmental Advocates strongly opposes any attempt to reduce Wisconsin's regulation of phosphorous discharges.  Phosphorous represents a growing threat to the Wisconsin's public health, safety and economy. 

Read Melissa Scanlan's Op-ed published in the Journal Sentinel here.

Subscribe to MEA's Advocacy Update E-Newsletter to for more updates on this critical environmental issue.

2011 Phosphorous Rules Delay Fast-Facts Sheet

MEA 2011 Phosphorous Rules Repeal Factsheet - General Public Information

MEA 2011 Phosphorous Technical Factsheet

MEA 2010 Phosphorous Criteria Factsheet

Walker's to Reduce State Rules Regulating Phosphorous Content in Runoff Water May Not Reduce City's Costs
the Northwestern
March 27, 2011

Natural Resource Board Urges Walker to Reconsider Rollback of Phosphorous Rules
Wisconsin State Journal
March 24, 2011

DNR Urges Walker to Reconsider Weakening Phosphorous Rules
Hudson Star Observer
March 24, 2011

Governor's Phosphorous Initiative May Be Revisited
Superior Telegram
March 24, 2011

Editorial: Don't Allow Lakes to Deteriorate
Sheboygan Press
March 22, 2011

Walker Reins In Water Rules
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
March 17, 2011

Press Release: New phosphorus rules approved to improve Wisconsin water quality
WDNR
June 23, 2010