As the new home of WISPIRG's environmental work, Wisconsin Environment can be contacted with any questions regarding this report.
Madison,
WI — According to a new WISPIRG report, Wisconsin streams and rivers
exceeded acceptable phosphorus levels in 93 percent of tests in the
past decade, while Wisconsin lakes exceeded acceptable phosphorus
levels 80 percent of the time.
The
report, "Phosphorus In Runoff Pollution In Wisconsin", highlights the
environmental and public health dangers of high phosphorus levels in
waterways, as well as detailing the ways in which phosphorus finds its
way into Wisconsin's lakes, rivers and streams.
"Phosphorus
is a real problem for Wisconsin waters. This report found that lakes,
rivers and streams across Wisconsin are plagued by high levels of the
pollutant. These high levels of phosphorus can harm our tourism and
fishing industries and damage our health," said WISPIRG Director Kerry
Schumann.
Phosphorus
starts a cycle of excess algae growth that eventually causes the death
of fish and other aquatic life. Excess phosphorus also encourages the
growth of toxins and bacteria that are harmful to plants, animals and
humans.
According
to the report, the main cause of phosphorus is runoff from farm fields
and urban landscapes. When too much manure is applied as a fertilizer
on cropland, or when livestock facilities store large quantities of
manure, rainfall and snowmelt transport phosphorus into lakes, rivers
and streams. In urban areas, phosphorus runoff typically comes from
fertilized lawns, private septic-treatment systems and construction
sites.
The
report highlighted the need for strong rules to regulate polluted
runoff from agriculture land, urban areas, construction sites and
roadways. Rules drafted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources and Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
are in the final stages of approval, and would make strides toward
protecting Wisconsin waters from phosphorus and other pollutants.
However,
WISPIRG, Sierra Club, the River Alliance of Wisconsin and 32 other
organizations contend that the rules contain a glaring omission: there
are no requirements for natural vegetative buffers between farmland and
waterways.
"This
report shows that vegetative buffers are a must for preventing
phosphorus from reaching our lakes, rivers and streams," said Schumann.
"This
report once again demonstrates the damage caused by excess nutrients
like phosphorus in our waterways. One of the best ways to control this
type of pollution is to install vegetative buffers along waterways.
That is why our coalition has been arguing for new state rules that
require a phase-in of buffers in order to make good progress in
controlling polluted runoff -- the number one water quality threat in
Wisconsin," stated River Alliance of Wisconsin Executive Director Todd
Ambs.
The
groups are particularly concerned about the lack of buffer requirements
because the report showed that the 21 counties not eligible for a
federal program for implementing buffers (Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program, or CREP) have high levels of phosphorus. Of the 21
counties not eligible for CREP, all but one had unsafe levels of
phosphorus in their waterways. The one county without exceedances had
not done any tests. The average exceedance rate in non-CREP counties
was 74 percent for lakes and 69 percent for rivers and streams.
"If
we want to get excess phosphorus and other contaminants out of
Wisconsin waters, we need strong rules to curb runoff pollution.
Without mandating vegetative buffers between waterways and farmland we
have not passed a strong policy," said Caryl Terrell of the Sierra
Club-John Muir Chapter.
WISPIRG
and the 34 other members of the Clean Water Coalition called on the
Natural Resources Board to ensure that mandatory vegetative buffers are
included in the runoff pollution rules before they are finalized.
